BitMine invests another $480 million in staking ETH, totaling $4.15 billion. What move are the institutions making?

According to the latest news, BitMine pledged an additional 154,208 ETH on January 13, valued at approximately $480 million. This marks another large-scale pledge operation by the institution in recent times, bringing its total staked amount to 1,344,224 ETH, with a total value of $4.15 billion. This ongoing large-scale staking behavior reflects institutional investors’ long-term optimism about Ethereum and has sparked a new round of market reflection on the future ETH trend.

How Large Is BitMine’s Staking Scale

Based on on-chain data, BitMine’s staking scale has reached a top-tier level in the industry. As of now, it holds over 4 million ETH, with more than one-third of that amount staked. At the current ETH price of $3,092, the total value of BitMine’s Ethereum assets has exceeded $120 billion.

Real Returns from Staking Yields

BitMine’s staking operations are not only large in scale but also quite profitable. According to data, its 1,344,224 ETH staked at an annualized yield of 2.54% yields approximately $94.4 million annually. This means that the passive income generated from staking by BitMine is equivalent to the annual revenue of a medium-sized enterprise.

The Pace of Continuous Additions

BitMine’s staking activities are not a one-time event. Since early January, the institution has carried out multiple large-scale staking:

• Added 86,400 ETH in early January (about $268 million)
• Added 24,266 ETH on January 12 (about $75 million)
• Staked another 154,208 ETH on January 13 (about $480 million)

This frequent and substantial activity indicates that BitMine is executing a clear long-term strategy.

Why Is the Institution Doing This

Deep Considerations Behind Locking Supply

BitMine’s large-scale staking is not only for earning staking rewards but also more importantly to “lock” ETH from circulating in the market through staking. Data shows that staked ETH accounts for 29% of the total supply, meaning nearly one-third of ETH has been removed from trading markets, creating supply-side support.

Tom Lee’s Aggressive Price Target

Tom Lee, Chairman of BitMine, is a seasoned cryptocurrency analyst with a highly optimistic outlook on Ethereum’s long-term prospects. According to publicly available information, Tom Lee predicts a long-term target price of $250,000 for ETH, which would correspond to a market cap of $30 trillion. Although this target seems aggressive in the short term, it demonstrates the management’s confidence in Ethereum as a foundational infrastructure.

Upcoming Shareholder Vote

On January 15, BitMine will hold a shareholder vote to increase its share issuance to 50 billion shares. If approved, this will provide more funds for purchasing and staking ETH. This expansion plan aligns with ongoing staking operations, indicating that the institution is preparing for larger-scale Ethereum accumulation.

What Does This Mean for the Market

Actual Constraints on Supply

When institutions stake at such a scale, the actual circulating supply in the market decreases. This supply-side constraint has historically tended to support prices. Especially when multiple institutions engage in similar operations simultaneously, the effect becomes even more pronounced.

A Direct Reflection of Confidence

The continuous increase in staking by institutions like BitMine is a vote of confidence in Ethereum’s role as blockchain infrastructure. Such real monetary investment speaks louder than any analysis report about the institution’s genuine outlook.

The Continued Hotness of the Staking Ecosystem

Data shows that the queue of validators waiting to join the Ethereum network has accumulated 1.775 million ETH, with an 81% increase in two weeks. This indicates that not only large institutions like BitMine are increasing their stakes, but overall market enthusiasm for staking is also rising.

Summary

BitMine’s ongoing large-scale staking operations send several key signals: first, institutional investors remain highly optimistic about Ethereum’s long-term prospects, which is a strategic layout rather than short-term speculation; second, locking supply through large-scale staking provides substantial support for ETH prices; third, the upcoming shareholder vote hints at more aggressive expansion plans, potentially increasing the institution’s staking efforts further.

For market participants, the key is to understand the logic behind this institutional behavior. BitMine is not betting on short-term price fluctuations but is building a long-term Ethereum treasury, similar to traditional companies establishing currency reserves. The success of this strategy ultimately depends on whether Ethereum’s actual application value as infrastructure can be realized.