Staking is no longer a niche add-on for ether (ETH) investors in 2026 — it has become a defining feature of how institutions gain exposure to the cryptocurrency, shaping product design, returns and risk management across the market. Near-term selling is constrained by staking, but coins are no longer trapped. With withdrawals running smoothly, ether now trades less like a locked-up asset and more like a yield-bearing position that investors can scale up or down as sentiment changes. Kean Gilbert, head o ...