Ether.fi $210M Airdrop Sparks Market Turbulence, ETHFI Value Drops By 35%

ETHFI, the governance token of the decentralized liquid staking protocol Ether.fi, debuted for $4.13 following its distribution through its airdrop on March 18. 

However, since the $210 million airdrop, the value of ETHFI has experienced a significant decline, plummeting over 35% to its current trading price of $3.05, according to CoinGecko data.

ETHFI Airdrop Attracts 20,000 Participants

Market expert Tom Wan has provided a summary of the ETHFI airdrop. Out of the total supply of 16.8 million ETHFI tokens, approximately 28% have been claimed by participants. 

The airdrop attracted around 20,000 claimers, showcasing considerable interest in the token distribution. Notably, the top wallets, accounting for 1.67% of the total distribution, have the potential to receive between 10,000 and 25,000 ETHFI tokens, reflecting substantial holdings.

Ether.fi

Most claimers, comprising approximately 67% of participants, are expected to receive a lower allocation of ETHFI tokens, ranging from 175 to 500. 

This distribution strategy aims to ensure a broader and more equitable dispersion of the tokens among participants. However, an interesting observation is that 76% of claimers have transferred their ETHFI tokens to other wallets, indicating a potential desire for liquidity or trading activities.

Furthermore, it is noteworthy that 38% of the token receivers are new wallets, suggesting an expansion of the ETHFI user base as of May 1, 2023. This influx of new participants showcases a growing interest in the governance and utility offered by Ether.Fi’s protocol.

Ether.fi Witnesses Surge In Total Value Locked

Ether.fi has experienced notable growth in net deposits and Total Value Locked (TVL), as evidenced by data provided by Token Terminal. However, the platform has faced fluctuations in its active user base. 

According to Token Terminal, net deposits on Ether.fi have significantly increased, reaching $2.99 billion over the past 30 days alone. This marks a significant growth rate of 136.9%.

Simultaneously, the TVL on Ether.fi has mirrored the surge in net deposits, which also amount to $2.99 billion over the same 30-day period. This metric represents the total value of assets, predominantly cryptocurrency, locked within the protocol. 

However, while Ether.fi has witnessed robust growth in net deposits and TVL, the platform has experienced fluctuations in its active user base. Daily active users have shown a considerable decline of 54.3% over the past 30 days, currently standing at 506. 

Ether.fi

Similarly, weekly active users have experienced a more moderate decline of 3.5%, currently standing at 5,780. This suggests that while there has been a slight reduction in user engagement every week, a significant portion of the user base remains actively involved with the protocol.

The most substantial decline in user activity is observed in monthly active users, with a notable drop of 68.9% over the past 30 days. The figure currently stands at 14,740 users. 

Overall, the distribution of the ETHFI token through the airdrop has garnered significant attention and participation. At the same time, the token’s value has experienced a decline since its initial listing, the long-term potential and impact of ETHFI within the Ether.Fi ecosystems are yet to be fully realized.

Ether.fi

Featured image from Shutterstock, chart from TradingView.com

Ethereum Liquid Staking Protocols Hit New Milestone Following Massive Inflows

Ethereum liquid staking platforms are making waves in the decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem. Recent on-chain reports have revealed that liquid staking protocols have recorded a new milestone in the number of Ether (ETH) staked, reaching a staggering 12 million ETH mark in just a few days. 

Ethereum Liquid Staking Gains Momentum

With Ethereum 2.0 thriving, liquid staking protocols in the DeFi ecosystem have been growing rapidly despite recent market volatility.

Research data from DeFi TVL aggregator, Defillama, revealed on Monday, September 25, the tremendous growth of Ethereum holdings in liquid staking platforms. According to the data, the ETH in liquid staking protocols has risen to approximately 12.31 million and may continue rising.

Reports uncovered that a staggering 370,000 ETH were staked in just five days, allowing liquid staking protocols to reach their current 12 million mark. Liquid staking platforms like Lido, Rocket Pool, Coinbase, and Binance are among the list of prominent protocols that led to the recent upsurge in Ether staking. 

According to Defillama TVL rankings, Lido holds the top spot for the amount of Ethereum staked with a TVL of $13.997 billion in liquid staking. The protocol secured over 8 million Ether on September 20, and another 30,000 after that.

Lido finance Ethereum liquid staking

Coinbase is presently ranked second in Defillama’s TVL rankings, holding approximately $2.155 billion, a significant gap from Lido’s TVL. 

Coinbase has about 1.3 million Ether presently in its reserve. Whereas, Rocket Pool holds the third position in TVL rankings and has increased its Ether holdings from 940,496 to 945,402. 

Binance Liquid Staking Platform Takes The Lead

Binance liquid staking platform has been the driving force behind the recent spike in ether influx in liquid staking protocols in the DeFi ecosystem. 

According to reports, Binance added a startling amount of ether to its already substantial ether reserves. The liquid staking platform which previously recorded 445,000 ETH in its reserve, added 318,605 ETH and now holds 764,105 ETH. Research data have revealed that Binance amassed a considerable amount of ETH tokens to support its staking token, Wrapped Beacon ETH (WBETH).

In the last three months, the DeFi ecosystem recorded a liquid staking valuation above $20 billion evaluating various protocols in the DeFi ecosystem. Following this, Defillama’s September data revealed liquid staking protocols now hold $20.5 billion in assets, increasing by a staggering 293% from previous lows in June 2022. 

Although the key protocols steering the surge are Lido, Binance, and Rocket Pool. Other upcoming liquid staking protocols like Davos and InQubeta are persisting, driven by the Ethereum 2.0 upgrade and investors desire to maximize their earnings through Ethereum staking.

Ethereum price chart from Tradingview.com (ETH liquid staking)