BitMine rapidly adds 250,000 ETH in staking in one week, with the supply-side contraction narrative taking shape

The world’s largest corporate Ethereum holder, BitMine, is accelerating its staking. According to the latest disclosures, as of January 4, 2026, BitMine has staked a total of 659,219 ETH, worth approximately $2.1 billion, whereas just last week this number was only 408,627 ETH. In just one week, BitMine increased its staked ETH by 250,592 (about $800 million), representing a 61% growth in staking scale.

Strategic Intent Behind the Accelerated Staking

BitMine holds 4.11 million ETH, accounting for approximately 3.41% of the total Ethereum supply, making it the largest enterprise-level ETH holder globally. More notably, the 659,219 ETH staked currently only accounts for 16% of its total holdings, indicating that BitMine still has ample staking capacity.

From recent news updates, BitMine has conducted multiple staking operations over the past week. On January 3 alone, it staked 82,560 ETH (worth about $2.59 billion). This high-frequency, large-scale staking pattern suggests active strategic planning rather than passive asset allocation. BitMine CEO Tom Lee previously promoted a share issuance plan, increasing authorized shares from 500 million to 50 billion, to reserve space for future business expansion.

Structural Changes on the Supply Side

Staking essentially involves locking ETH on the Beacon Chain, sacrificing liquidity for long-term gains. BitMine’s accelerated staking directly alters the supply dynamics of Ethereum.

According to recent reports, BitMine’s latest staking has pushed the validator queue close to 1 million ETH, with the current wait time for new validation nodes around 17 days. This indicates that the overall network staking enthusiasm is quite high. Every ETH entered into staking is a direct freeze of circulating supply. When total demand remains unchanged, a reduction in circulating supply often supports the price.

Increase in Institutional Holdings Concentration

Market data shows that institutional and reserve holdings now account for 10.74% of ETH supply, a figure that continues to rise. As a publicly listed company, BitMine’s staking actions are highly transparent and serve as a reference. This “leading institution taking the lead” effect may inspire other institutions to follow suit in staking.

Subtle Changes in Market Structure

Market analysis from recent reports indicates that expectations for ETH’s “rebound explosion” in 2026 are heating up. On one hand, ETH has risen 7.87% over the past 7 days, with technical indicators trending towards stability, and the price has stabilized above $3,100. On the other hand, continuous inflows of institutional funds combined with BitMine’s accelerated staking form a “double confirmation”—not only driving price increases but also concentrating holdings.

Possible Future Developments

If BitMine continues staking at the current pace, its staked amount could break through the 1 million ETH mark in the near term. This would further reinforce the “supply contraction” narrative in the market. In the long run, as more ETH is locked into staking systems, the actual circulating supply will decrease significantly, potentially providing substantial long-term support for ETH’s price.

It is important to note that these actions by BitMine align with its plan to promote share issuance—staking to generate stable income while using share issuance to reserve space for future financing or acquisitions. This forms a comprehensive capital operation strategy.

Summary

BitMine’s addition of 250,000 ETH to staking in one week reflects not only a single institution’s investment decision but also a market-wide institutional confirmation of Ethereum’s long-term value. Accelerated staking directly freezes available supply, pushing validator queues toward 1 million ETH, representing a substantial change on the supply side of Ethereum. The combined effect of increased institutional holdings concentration and rising prices is creating a “locked-in holdings + price support” dual effect. For market participants, key questions are whether this supply-side contraction trend can continue and whether it will further elevate ETH’s price expectations.