The recent launch of the Lido V2 upgrade on the Ethereum mainnet has generated much excitement among the crypto community. This major update to the largest Ethereum staking protocol allows for staked Ethereum (stETH) withdrawals, improving the Ethereum staking experience while increasing decentralization. Users can now unstake their stETH or wstETH directly on Lido without any fee, and seamlessly exchange it at a 1:1 ratio for Ethereum (ETH).
The withdrawal process, which can take anywhere from 1 to 5 days, is a much-awaited feature for many investors. With the successful completion of the Ethereum Shanghai mainnet upgrade in April, Lido had disabled withdrawals for auditing purposes; however, the team had promised to enable Ethereum withdrawals by the end of May.
On the flip side, some market watchers have expressed concerns over the potential impact of these withdrawals on the overall crypto market. Early data from Parsec indicates that the average ETH withdrawal from Lido was 200 ETH, with withdrawals on Tuesday seeing a significant spike to over 3,400 ETH worth $6 million in just an hour.
Prominent crypto firms like Three Arrows Capital (3AC) and Celsius may be inclined to withdraw large amounts of ETH from Lido, especially since 3AC was one of the larger stakers of Ethereum before its collapse in 2022.
As per DeFiLlama data, Lido has over 6.7 million staked ETH and holds a 74.49% market share in liquid staking derivatives, with the total value locked (TVL) doubling from $6 billion in December to $12 billion in May.
The Lido DAO (LDO) token’s price has also surged following the V2 upgrade, climbing 10% in the last 24 hours and 40% in a week, reaching a 24-hour high of $2.19.
Conversely, the enabling of ETH withdrawals on Lido has raised concerns regarding the potential stress on the crypto market. Bitcoin and Ethereum prices have experienced a slight setback in recent gains. Currently, Bitcoin is trading at $27,195, down 1% in the past 24 hours, while Ethereum is trading above $1,800.
In conclusion, while the Lido V2 upgrade brings significant improvements to the Ethereum staking experience, users should remain cautious about the effect of withdrawals on market volatility. As always, thorough market research is essential before investing in cryptocurrencies. Investors must remember that the presented content may include personal opinions of the author or other market participants and is subject to fluctuations in market conditions.
Source: Coingape
