HomePodcasts & VideosVideosRocket Pool's Saturn 1 upgrade reshapes the math for RPL and rETH holders. Darren Langley, GM of Rocket Pool, sits down with Camila Russo to explain how the protocol expands its scaling capacity, stabilizes rETH's peg, and turns RPL staking into a real ETH-yield strategy.
Videos
💻 Watch Video
Get an edge in Crypto with our free daily newsletterKnow what matters in Crypto and Web3 with The Defiant Daily newsletter, Mon to Fri
90k+ Defiers informed every day. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rocket Pool just made it a lot cheaper to run an Ethereum validator. The protocol’s Saturn 1 upgrade, which launched on Ethereum mainnet on February 18, 2026, cuts the minimum validator bond from 8 ETH to 4 ETH, effectively halving the barrier to entry for node operators who want to participate in decentralized staking.
What Saturn 1 actually changes Under the new structure, 8 ETH of bonded capital can now support up to 56 ETH in liquid deposits. Every dollar a node operator puts up can attract roughly seven dollars from passive stakers.
The upgrade also introduces megapools, a feature that lets operators manage multiple validators under a single smart contract. Instead of deploying separate contracts for each validator (and paying gas fees every time), operators can consolidate.
Advertisement
Then there’s the RPL fee switch. Saturn 1 activates a protocol-wide mechanism that routes roughly 9% of protocol revenue to staked RPL holders, paid out in ETH rather than through token inflation. Instead of printing more RPL tokens as rewards, the protocol now shares actual revenue.
How Rocket Pool got here The Atlas upgrade in 2023 was the one that first brought the bond requirement down to 8 ETH, creating what the protocol called “minipools.” Houston followed, focusing on governance improvements and operational refinements, laying the groundwork for the revenue-sharing mechanisms that Saturn 1 now implements.
The Saturn series was always envisioned as a multi-phase rollout. Saturn 1 handles the bond reduction, megapools, and fee switch. Rocket Pool occupies an unusual position in the liquid staking landscape: while Lido dominates market share with a more centralized operator model, Rocket Pool has leaned into permissionless node operation as its differentiator, where anyone can run a node with no application required.
What this means for investors and stakers By doubling validator capacity per bonded ETH, Rocket Pool is making a direct play for more total value locked. For rETH holders, that translates to better liquidity and tighter spreads when entering or exiting positions.
The shift from inflationary rewards to ETH-denominated revenue sharing fundamentally changes the value proposition of holding and staking RPL. Under the old model, staked RPL holders received more RPL. Under Saturn 1, they receive ETH. Pre-launch enthusiasm already drove upward price momentum for RPL.
There’s also the question of whether 4 ETH bonds attract operators who are genuinely committed to running reliable infrastructure, or whether the lower barrier brings in participants who are less prepared for the operational demands of validating. Slashing risk doesn’t disappear just because the entry price dropped.
Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.
Over the last week, liquid staking cryptocurrencies have been seeing a significant upside. All of these tokens have successfully moved into the green territory, recording double-digit gains for their holders. Although these digital assets seem to be following the general crypto market uptrend, there is another factor pushing up their prices.
Why Are Liquid Staking Crypto On The Rise? Liquid staking cryptocurrencies have been receiving more attention ever since the announcement that the Ethereum “Shanghai” upgrade is likely to take place in March 2023. This upgrade is important for the network because it will mean that staked ETH will finally be withdrawable.
Anticipation around this upgrade is already on the rise and liquid staking tokens are enjoying a good portion of this attention. Their popularity comes from the fact that they allow stakers to earn a yield on staked ETH even though they can’t withdraw their ETH. It also makes it possible for stakers to have tokens on hand which they can deploy on other protocols to further participate in the ecosystem.
Liquid staking protocols reward stakers with ETH-pegged tokens such as stETH and ankrETH and make it possible for ETH users to stake without having to become validators themselves. But instead of having to rely on centralized exchanges to do this, as was previously the case, these DeFi protocols are decentralized.
ETH price crosses $1,300 ahead of Shanghai upgrade | Source: ETHUSD on TradingView.com The higher earning potential of staking with liquid staking protocols has led to more demand for them. With the Shanghai upgrade coming, it is expected that more ETH will be moved to these protocols, leading to more demand for their native cryptocurrencies.
The Largest Liquid Staking Protocols The largest liquid staking protocol in the space now is currently Lido Finance. It accounts for around 30% of the total 15 million staked ETH, making it an important contender in the space. Its native LDO token has a market cap of $1.6 billion and its price is up 57% in the last 7 days.
Lido is the largest liquid staking protocol | Source: CryptoSlate Next in line is Frax Share whose price is up 21% in the last week. The digital asset’s market cap is almost $403 million, rewarding users with frxETH for their staked ETH at an 8% APR. This is the highest APR of any liquid staking protocol.
Rocket Pool takes third place with a market cap above $260 million and is up 18% in the 7-day period. But in terms of ETH deposited, it is one of the highest, accounting for around 6.5% of the total market share.
Others include Ankr Protocol which is up 26% in 7 days, as well as Stafi, pStake Finance, and StakeWise, all of which are up 32%, 20%, and 10%, respectively, in the same time period.
Follow Best Owie on Twitter for market insights, updates, and the occasional funny tweet… Featured image from Medium, chart from TradingView.com
Cover image via stock.adobe.com Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. The financial and market information provided on U.Today is intended for informational purposes only. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. Conduct your own research by contacting financial experts before making any investment decisions. We believe that all content is accurate as of the date of publication, but certain offers mentioned may no longer be available.
As became known yesterday, major cryptocurrency exchange Kraken has agreed to shut down its cryptocurrency staking services as part of a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The incident, which sparked discontent in the crypto community, for all its negativity, nevertheless proved to be a trigger for double-digit growth in a certain asset class.
You Might Also Like
Ethereum LSD providers gain tractionThus, one of the clear beneficiaries of the news is RPL, the token for Ethereum's decentralized staking platform (ETH). Since the SEC's intention to sanction all staking-as-service providers became known, the price of RPL rose 37.5% in a matter of hours. Reaching $52 per token, RPL's price action almost allowed the asset to renew its all-time high.
HOT Stories
RPL to USD by CoinMarketCapAs Lookonchain reports, this performance from the Rocket Pool token was preceded by an accumulation of more than $1.5 million by large holders from late January to February. Having accumulated large positions in RPL, the whales then sent them to staking.
You Might Also Like
Another token from Ethereum's liquid staking provider asset sector has also attracted substantive interest from some investors. This is LDO, the native token of the largest such platform. Thus, it is reported that three different whales cumulatively bought more than 400,000 LDO during and after the SEC news.
Decentralized liquid staking derivatives providers may continue to ramp up further amid sanctions against their centralized competitors. At the same time, it is worth keeping in mind the approach of Ethereum's next major update in March. Named Shanghai, the update is also expected to take effect.
Rocket Pool (RPL), a decentralized liquid staking protocol that allows users to earn rewards on their Ethereum (ETH) holdings, extends its rally by 40% on Tuesday after rallying 37% in the last two days. Coinglass data support this price rally as RPL’s open interest reaches record levels. Moreover, RPL announced that the first on-chain vote to revise the governance thresholds of its Protocol DAO was live.
Rocket Pool price extends double-dight gains Rocket Pool price broke above the descending trendline drawn by connecting multiple highs since early December and rallied 31.5% on Sunday. RPL retested, found support around the trendline, and continued its rally by 4.22% on Monday. At the time of writing on Tuesday, it trades higher by over 40%, breaking above its weekly resistance of $9.42.
If RPL closes above its weekly resistance of $9.42, it will extend the rally to retest its next daily resistance at $13.26.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) reads at 68, above its neutral level of 50 and points upwards, indicating strong bullish momentum. Moreover, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator showed a bullish crossover on Sunday, giving a buy signal and hinting at rally continuation.
RPL/USDT daily chart
Rocket Pool’s Open Interest (OI) further supports the bullish outlook. Coinglass’s data shows that the futures’ OI in RPL at exchanges rose from $2.30 million on Sunday to $15.92 million on Monday, reaching a new all-time high (ATH). An increasing OI represents new or additional money entering the market and new buying, which suggests a rally ahead in the Rocket Pool price.
RPL open interest chart. Source: Coinglass
Moreover, earlier in February, RPL announced that the first on-chain vote to revise the governance thresholds of its Protocol DAO (pDAO) was live. The voting aims to lower the quorum needed for proposals and vetoes, which are part of their ongoing governance process. This aims to adjust how decisions are made within the Rocket Pool ecosystem, making governance more agile or shifting the balance of power in decision-making.
Following the successful onchain initialisation of all node operators, a vote is now underway to revise two key onchain Protocol DAO quorums downwards:
⬇️ Proposal from 30% to 15%
⬇️ Veto from 51% to 20%
Node operators can review RPIP-64 & vote now: https://t.co/QD84XJ1FkN pic.twitter.com/Al4uNE6cuo
The Ethereum liquid staking protocol’s RPL token has surged by over 50% in the last three days.
Rocket Pool, an Ethereum-based liquid staking protocol, has been on a tear recently, with its RPL token surging 20% in the past 24 hours and over 50% in the last week.
The rally comes as the protocol gears up for its Saturn upgrade, which includes an overhaul of RPL’s tokenomics in a bid to drive more value to the token.
“Saturn devnet-1 is live! The future of Rocket Pool is on its way,” the general manager of Rocket Pool announced in a Feb. 11 X post.
RPL PriceAccording to Coinglass data, futures open interest (OI) for RPL surged from $2.3 million on Feb. 8 to $15.93 million on Feb. 9, when the rally began. RPL's open interest currently stands at $15 million. This influx of new capital indicates strong market confidence and potential for further upside.
Rocket Pool is the second largest decentralized Ethereum liquid staking protocol after Lido, with nearly $2 billion in total value locked (TVL), according to DeFiLlama. Its RPL token trades at a $200 million valuation, according to Coingecko.
Rocket Pool’s recent governance reforms could also have increased investor confidence. Ahead of a transition to fully onchain governance, a vote is ongoing to revise Rocket Pool’s protocol DAO governance threshold and make governance more efficient and adaptable. The vote aims to lower the quorum for proposals and vetoes to enhance participation while maintaining decentralization.
Rocket Pool is set to introduce a slew of new features this year, including megapools, which will aggregate smaller staking pools into larger ones to boost efficiency and scalability, and a dynamic fee split between node operators and the protocol.
Rocket Pool price has surged 29% in the past 24 hours to break above $6, with this coming amid a 150% spike in open interest.
As several altcoins rose alongside Ethereum (ETH), holders of the native token of decentralized Etherum staking protocol Rocket Pool (RPL) witnessed an impressive 29% price increase. The 24-hour gains extended the uptick from support below $5 for RPL.
Notably, the liquid staking protocol’s gains came with a massive 800% increase in daily trading volume. Data from Coinglass also showed Rocket Pool commanding a 150% jump in open interest. OI is a metric analysts use to gauge market sentiment around a particular token, with factors such as liquidity and likely price movements also notable.
The surge in RPL futures open interest highlights the confidence traders are showing in the altcoin. Per Coinglass, the Rocket Pool open interest stood at over $22.5 million on June 3, 2025 – up from under $9 million on May 31.
Rocket Pool’s integration with Chainlink to allow for users to transfer the liquid staking token Rocket Pool ETH between Ronin Network and Ethereum, is also a key recent development.
According to DeFiLlama, Rocket Pool has over 690k in staked ETH and more than $1.8 billion in total value locked. The Chainlink integration that brings cross-chain token transfers for rETH expands this capacity.
RPL is retesting the price level last seen in mid-May, and a breakout brings the psychological $10 level into view.
Rocket Pool price chart from crypto.news As well as the rally for ETH boosting related tokens such as Aave, Lido DAO and Arbitrum, Rocket Pool has moved higher after bears staged a comeback around $5.79.
Coinbase adding trading support for RPL in Germany alongside other seven tokens had helped Rocket Pool price hit the resistance line. New momentum means buyers may be on the verge of another leg up above $6.
RPL price reached highs of $12 on February 11, 2025.
Rocket Pool RPL is surging, adding 30%. Strengthening Ethereum prices played a role, but the team is also shipping updates ahead of the Saturn upgrade. Rocket Pool TVL is up 43% in one month. Will RPL break $10?
Yesterday, without any apparent reason or fundamental trigger, UNI, the governance token of the major DEX Uniswap, surged above $7 before cooling off.
Meanwhile, top DeFi tokens like MKR, the governance token of the Sky Protocol (formerly Maker), also climbed, posting double-digit gains.
As these leading DeFi tokens rose, attention shifted to another key Ethereum player critical to decentralizing the first smart contracts platform: Rocket Pool.
DISCOVER: 9+ Best High-Risk, High-Reward Crypto to Buy in May 2025
RPL Crypto Surges 30% The native token powering Rocket Pool, RPL, soared nearly 30% in 24 hours, extending gains from early June and solidifying its position among the top 30 largest DeFi protocols by total value locked (TVL).
According to Coingecko data, RPL gained against the greenback, ETH, BTC, and some of the best cryptos to buy.
Technically, there is room for growth.
With RPL adding nearly 30% yesterday, buyers are eyeing resistance levels at $7 and $10. If this psychological barrier is broken and RPL reaches new Q2 2025 highs, there is a high probability that the token could double to $20 in late H1 2025 or early H2 2025.
DeFiLlama data shows that Rocket Pool is the 26th largest DeFi protocol, managing over $1.7 billion in assets on Ethereum. With rising prices, its TVL increased 1% in 24 hours.
(Source)
However, the surge in inflows over the past month stands out, with the Rocket Pool TVL rising by 45%, outpacing most protocols in the top 30.
Raydium, the DEX powering Solana token swaps, saw a 42% TVL increase in the last month, signaling that traders may be returning to trade some of the best Solana meme coins.
Meanwhile, Morpho, EigenLayer, and Pendle also drew massive inflows, pushing the total DeFi TVL to $113 billion.
Will ETH Help Sustain Momentum? Interest in Ethereum staking may explain this revival.
Notably, the spike in the Rocket Pool TVL coincided with a surge in ETH prices in May.
The second most valuable crypto broke above $2,000 before accelerating to nearly $2,800. Although prices have stabilized above $2,400, there are hints that buyers are accumulating, and a breakout above $3,000 is inevitable.
On June 3, institutions in the United States purchased over $109 million worth of spot Ethereum ETF shares, increasing their holdings to over $9.8 billion, representing roughly 3% of the Ethereum market cap.
(Source)
If Ethereum prices rise, Rocket Pool’s TVL will likely expand, boosting RPL demand. This momentum could be further fueled by positive ecosystem developments in recent weeks.
Over $14m worth of ETH was staked with Rocket Pool yesterday, fully clearing the validator minipool queue!
If you're thinking about becoming a node operator, now could be a good time to start – you just need 8 ETH, with $RPL optional to earn more commission pic.twitter.com/UUbOPe72q0
— Rocket Pool (@Rocket_Pool) May 25, 2025
DISCOVER: Top 20 Crypto to Buy in May 2025
What’s Driving Rocket Pool Demand? Analysts are closely monitoring progress on the upcoming Saturn Upgrade.
Ahead of this key update, the team has released smart contracts for Saturn devnet-3 and is working on the Smart Node stack. Additionally, developers are preparing devnet-4, which, though less complex, will play a pivotal foundational role in the release scheduled for late Q3 2025.
The team has also completed an internal code review for Saturn and is now engaging external blockchain security firms to audit the code thoroughly before the upgrade.
Security before deployment is critical because Saturn will introduce scaling features, including “Megapools,” which aim to improve validator throughput and dynamic fee splits to enhance protocol efficiency and RPL utility.
Beyond Saturn, Rocket Pool updated its Smartnode software in April and May to ensure compatibility with Ethereum’s Pectra hard fork. The team addressed concerns about client integration, relay processing, and validator reliability, enabling node operators to continue staking on Ethereum with minimal disruption.
The increasing interoperability with other DeFi protocols could also drive RPL prices. With expanded use cases for rETH, holders stand to benefit, encouraging more adoption of Rocket Pool.
rETH <> wETH liquidity pool is LIVE!
Provide liquidity, earn rewards ⚔️
• Get ETH staking yield on Ronin
• Earn boosted rewards in the Ronin Blitz
• Combine rETH with other DeFi primitives
Provide rETH liquidity on Katana now 👇
🔗 : https://t.co/jL11T0QpvG
Here’s what’s… pic.twitter.com/UkZe4XVjjK
— Ronin (@Ronin_Network) May 23, 2025
After joining the Balancer Alliance Program, which unlocks revenue sharing for rETH/ETH, Rocket Pool also integrated with the Ronin Network, adopting Chainlink’s CCIP.
DISCOVER: 15 Next Crypto to Explode in 2025: Expert Cryptocurrency Predictions & Analysis
Rocket Pool RPL Up 30%, Ethereum Steady: Are DeFi Tokens Back? RPL is up 30%; will the token push above $10? Rocket Pool DeFi TVL up over 45% in one month Developers shipping updates ahead of the Saturn upgrade Ethereum staking boom and rising ETH demand driving DeFi tokens #Altcoin News Today #Ethereum (ETH) News Today #DeFi
Why you can trust 99Bitcoins
10+ Years
Established in 2013, 99Bitcoin’s team members have been crypto experts since Bitcoin’s Early days.
90hr+
Weekly Research
100k+
Monthly readers
50+
Expert contributors
2000+
Crypto Projects Reviewed
Follow 99Bitcoins on your Google News Feed
Get the latest updates, trends, and insights delivered straight to your fingertips. Subscribe now!
Subscribe now
Dalmas Ngetich
Crypto Journalist
Dalmas is an experienced journalist with over a decade in crypto, technology, and blockchain. His work and that of his partners have been featured in top news outlets, including Forbes, investing.com, and Entrepreneur, among others. He is passionate about crypto... Read More
Lido DAO is currently facing pressure from multiple directions: declining market share, organizational restructuring, technical concerns, and a surge in withdrawal demand.
Lido continues to play a significant role in the Ethereum ecosystem. However, to sustain its influence, it must show greater adaptability, innovation, and transparent governance than ever.
Lido, Ethereum’s largest decentralized staking platform, has recently shown several concerning signals. According to data from Dune, Lido’s share of ETH staking has dropped to just 24.6%, the lowest point in the past three years. This represents a significant shift, particularly for a protocol that once was dominant in Ethereum’s liquid staking landscape.
Lido market share. Source: DuneThis decline could stem from multiple factors, including growing competition from rivals like Rocket Pool or staking solutions integrated directly by major exchanges like Coinbase. The Ethereum community actively prioritizes decentralization. This raises questions about whether a protocol controlling numerous validators aligns with Ethereum’s long-term vision.
Beyond its shrinking market share, Lido recently disclosed a vulnerability in the RageQuit mechanism of its “Dual Governance” (DG) system. While the project team confirmed that no user funds were affected and mitigation steps have already been taken, this serves as a reminder that even major protocols are not immune to technical issues that may arise during operations.
In addition, the ETH withdrawal queue on Lido has reached its highest level since withdrawals were first enabled. Data from Dune shows that ETH pending withdrawal is nearly 143,000. Although this number has decreased from its all-time high at the end of July, it still reflects a shift in confidence among some users, especially as more flexible or secure staking alternatives emerge.
Lido ETH withdrawal queue. Source: DuneIn this context, Lido has officially confirmed that it will reduce its contributor team by approximately 15%. According to a public statement by co-founder Vasiliy Shapovalov on platform X (formerly Twitter), this decision was made to ensure the organization can operate more efficiently and adapt to the changing market trends.
“This decision was about costs — not performance. It affects incredibly talented people who helped shape the protocol and community.” Vasiliy Shapovalov shared on X.
Downsizing the team does not necessarily signal a crisis. However, it indicates that leadership is reassessing its human capital strategy, particularly as key performance metrics struggle to sustain prior growth trends. The protocol is entering a pivotal proving ground amid fast-moving technological and cultural shifts.
The AxCNH, a Chinese Yuan-pegged stablecoin issued by AnchorX, was officially launched on September 17, 2025 in Hong Kong. BDACS also launched KRW1, a South Korean Won-pegged stablecoin, the following day.
Why do these moves matter? Because the crypto race is heating up.
While America’s new federal stablecoin framework (the GENIUS Act in 2025) sets strict issuance and transparency rules, countries like Hong Kong and South Korea are also accelerating regulatory frameworks to oversee stablecoin activity.
Retail users also stand to gain. Putting fiat on-chain enables near-instantaneous 24/7 cross-border settlement and brings smart contracts into the mix. This not only reduces correspondent-bank friction, but allows for programmable FX flows (like atomic swaps and other DeFi uses).
And with stablecoins redefining how money moves, lightweight crypto apps like Best Wallet provide an accessible gateway to onboard more people into the crypto world.
Powering the Best Wallet ecosystem, Best Wallet Token ($BEST) has already secured over $16M in its presale as a statement to this market shift.
Currently in phase 2 of its roadmap, this crypto project bridges the gap between crypto and CeFi with effortless onramping, multi-chain support, low-cost swaps, and more features like derivatives trading and a debit card in the pipeline.
Stablecoin Market Heats Up: What AxCNH and KRW1 Mean for Global Crypto Growth Unlike traditional financial systems, the blockchain never sleeps. With no business hours or potential correspondent delays to tie it down, both individuals and businesses trading on-chain benefit from a reliable, around-the-clock solution.
This also makes currency faster and more easily accessible, even for cross-border payments or transfers, giving people real reasons to use blockchain over legacy systems.
More importantly, being fiat-backed and overcollateralized, these stablecoins align with global regulatory expectations, raising institutions and retail users’ trust and confidence to embrace crypto.
Unlike traditional financial systems, stablecoins also rely on oracle networks like Chainlink, which enable real-time, tamper-resistant data and automated, trustless smart contracts for lending and DeFi trading.
Source: Chainlink’s post on X For newcomers still uncertain about entering the crypto landscape, stablecoins offer a familiar entry point, as they resemble fiat currencies and create a safe environment for traders to operate without concerns about volatility.
With that base, it becomes easier to explore other digital assets and DeFi applications. This is where Best Wallet and Best Wallet Token ($BEST) also come in as beginner-friendly crypto tools with building momentum behind them.
Best Wallet Makes Crypto Easy While Its Native $BEST Token Raises $16M+ in Presale Best Wallet is one of the leading hot wallets built to outperform legacy wallets like MetaMask.
It provides traders with a streamlined multi-chain hub that directly supports top networks like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, BSC, and Base (with 60+ more chains coming in the near future). Some of the other perks of Best wallet include:
Non-custodial key management backed by Multi-Party Computation. You don’t have to worry about protecting your secret key, since it’s virtually unbreakable. Effortless cross-chain moves, available in one dashboard – think Ethereum staking through Lido and Rocket Pool integrations or low-cost cross-swaps across dozens of DEXes. A built-in filter to hide suspicious tokens, which adds an extra security layer when exploring decentralized projects. Besides, the app’s WalletConnect compatibility allows you to connect to other external crypto platforms like derivatives exchanges and other dApps.
With this, you can leverage more advanced strategies and enable seamless yield farming across more ecosystems.
Best Wallet Token ($BEST) is the backbone of this ecosystem, engineered to reward loyal and early adopters.
By holding $BEST, you can benefit from reduced in-app transaction fees, early access to vetted new presales, and higher staking rewards in the app’s upcoming staking aggregator.
Best Wallet’s upcoming tokens feature is particularly attractive to degens hunting for new meme coin presales and other early-stage opportunities.
With all projects vetted and smart contract audits available, it’s easier than ever to find trusted projects and avoid honeypots or other scams.
$BEST also integrates trading incentives with governance, creating upside beyond speculation. By giving holders a direct role and voting rights on the app’s future direction, $BEST ensures its base stays loyal and active as the project’s roadmap progresses.
With rapid presale traction and ambitions to capture 40% wallet market share by 2026, $BEST offers plenty of room for growth.
Its fundraiser is still ongoing as the dev team is working behind the scenes to introduce more advanced features (like NFT support, a crypto debit card, and a staking aggregator coming in phase 3).
The $BEST token has already raised over $16M and continues to gain traction. The ICO has even attracted several whale buys of $70.2K, $50.9K, and $49.5K, further boosting confidence in the token.
$BEST is now trading at $0.025675, which means a $500 entry today might be worth around $685 by the end of 2025 if our expert $BEST token price prediction holds.
Zooming out, the potential upside looks even better under bullish conditions. By 2026, $BEST could hit $0.0510, pushing your $500 stack to about $995 (a 2x move), and $0.07 by 2030, growing your investment to ~$1,360 (7x higher).
On top of this, $BEST offers dynamic staking rewards (currently at roughly 83% APY). If the reward rate stays high in the upcoming months, you could be racking up around $915 on your $500 investment, without factoring in token price moves.
With momentum building, the next price increase drops in under 12 hours.
Visit the $BEST token presale to get ahead of the curve.
This is not financial advice. Please always do your own research before investing in cryptocurrencies.
Authored by Aaron Walker, NewsBTC — https://www.newsbtc.com/news/china-launches-first-stablecoin-adoption-spikes-best-wallet-gains/
PANews reported on September 25th that RockSolid, an institutional-grade liquidity vault startup, has secured $2.8 million in Pre-Seed funding led by Castle Island Ventures, with participation from Blockchain Builders Fund, GSR, Kindred Ventures, Rocket Pool, and the Stanford Blockchain Accelerator. The company also launched its first official rETH vault, integrated into Rocket Pool's front-end. The new funds will be used to expand its technical, operations, and marketing teams.
RockSolid's first product is a white-label, single-click rETH vault, directly integrated into the Rocket Pool staking application interface, providing holders with access to customized DeFi strategies. Nic Carter, founding partner of Castle Island Ventures, emphasized that this solution aims to lower the barrier to entry for institutional and community participation in DeFi. Currently, Rocket Pool is the third-largest decentralized staking protocol, with over $2.7 billion in locked value.
**RPL Jumps 62% Ahead of Rocket Pool’s Saturn One Upgrade** As per HTX market data on February 17th, RPL’s 24-hour price surge now stands at 62%, with a market cap of $62 million and a current price of $2.80. The community is dubbing Rocket Pool’s largest-ever protocol upgrade—Saturn One—a "turning point." The upgrade will go live on the Ethereum mainnet at 00:00 UTC on February 18, 2026 (8:00 AM Beijing Time / 12:00 AM UK Time). Key upgrade highlights (benefiting RPL holders and protocol growth): - **RPL Fee Switch Activates**: A portion of the protocol’s ETH revenue will now flow to RPL stakers, enabling true value capture. RPL shifts from pure governance/staking to a "dividend" model. - **Node Entry Barrier Halved**: Minimum ETH for node operators drops to 4 ETH (from 8 ETH), expected to attract more nodes and boost TVL/rETH adoption. - **Megapools Launch**: Larger pools for node operators improve capital efficiency, cut gas costs, and enable adjustable commissions. - **rETH & Inflation Updates**: Liquid staking token rETH gets an enhanced user experience; RPL inflation will gradually decrease, supporting long-term value.
Relevant content
BCA Research raises its S&P 500 target to 8,100 points, with AI remaining a core variable.
BCA Research has become the latest strategy firm to raise its US stock market target, reflecting Wall Street’s growing optimism about earnings support for US equities in the second half of the year. The institution lifted its year-end S&P 500 target from 7,700 points to 8,100 points. BCA’s core view is that first-quarter corporate earnings exceeded expectations in both strength and breadth, and the US economy has re-entered an expansion phase. Similar to JPMorgan Chase, BCA believes this stock rally is not only driven by valuation expansion—earnings themselves are delivering the index’s gains. AI remains the core variable in this assessment. Large tech firms including Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta and Oracle continue to increase capital spending on data centers and AI infrastructure, driving growth in orders for chips, servers, construction, power and related industrial chains. This provides a clearer fundamental basis for upward revisions to 2026 and 2027 earnings. The institution points out that risks exist: the earnings expansion brought by AI investments has already been quickly priced into the market. If subsequent returns on capital spending are questioned, or interest rates remain elevated, further upside for the index will require more earnings confirmation rather than relying solely on investor risk appetite.
1 minutes ago
Tom Lee: Markets have nearly priced in two interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve this year, and the rise in US Treasury yields is weighing on market sentiment.
Tom Lee said the market is still digesting Kevin Warsh’s remarks from his first press conference last week and repricing the macro environment. Over the past week, oil prices have pulled back, with war premiums contracting. Current oil prices are not far from the roughly $65 level seen before the conflict, indicating the market views related war risks as declining. On the other hand, 10-year U.S. Treasury yields continue to rise, now around 4.5%, higher than the pre-conflict level of roughly 4.2%. The main headwind the market has faced recently has shifted from oil prices to yields. Tom Lee noted that the market is not only focused on 10-year U.S. Treasury yields but also starting to price in potential additional interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve. According to federal funds futures, the market is currently pricing in nearly two rate hikes this year. Bank of America further projected today that the Fed will raise rates three times this year, in September, October, and December respectively. Jeffrey Gundlach often emphasizes the importance of monitoring 2-year U.S. Treasury yields, as they typically lead the Fed and signal the central bank’s policy direction. Between 2023 and 2025, the relationship between 2-year U.S. Treasury yields and the federal funds rate indicated that the Fed’s policy was overly tight, requiring interest rate cuts. However, this relationship has recently reversed, meaning the Fed would need two rate hikes to catch up with 2-year U.S. Treasury yields. He believes that, at least for now, yields have become a headwind for the market.
1 minutes ago
Japan and South Korea's stock markets closed higher across the board, with Japan's stock market hitting a new closing high.
According to Bitget market data, the Nikkei 225 index closed up 3,191.37 points, or 4.61%, at 72,366.34 points on Thursday, June 25, hitting a new all-time closing high. South Korea’s KOSPI index rose 459.76 points (5.43%) to end at 8,930.78 points; SK Hynix surged 13% while Samsung Electronics gained more than 5%.
1 minutes ago
A newly created wallet withdrew 17,675 ETH from Binance, valued at $28.58 million.
According to monitoring by Onchain Lens, a newly created wallet withdrew 17,675 ETH from Binance, valued at $28.58 million.
1 minutes ago
JPMorgan Chase raised its S&P 500 target to 7,800 points, while warning of an overcrowded AI trade.
JPMorgan Chase has raised its year-end outlook for U.S. stocks, while cautioning investors that the overcrowding in AI-related momentum stocks is becoming the market’s most vulnerable segment. The JPMorgan strategy team led by Dubravko Lakos-Bujas lifted its 2026 year-end target for the S&P 500 from 7,600 to 7,800 points, citing continued upward revisions to corporate earnings expectations and nearly doubling of AI-related capital expenditures. The bank noted that consensus earnings expectations for both 2026 and 2027 have been revised up by roughly 10% since the start of the year, a magnitude typically only seen in the recovery phase after a recession or major shock. However, JPMorgan does not interpret this upward revision as a risk-free rally. The bank pointed out that low-quality growth stocks, speculative growth stocks, and second- and third-tier AI-related concept stocks have become "extremely overcrowded," and a pullout of capital could trigger a rapid correction. The strategists also noted that rising equity supply in the coming quarters and potentially tight monetary policy could cap further valuation expansion. On the allocation front, JPMorgan recommends a barbell strategy: holding high-quality growth stocks and stocks directly benefiting from AI on one end, and low-volatility, high-quality stocks as a portfolio buffer on the other. The bank remains bullish on tech, select industrials, utilities, defense, banks, and some healthcare growth stocks, but believes the market’s upward trajectory will not be linear.
1 minutes ago
Preview: The U.S. May core PCE data will be released at 20:30 tonight, and is projected to hit its highest level since October 2023.
The Fed’s key inflation gauge, the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index, will be released at 20:30 tonight, with markets expecting a sharp rise in May inflation that could reignite rate hike bets. The headline PCE year-over-year growth rate is projected to hit 4.1% in May, up from 3.8% in April and marking its highest level since 2023. Core PCE, which excludes food and energy, is forecast to rise to 3.4% year-over-year, up from 3.3% in April and its highest reading since October 2023. Core PCE has remained above the Fed’s 2% inflation target since 2021. The recent short-term inflation uptick was driven mainly by surging gasoline prices amid the Iran conflict in May. Oil prices have since edged lower following the signing of a peace deal between the U.S. and Iran, but core inflation has strengthened in tandem, indicating that price pressures are not solely tied to geopolitical oil shocks. Data from the CME FedWatch Tool shows that as of Wednesday, markets are pricing in a 34% probability of a 25 basis point rate hike in July. Aditya Bhave, U.S. economist at Bank of America Securities, noted that the recent inflation rebound stems in part from tariffs and one-off disruptions, but successive supply shocks have eroded the Fed’s patience, while deflationary room in the housing sector has largely been exhausted. Data shows that core PCE dipped to 2.6% in April, its lowest level since 2022, but annualized core PCE growth over the past three and six months has hovered near 3.8%.
Rocket Pool (RPL) price extends its gains, trading above $2.80 at the time of writing on Tuesday after rallying over 58% in the previous day. The upcoming Saturn One network upgrade on Wednesday, which introduces key improvements to the RPL network, has fueled renewed buying interest. On the technical side, bullish momentum suggests the rally may not be over yet as investors assess the impact of the upgrade.
Saturn One upgrade boosts sentimentRocket Pool announced that its Saturn One upgrade is scheduled for Wednesday at midnight UTC. This upgrade marks the most significant upgrade in the protocol’s history, introducing key improvements in scalability, capital efficiency and token economics.
Rocket Pool’s X post highlighted that Saturn One brings a range of benefits, including an RPL fee switch, 4ETH validators, MEGAPOOLS, and rETH improvements.
According to the Medium post, this upgrade will enable the RPL fee switch. This transforms RPL from an inflation-reward token to an ETH accrual token. The more RPL staked in the protocol, the more ETH it captures.
For rETH holders, the upgrade increases Rocket Pool’s capital efficiency, enabling the protocol to absorb much higher rETH demand. More node operators can join with less capital, creating more capacity for liquid stakers. In addition, the upgrade introduces 4 ETH MEGAPOOL validators. Node operators provide 4 ETH per validator, and the protocol allocates the remaining 28 ETH on behalf of rETH liquid stakers to total 32 ETH. Compared with minipools, this reduces investors’ bond requirement by half. With the same amount of ETH, investors can now run twice as many validators. This means higher commission for node operators and increased rETH minting capacity.
The network upgrade announcement has boosted investor sentiment, with Rocket Pool’s native token RPL surging more than 58% on Monday and trading at $2.80 as of Tuesday.
Rocket Pool Price Forecast: Bulls aiming for the $3.45 markRocket Pool price rallied more than 58% on Monday, closing above the 100-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) at $2.42 that day. As of writing on Tuesday, RPL is trading at $2.80.
If RPL continues its upward trend, it could extend the rally toward the 200-day EMA at $3.45.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) on the daily chart reads 77, above the overbought conditions, indicating strong bullish momentum. Moreover, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) showed a bullish crossover on Saturday, further supporting the positive outlook.
RPL/USDT daily chartHowever, if RPL faces a correction, it could extend the decline toward the 100-day EMA at $2.42.
Lido DAO [LDO] has been showing price strength since the proposed buyback program in March came to an end.
At press time, the LDO price has surged over 17% in the past 24 hours, with trading volume jumping 129% to reach $100 million. Notably, activity and tightening of supply are also increasing.
Decoding LDO’s price rally Aggressive buys, as indicated by the daily trading volume spike, drove the rally. Moreover, activity and fundamentals contributed to the sentiment around LDO, leading to increased speculative trading.
Notably, the DAO has grown significantly, with Lido Finance surpassing Rocket Pool to become Ethereum’s top permissionless staking solution. The number of active validators has now surpassed 100, slightly ahead of Rocket Pool’s count.
Source: X Additionally, through a vote, the DAO passed their second buyback program proposal for LDO tokens. The plan involves acquiring LDO worth 10,000 ETH in 1,000 ETH increments.
Moreover, the Transfer Amount rose from 11.77 million LDO to 48.59 million LDO. This was more than a 4x increase in 24 hours, while Transfer Count nearly tripled from 641 to 1841. Such growth indicated growing network activity on the staking solution.
Source: Etherscan Currently, LDO is the largest permissionless staking solution for ETH in terms of the number of active validators and the ETH market cap. Its staked ETH market cap was $22.44 billion, followed by Kelp DAO and Rocket Pool at $1.62 billion and $932 million, respectively.
While most of the metrics were bullish on LDO presently, the price action did not have a defined directional bias.
Can LDO sustain the breakout? The charts showed that LDO had printed a double bottom pattern, and price action had broken above the neckline at $0.3366. The altcoin has been trading between the neckline and the bottom at around $0.2725.
Staying above the neckline would suggest a potential market structure shift, putting the $0.68 to $0.70 zone as a target for bulls. The Cumulative Volume Delta (CVD) peaked at 4.04 million LDO as of writing, which was the maximum buying pressure of the day.
However, a true shift would happen if LDO flipped the $0.33-$0.36 zone into support.
Source: LDO/USDT on TradingView The correlation with Ethereum [ETH] has increased to 0.85, indicating that as ETH approaches $2,400, LDO’s price is closely following suit.
Final Summary Lido surged 17% in the past 24 hours due to an increase in volume and the number of active validators and a buyback program. LDO price eyes $0.70, but only if bulls can keep the price above the neckline at around $0.33.
Nexus Mutual, a DeFi coverage protocol, has swapped 14,390 ETH (equivalent to $27.3 million) from its “safety insurance module” for Rocket Pool’s rETH liquid staking token using the CoW Swap DEX aggregator. This ranks as one of the largest on-chain swaps ever conducted by Nexus Mutual as part of a broader diversification strategy for the coverage protocol.
On-chain data indicates that Nexus Mutual executed its purchase of rETH in two transactions: one for 14,140 ETH and the other for 250 ETH, relying on CoW Swap’s trade routes for the swap.
This transactions were conducted as part of Nexus Mutual’s diversification strategy. Within the Nexus Mutual DAO, an investment committee recommended reallocating funds from its insurance module, which provides coverage for security incidents like hacks, to liquid staked ether. As a result, the project decided to invest in Rocket Pool ether (rETH), an asset generated by the liquid staking project, Rocket Pool.
“Staking with the Rocket Pool protocol would amplify Nexus Mutual’s investment in liquid staked ETH while adding protocol diversity. This would consequently limit the risk of exposure to any single staking provider,” said a spokesperson from Nexus Mutual.
Role of CoW Swap The Nexus Mutual team noted that it chose CoW Swap as its preferred DEX aggregator because of its price-matching capabilities, protection against maximal extractable value (MEV), and its ability to handle substantial volumes without significant slippage.
CoW Swap has previously facilitated transactions for other DAOs, such as Ethereum Name Service's swap of 10,000 ETH into USDC stablecoin in February. Just recently, the Aave community acquired $2 million in Balancer LP tokens using the protocol.
Lido DAO price is up 2% on the day, trading around $2.13. Rocket Pool ETH and Rocket Pool (RPL) were down 4% and 5% respectively at the time of writing. Bitbot price in stage 12 of presale is $0.0171, and will reach $0.020 in the final stage. Lido DAO (LDO) and Rocket Pool ETH (RETH) were notable gainers over the weekend. LDO continues to hold onto some of the gains as RETH and Rocket Pool’s RPL slip.
But what’s the price prediction for LDO and RPL as investors take a bullish outlook on new crypto project Bitbot (BITBOT)?
Lido DAO and Rocket Pool ETH led weekend gainers As analysts at market intelligence platform Santiment noted early Monday, Lido Dao and Rocket Pool ETH topped the list of gainers in the staking sector.
Of 17 assets Santiment tracks, RETH market cap increased 5.9%, while LDO jumped 5.2%. The broader sector’s market cap gained by 5%.
💧 #LiquidStaking assets have benefited from a nice mini run this weekend. Of the 17 key assets that we track for this sector, the market caps have increased by a combined +5.0% despite choppy market conditions. $LDO (5.2%) and $RETH (+5.9%) lead the way. https://t.co/L6siGQre5o pic.twitter.com/VJDs7Yzl1t
— Santiment (@santimentfeed) April 28, 2024
The gains for the staking tokens highlight resilience within the decentralised finance (DeFi) ecosystem, particularly Ethereum staking tokens.
Despite this positive outlook, profit taking and negative sentiment across the market could threaten RPL, LDO and RETH among other staking related tokens.
Lido DAO price prediction Lido DAO (LDO) trades within the $1.90 and $2.25 price range after recovering from lows of $1.66 reached in mid-April. LDO is also surging against ETH and BTC, with price above the key $2 level.
Currently, LDO is changing hands around $2.13, up by nearly 2.5% as bulls try to hold onto gains made as the token rose to $2.21. Its likely upside continuation will see LDO/USD aim for a retest of the short term hurdle at $2.50.
The upside has the main resistance around $5 and the all-time high area of $7.30. On the downside, primary support could be around October 2023 lows near $1.40.
Rocket Pool price prediction The weakness around Ethereum price is observable across most other altcoins as ETH hovers around $3,100. Rocket Pool ETH (RETH) price mirrors this action, while Rocket Pool (RPL) price has dipped more than 5% in the past 24 hours.
RPL is currently trading at $21.05 as the decentralised liquid staking protocol’s native token continues to pare recent gains. The 24-hour trading volume of $5.56 million is 11% higher than a day ago.
However, with price down 28% this month, it’s likely a retest of areas below $20 looms for RPL. The bearish flip could include declines to one-year lows of $16.85. The weekly RSI and MACD support this outlook.
On the other hand, bulls will need to break and strengthen above $23 to target the crucial supply zone around $30.
Bitbot price prediction Bitbot is a new crypto project that could dominate the crypto trading space on Telegram. As such, there’s a lot of interest in the native token BITBOT, which has raised more than $2.9 million so far.
What’s likely to set Bitbot apart and drive its adoption is the non-custodial trading solution that it offers. This pioneering approach to a Telegram trading bot puts Bitbot above other apps in the sector, largely as it ensures traders have full control of their assets as they hunt for lucrative opportunities.
Other aspects the whitepaper highlights and which could be key in the integration of artificial intelligence, providing for AI-powered trading.
BITBOT price in stage 12 of 15 is $0.0171. In the final stage, the token’s price will be at $0.020. Given the anticipation around its launch, Bitbot could be among projects to record major gains after its launch.
For more about this project, or how to buy BITBOT, visit the official website.
Rocket Pool’s DAO has approved a proposal to launch part of its payments on Liquity Protocol V2’s BOLD, a decentralized overcollateralized stablecoin backed by rETH.
The launch of this new investment service enables Rocket Pool’s DAO members to access loans using Ethereum as collateral.
This service allows the members to access capital without the need to sell their Ethereum holdings, providing friendly loan conditions and entire control via Liquity Protocol V2’s collateralized debt platform.
Why Is This Decentralized Loan Offering Unique? This program by Rocket Pool is crucial as it offers new investment opportunities for its DAO members who hold Ethereum, enabling them to utilize their virtual tokens for liquidity without having to sell their holdings. This initiative is designed to provide an advanced and seamless approach to the DAO members to manage their investments, offering an option to traditional lending techniques that normally come with strict loan requirements and time-consuming approval procedures.
By providing Ethereum-backed loans, Rocket Pool is not just broadening its offerings but also establishing itself as a visionary decentralized staking protocol that understands the growing demand of the modern market. The integration highlights the rising adoption of crypto assets, offering users multiple alternatives to manage their money in the modern era.
Unlocking Credit for DAO Members This action by Rocket Pool is a strategic move to integrate Ethereum more deeply into the DeFi ecosystem. By enabling its DAO members to leverage their Ethereum holdings as collateral for loans, Rocket Pool is offering a solution that resolves the liquidity demand for Ethereum holders without forcing them to sell their tokens.
This method not only helps members maintain their ETH investments but also offers them flexibility to engage in other financial expansion opportunities. This initiative’s flexible conditions make it appealing for users who are burdened by traditional loans because of borrowing restrictions. Lastly, the entire control provided through Liquity Protocol V2 ensures that customers can manage their loans effectively and seamlessly.
AUTHOR
Nicholas Otieno is a fintech writer specializing in cryptocurrency markets. Since 2019, he has written articles to educate readers about cryptocurrency and its substantial positive impact on global prosperity. Nicholas is a Bitcoin holder, believing firmly in its fundamentals. His work has been featured in publications such as Finance Magnates, Blockchain.News, Bitcoin Magazine, Coincub, and among others. When he's not writing, Nicholas enjoys performing domestic tasks, spending time with friends, listening to music, and watching football.
