ethereum

Ethereum 2.0 staking interests banking institutions (image source: ethereum.org)

HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Banks show major interest in Ethereum 2.0 staking
  • Ethereum to transition from Proof-of-Work to Proof-Of-Stake
  • Banking institutions also show inclination towards running a staking node on the platform
  • Changing to PoS will allow holders of ETH to earn interest on their ETH deposits
  • Switzerland-based Sygnum Bank to Provide Ethereum 2.0 Staking
  • Another Swiss digital asset bank “SEBA” highly likely to provide staking services to clients

Banking institutions have been showing immense interest in the yet to be launched Ethereum 2.0 staking. They have begun to acknowledge the possibilities that come along with staking services on the mainnet.

The Ethereum blockchain network is all prepared to go through its most major development from the current Proof-of-Work (PoW) to the Proof-of-Stake (PoS).

As the Ethereum 2.0 transition proceeds ahead, institution participants are also showing inclination towards running a staking node on the platform.

It is believed by a few firms in the industry that banking participation in Ethereum 2.0 will grow with time. Besides, firms like Blockdaemon and Bison Trails are working on providing banks with the infrastructure to run a staking node on Ethereum 2.0. These companies observed that big enterprises are showing keen interest in participating with Ethereum PoS.

There are some large banks we’re working with, but the regulatory sequencing is important to them and so, unfortunately, we can’t name them at this moment.

– Konstantin Richter, founder and CEO of Blockdaemon.

There are a number of Ethereum rivals currently in the market that offer the PoS model. Some of the noteworthy names include Polkadot, Cardano, and Algorand. However, Ethereum still holds the trump card by hosting a massive ecosystem of DeFi, DApps, and smart contracts. Thus, Richter notes that many are intently waiting for the transformation to Ethereum 2.0 PoS.

Shifting to the PoS model will permit holders of ETH to earn interest in the wallet on their ETH deposits. This is much alike to the present banking structure. Richter further added:

Ethereum 2.0 is a really big deal. You simply have a wallet with ETH and it’ll earn interest automatically.

Switzerland-based Sygnum Bank to Provide Ethereum 2.0 Staking

In limited news shared with CoinDesk, the world’s first digital asset bank Sygnum headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland has begun providing Ethereum 2.0 staking to its institutional clients. Sygnum’s ETH staking services locking up in multiple of 32 ETH for an unspecified interval and transform up to Ethereum 2.0.

Head of business units at Sygnum Bank, Thomas Eichenberger stated that this service will give rise to a yield anywhere between 6.5% to 8% per annum. Eichenberger added:

Given its market cap and the importance of the network, Ethereum is getting a lot of attention among institutional clients who are not necessarily knowledgeable about the entire space, but want to focus on some of the largest coins as a first step.

Sygnum’s staking service comes along with bank-grade security. It has partnered with Securosys, a technology company that provides hardware security, and will take care of all the withdrawal keys. Eichenberger also noted that one of their target consumer segments are other banks.

This is not Sygnum’s first time providing such services to its clients. Formerly, it has also made possible a staking facility on the Tezos blockchain.

SEBA Bank, which is another Swiss digital asset bank, is noticing exceeding client demand for Ethereum 2.0 staking.

SEBA’s head of digital assets, Matthew Alexander said that SEBA is on the cusp of providing staking services to its clients, which is a game changer as it throws conventional yield out of the window.