ETH Breaks $4K as SEC Clarity on Liquid Staking Ignites Rally Across Staking and Layer-2 Ecosystems
Clearer regulatory guidance from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on liquid staking is fueling a strong rally across Ethereum’s ecosystem, pushing ETH past the $4,000 mark for the first time since December.
The price surge in ether has also lifted associated sectors, particularly Ethereum-based staking protocols and layer-2 scaling solutions. Optimism’s native token (OP) rose 8% in the past 24 hours, contributing to a 13% gain over the week, while rival network Blast saw a 6.3% rise.
Leading the gains, Mantle’s MNT token soared 50% over the week. Mantle utilizes optimistic rollups to batch transactions off-chain before settling them on Ethereum, making it a direct beneficiary of increased activity and optimism in the staking sector.
Meanwhile, tokens tied to staking infrastructure outpaced the broader market. Lido DAO (LDO) climbed 12.3%, and EtherFi (ETHFI) rose 5.4% in the last 24 hours, reflecting renewed interest in staking-related assets.
The SEC’s updated stance may pave the way for greater institutional participation in DeFi, particularly around yield-generating assets like liquid staking tokens—previously constrained by regulatory uncertainty.
Jito legal counsel Rebecca Rettig noted that the clarification could position liquid staking assets for future inclusion in ETF products, potentially unlocking a wave of new capital into the space.
The shift follows a brief “altcoin season” in July, but this latest rally appears more sustainable, rooted in evolving policy and growing confidence in Ethereum’s staking economy.
