TLDR
- Ethereum’s unstaking exit queue has grown to 45 days, sparking criticism from Galaxy Digital’s DeFi head who called it “troubling”
- Vitalik Buterin defended the long exit queue, comparing staking to “a soldier’s duty to defend the chain” where friction in quitting is intentional
- Galaxy Digital’s Michael Marcantonio deleted his critical posts after community pushback and threats of business boycotts
- Over 2.5 million ETH currently sits in the exit queue, though this has decreased slightly from recent highs
- Ethereum maintains over 1 million active validators with 35.6 million ETH staked, representing 30% of total supply
Ethereum’s staking exit queue has become a point of contention after reaching 45 days, prompting criticism from traditional finance firms and a rare public defense from co-founder Vitalik Buterin.
The controversy began when Galaxy Digital’s head of DeFi, Michael Marcantonio, publicly criticized Ethereum’s lengthy unstaking process on social media. He compared it unfavorably to Solana, which requires only two days to unstake tokens.
A short story of before and after pic.twitter.com/t4VoFGlQ2e
— Etc. (@ec265) September 17, 2025
Marcantonio questioned how a network requiring 45 days to return assets could serve global capital markets effectively. His posts suggested the extended waiting period posed problems for institutional adoption.
Buterin Frames Staking as Military Service
Buterin responded with an ideological defense of the current system. He compared Ethereum staking to military service, describing unstaking as similar to “a soldier deciding to quit the army.”
The Ethereum founder emphasized that staking represents taking on “a solemn duty to defend the chain.” He argued that friction in the exit process serves a purpose in maintaining network security.
“An army cannot hold together if any percent of it can suddenly leave at any time,” Buterin explained. This framing positions the exit queue as a feature rather than a bug.
Despite defending the system, Buterin acknowledged the current staking queue design is not optimal. However, he warned that reducing the waiting period could make the chain “much less trustworthy” for nodes that don’t stay online frequently.
Current data shows 2.5 million ETH waiting in the exit queue with an estimated 43-day wait time. The entry queue contains 464,626 ETH with an 8-day activation delay.
Ethereum maintains strong validator participation with over 1 million active validators. The network has 35.6 million ETH staked, representing nearly 30% of the total token supply.
Community Backlash Forces Post Deletion
The crypto community quickly rallied against Marcantonio’s criticism. Former Consensys product manager Jimmy Ragosa suggested entities were reconsidering business relationships with Galaxy Digital over the comments.
From what I gather in my DMs, the only thing @galaxyhq's so-called "Head of DeFi" has achieved with his relentless ETH FUD the last few weeks is that most entities with any vested interest in Ethereum are now reconsidering their business with Galaxy.
— Jrag.eth (@Jrag0x) September 17, 2025
Ethereum educator Anthony Sassano announced he would recommend avoiding business with Galaxy. He criticized Marcantonio’s understanding of DeFi fundamentals despite his senior position.
Crypto lawyer Gabriel Shapiro called the deleted posts “insanely gaslighty psyops.” He suggested the criticism actually made Ethereum look stronger both technologically and culturally.
Marcantonio subsequently deleted his critical posts following the community response. Galaxy Digital has not responded to requests for comment about the controversy.
The debate highlights tensions between traditional finance’s efficiency expectations and blockchain security priorities. Galaxy Digital recently invested $1.5 billion in Solana and became the first Nasdaq-listed company to tokenize shares on that network.
