RPL

Rocket Pool

A highlight clip featuring Arbitrum Security Council member Griff Green spotlights concerns that Aave may be too permissive with liquid staking tokens. Read original article on aicryptocore.com

Most ETH holders I talk to in May 2026 share the same quiet frustration. Bitcoin printed a fresh all-time high earlier this year. ETH is still trading at $2,342 — roughly half its November 2021 peak. And the biggest Wall Street story of the last twelve months — the spot ETH ETFs ...

By 2026, the landscape of investing in cryptocurrencies is witnessing significant shifts. “Earn” products have emerged as essential tools for investors aiming to derive gains from their idle assets. Faced with growing inflation that diminishes the worth of traditional currencies,...

Sharplink now stakes nearly 900k ETH as institutional validators, ETFs, and JPMorgan’s tokenized funds turn Ethereum’s 30% staking era into a yield-bearing settlement layer. Ethereum treasury firm Sharplink (NASDAQ: SBET) announced it received 459 ETH in staking rewards this week...

Summary Ethereum staking produces a genuine 3% yield, the closest thing DeFi has to a sovereign rate. Nearly all yield above this level is either subsidy, redistribution, or leverage. The current problem with DeFi is that the organic demand for on-chain credit, borrowing to fund productive economic activity, trading, or real liquidity needs, is far smaller than the supply of capital seeking yield. That imbalance is what the wrapper-and-loop machinery exists to fill. The current problem with DeFi is that the organic demand for on-chain credit, borrowing to fund productive economic activity, trading, or real liquidity needs, is far smaller than the supply of capital seeking yield. That imbalance is what the wrapper-and-loop machinery exists to fill. On April 18, 2026, an attacker forged a cross-chain message and extracted 116,500 rsETH, roughly $292 million, from Kelp DAO's bridge. The tokens were not sold. They were posted as collateral on Aave, where the attacker used them to borrow real ETH ( ETH-USD ), extracting genuine assets against worthless collateral, leaving the lending protocol facing $124–230M in potential bad debt and $6–8B in withdrawals over 48 hours. The event will be catalogued as a bridge failure and a collateral-design failure, both correct. The structural question is why a single asset breaking on a single L2 route was enough to put a multi-billion-dollar lending market into a liquidity crisis. The answer sits upstream of the exploit, in a structural problem the industry has been working around for years: the genuine yield that Ethereum and DeFi produce is thin, and the organic demand for on-chain credit is shallow. Every layer of the stack - issuers, lenders and depositors - has an incentive to manufacture additional yield where the underlying activity doesn't generate it. The arithmetic of how that yield is actually constructed explains both the boom and the transmission path. The Base: Real Sources of DeFi Yield DeFi does have genuine yield sources. Three mechanisms produce real cash flow: staking rewards paid by proof-of-stake networks, interest paid by borrowers on lending protocols, and trading fees paid to liquidity providers. For ETH-denominated strategies, staking is the dominant source. Native ETH staking produces identifiable cash flow from three sources: newly issued ETH (protocol issuance, loosely comparable to seigniorage), priority fees from users transacting on the chain, and MEV, value captured from ordering transactions. With roughly 39M ETH staked across 1M validators as of early 2026, the reference rate sits near 3% APR. Ethereum Staking Reward Rate Source: beaconcha.in This is genuine cash flow paid in the network's native asset. It is the closest thing DeFi has to a risk-free rate, a sovereign-like yield denominated in ETH. Lending interest is the second major source and the one most relevant in this article. When a borrower draws ETH from a lending protocol like Aave, they pay interest to the supplier. Supply APYs on ETH lending pools typically run 1–4%, depending on utilization. The important subtlety — explored below — is that most of the borrow demand on these markets comes from loopers recycling the same staking base, which makes the "organic" yield on ETH lending partly self-referential. Ethereum staking yield can be viewed as the risk-free rate in ETH-denominated DeFi strategies. In traditional credit analysis, a spread above the risk-free rate is attributable to credit risk, duration, liquidity, or leverage. The same discipline applies here, but DeFi spreads are rarely labelled honestly. The Wrapper Stack Understanding the leverage requires understanding the wrapper ecosystem that makes it possible. DeFi's yield stack is literally a sequence of tokens, each of which is a claim on the one below it, each tradable and re-pledgeable independently. Layer 0 — Staked ETH. A validator locks ETH into Ethereum's staking contract and earns the 3% base rate. Capital is committed directly to the protocol; there is no receipt token at this layer, and the ETH is illiquid until withdrawn. Layer 1 — Liquid Staking Tokens (LSTs). Protocols like Lido and Rocket Pool user ETH, run the validators on their behalf, and issue a tradable receipt token — stETH, rETH — that accrues the staking yield. The LST is the breakthrough that made staking composable. A holder has both staked yield exposure and a liquid asset that can be sold, traded, or pledged. stETH alone backs roughly $7B of collateral across DeFi. Layer 2 — Liquid Restaking Tokens (LRTs). EigenLayer allows ETH (or LSTs) to be "restaked" — pledged simultaneously as security for other protocols in exchange for additional fees. LRTs like Kelp's rsETH, EtherFi's weETH, and Renzo's ezETH are receipts for LST deposits that have been deposited into EigenLayer. They inherit the LST's staking yield, add a modest restaking premium, and remain tradable and pledgeable themselves. Each LRT is a wrapper around a wrapper: a receipt for a restaked position on a receipt for a staked position on underlying ETH. Layer 3 — Collateral on a lending market. The LRT is deposited on DeFi lending protocols like Aave as collateral. The lending market assigns it a loan-to-value ratio and allows the depositor to borrow other assets against it, most commonly ETH itself. Each layer by itself is a piece of financial engineering: a liquid receipt for an illiquid position, a way to earn more on the same capital. Below flowchart shows the complete stack: User deposits ETH → gets an LST (via Liquid Staking Protocol like Lido or Rocket Pool). Then LST Restaking or Native Restaking into EigenLayer. EigenLayer delegates to AVSs (Actively Validated Services) for extra yield. You receive an LRT (liquid restaking token like rsETH) that stays tradable while earning both base staking + restaking rewards. The Loop A user holding rsETH posts it on Aave ( AAVE-USD ) as collateral. Because the borrow rate on ETH is below the effective yield of rsETH, the user borrows ETH, stakes it back into rsETH, and redeposits. The new collateral allows another borrow, which funds another stake, which becomes more collateral. The position can be geared three or four times before the health factor on Aave becomes too tight to continue. The arithmetic is straightforward. If the base is 3% and the loop is geared four times, the gross yield on the original capital is roughly 12%. The spread over the borrow cost, say 8%, is the quoted "APY" of the strategy. But no new cash flow is being generated in this process. The 3% is counted once as validator rewards, again as the stETH holder's yield, again as the rsETH holder's yield, and again as the looper's yield (with leverage). The same underlying ETH cash flow is being claimed by multiple wrappers, and the looper is claiming a multiplied version of it. Why this layer is the fragile one. Three properties of the loop make it the transmission mechanism for any shock upstream. First, the loop is actually the marginal buyer of LRT supply. Organic demand for rsETH, for holders who want yield without looping, is a fraction of total LRT supply. Most LRT issuance is absorbed by looping positions on lending markets. When looping demand retreats, LRT supply has no natural bid. Second, the loop is one of the largest sources of borrow demand on ETH lending markets — and this is where the circularity becomes important. Some research finds that recursive leverage accounts for roughly 20% of total borrow volume on Aave V3, with concentrations running materially higher in LST and LRT pools. Protocol data from Morpho and Spark puts looping at 30–64% of positions in key correlated-asset markets. In other words, lending interest, genuinely paid by real borrowers, is a legitimate DeFi yield source, but a substantial share of the borrowers paying that interest are loopers recycling the same staking base. Bottom Line DeFi is not a Ponzi — there is real underlying value being leveraged, and both staking rewards and lending interest are genuine cash flows. But the system is self-referential in a specific sense: the borrow demand that produces the "organic" supply APY on ETH lending markets is itself largely driven by loopers farming the spread against the staking base. The yield looks like it comes from two independent sources (staking rewards plus lending interest), but a meaningful share of the lending interest is paid by participants whose only economic purpose is to recycle the staking yield at higher gearing. The problem with DeFi is that the organic demand for on-chain credit, borrowing to fund productive economic activity, trading, or real liquidity needs, is far smaller than the supply of capital seeking yield. That imbalance is what the wrapper-and-loop machinery exists to fill. Disclaimer: The information provided herein does not constitute investment advice, financial advice, trading advice, or any other sort of advice, and should not be treated as such. All content set out below is for informational purposes only. Original Post

LDO surged after surpassing Rocket Pool to be the largest ETH staking solution.

Ether treasury managers are increasingly looking beyond straightforward staking rewards to extract higher yields, with liquid staking and other active deployment strategies moving into the mainstream playbook. Speaking at ETHCC 2026, Kean Gilbert, head of institutional relations ...

Ether treasuries need to incorporate liquid staking to outperform the return generated by staked Ether ETFs, according to Lido’s institutional lead.

Key takeaways : Rocket Pool price prediction for 2026 could reach a maximum value of $19.01 In 2029, the coin could be worth between $7.11 and $9.02, with an average price of $7.38 In 2032, RPL will range between $21.67 and $25.87 Unlike traditional staking services, Rocket Pool allows users to pool their Ethereum (ETH) to run validator nodes on the Ethereum network. Thus, participants can participate in the staking process without requiring the full 32 ETH to run a validator node. Furthermore, Rocket Pool introduces the concept of “rETH” tokens, which are issued to users who stake ETH in the Rocket Pool network. These rETH tokens represent users’ stake in the pool and can be traded or transferred independently of the underlying ETH, providing liquidity and flexibility to participants. Overall, Rocket Pool aims to democratize Ethereum staking and contribute to the decentralization of the Ethereum network by providing a secure, efficient, and accessible platform for staking participation. As DeFi continues to gain traction, Rocket Pool stands out as a pioneering project at the forefront of innovation in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. What can traders and investors expect in the coming months and years? Can Rocket Pool’s price reach $50? Overview Cryptocurrency Rocket Pool Token RPL Price $1.76 Market Cap $39.26M Trading Volume (24-hour) $3.44M Circulating Supply 22.03 Million RPL All-time High Date $154.73 on Nov 16, 2021 All-time Low Date $0.09118 on May 17, 2019 24-hour High $1.78 24-hour Low $1.69 Rocket Pool technical analysis Metric Value Price Prediction $ 1.89 (6.28%) Price Volatility 7.60% (High) 50-day SMA $ 2.00 14-Day RSI 53.23 (Neutral) Sentiment Bearish Fear & Greed Index 8 (Extreme Fear) Green Days 9/30 (30%) 200-Day SMA $ 3.69 Rocket Pool price analysis TL;DR Breakdown: RPL collapsed 30% from its March 3 peak of $2.30 to a low of $1.62 on March 28, with both the 1D and 4H charts showing relentless lower highs and aggressive selling throughout the month. Price has been consolidating in a tight $1.74–1.80 range for over a week — choppy, low-conviction candles signal indecision rather than genuine recovery momentum. Bulls need a clean break above $1.85–1.90 to target $2.00, while a breakdown below $1.72 risks a swift return to the $1.62 March low and potentially $1.50. Rocket Pool price analysis 1-day chart RPLUSD chart by TradingView Rocket Pool trades at $1.76, up 0.57%, but the daily chart reveals a clear bearish downtrend throughout March 2026. Price peaked near $2.15 on March 17 before collapsing 26% to a low of $1.62 on March 28 — a sharp, sustained decline with little buying response. A modest recovery has since brought price back to $1.74–1.78, where it has been consolidating for over a week. Key resistance sits at $1.80–$1.90. A break above $1.90 could target $2.00–$2.15. Failure to hold $1.70 risks a retest of $1.62. Structure remains cautiously bearish. RPL/USD 4-hour price chart analysis RPLUSD chart by TradingView Rocket Pool trades at $1.76, down 0.56%, with the 4H chart showing a sharp peak-to-trough decline from $2.30 on March 3 to a low of $1.62 on March 28 — a 30% collapse in under four weeks. The recovery from those lows has been gradual and choppy, with price now consolidating tightly in a narrow $1.74–1.80 band for over a week. Candles are small and indecisive — classic low-conviction ranging. Resistance at $1.85–1.90 must be broken for any meaningful upside. A slip below $1.72 risks revisiting $1.62. Momentum remains neutrally bearish with no clear directional signal yet. RPL technical indicators: Levels and action Daily simple moving average (SMA) Period Value ($) Action SMA 3 2.21 SELL SMA 5 2.26 SELL SMA 10 2.18 SELL SMA 21 1.86 BUY SMA 50 2.00 SELL SMA 100 2.17 SELL SMA 200 3.69 SELL Daily exponential moving average (EMA) Period Value ($) Action EMA 3 1.99 BUY EMA 5 1.99 BUY EMA 10 2.01 SELL EMA 21 2.04 SELL EMA 50 2.28 SELL EMA 100 2.96 SELL EMA 200 4.13 SELL What can you expect from RPL price analysis next? RPL is at a crossroads at $1.76, trapped in a tight $1.74–1.80 consolidation range after a brutal 30% March decline. Two scenarios are likely — a breakout above $1.85–1.90 could spark a recovery toward $2.00–$2.15, especially with the Saturn upgrade and new Commit-Boost support via Smart Node v1.19.3 providing fundamental tailwinds. However, the broader structure remains bearish — a breakdown below $1.72 risks a retest of the $1.62 March low and potentially $1.50. Without a significant catalyst or broader market recovery, RPL is more likely to remain range-bound than mount a meaningful recovery. Is Rocket Pool a good investment? Rocket Pool (RPL) presents a compelling investment opportunity due to its innovative decentralized Ethereum staking model, offering potentially high returns through staking rewards. However, investors should consider market volatility and competition within the DeFi space. Conduct thorough research and assess personal risk tolerance before investing in RPL. Why is Rocket Pool up today? RPL’s modest 4.3% gain today (Apr 6) is driven by a combination of protocol-specific and technical factors. The Saturn One upgrade launched in February 2026 introduced a fee switch making RPL a yield-generating asset, and lower node entry barriers (4 ETH instead of 8 ETH) drove a 35% surge in active nodes during Q1 2026 — fundamentally strengthening demand. The latest Smart Node v1.19.3 update adding Commit-Boost support is also generating fresh interest from node operators. Today’s bounce reflects dip-buying from oversold levels after the recent 15% weekly decline, with trading volume surging 30.40% signaling renewed market activity. Will Rocket Pool reach $50? Rocket Pool (RPL) reaching $50 appears possible but is uncertain. Predictions suggest a range of $14.90 to $18.42 for 2031, assuming favorable market conditions and improved investor sentiment. However, significant upward momentum is required to achieve this target soon. Will Rocket Pool reach $150? Reaching $150 for Rocket Pool (RPL) seems highly ambitious and unlikely in the near term. Our Rocket Pool forecast suggests that RPL may peak at around $18.42 by 2031. Is Rocket Pool a safe investment? Rocket Pool is generally considered a secure investment due to its decentralized structure, robust security audits, and a significant total value locked (over $4.4 billion), which reflects user confidence. However, like all cryptocurrencies, it carries inherent risks due to market volatility and potential technical vulnerabilities Does RPL have a good long-term future? RPL’s chart shows an immediate outlook that appears bearish. However, assessing its long-term future requires considering broader market trends. Recent news/ opinion on Rocket Pool Rocket Pool’s Smart Node v1.19.3 now supports Commit-Boost, enabling node operators to access MEV-Boost-compatible features including opt-in preconfirmation commitment systems. Smart Node now supports @Commit_Boost as of v1.19.3. Commit-boost is open-source software that is fully compatible with MEV-Boost protocol, but comes with new features and allows node operators to opt in to commitment systems eg preconfimations. pic.twitter.com/DgpS3M9ypI — Rocket Pool (@Rocket_Pool) March 25, 2026 Rocket Pool Price Prediction April 2026 The highest Rocket Pool price in April 2026 is expected to be around $6.49. Moreover, RPL’s minimum price in April 2026 is $1.40, with an average price of $3.77. Period Minimum price Average price Maximum price April 2026 $1.40 $3.77 $6.49 Rocket Pool Price Forecast 2026 In 2026, RPL’s average forecast price is expected to be approximately $16.21. Its minimum and maximum prices can be expected at $13.76 and $19.01, respectively. Period Minimum price Average price Maximum price RPL price prediction 2026 $13.76 $16.21 $19.01 Rocket Pool Price Predictions 2027 – 2032 Year Minimum price Average price Maximum price 2027 $3.57 $3.67 $4.07 2028 $5.25 $5.44 $6.31 2029 $7.11 $7.38 $9.02 2030 $10.33 $10.62 $12.45 2031 $14.90 $15.43 $18.42 2032 $21.65 $22.42 $25.87 Rocket Pool Price Prediction 2027 Based on market trends and network performance, Rocket Pool (RPL) could trade between $3.57 and $4.65 in 2027, averaging $3.67. Rocket Pool (RPL) price prediction 2028 As per the forecast price and technical analysis, in 2028, the price of Rocket Pool (RPL) is predicted to reach a minimum of $5.25, a maximum of $6.31, and an average trading price of $5.44. This expected rise is fueled by continued Ethereum staking growth, expanding liquid staking adoption, and Rocket Pool’s decentralized infrastructure attracting both institutional and retail validators, strengthening long-term network utility and token demand. Rocket Pool Price Prediction 2029 The price of Rocket Pool (RPL) is predicted to reach a minimum value of $7.11 in 2029, with a maximum of $9.02 and an average trading price of $7.38. This projection is supported by the increasing dominance of decentralized staking, higher Ethereum participation rates, and Rocket Pool’s growing reputation for providing secure, permissionless validator services, driving sustained demand and ecosystem expansion. Rocket Pool Price Prediction 2030 Rocket Pool price is forecast to reach a lowest possible level of $10.33 in 2030. As per analysts, the RPL price could reach a maximum possible level of $12.45 with an average forecast price of $10.62. This growth outlook is driven by rising Ethereum staking participation, increased preference for decentralized validator solutions, and Rocket Pool’s expanding role in liquid staking markets, which enhance network utility and long-term investor confidence. Rocket Pool (RPL) price prediction 2031 As per the forecast and technical analysis, in 2031, the price of Rocket Pool (RPL) is expected to reach a minimum of $14.90, a maximum of $18.42, and an average of $15.43. Rocket Pool Price Prediction 2032 The price of Rocket Pool (RPL) is predicted to reach a minimum value of $21.63 in 2032, with a maximum of $25.87 and an average trading price of $22.42. This optimistic projection stems from Rocket Pool’s evolution into a leading decentralized staking protocol, benefiting from widespread Ethereum adoption, advanced staking infrastructure, and growing institutional trust in non-custodial yield solutions, all of which reinforce steady value appreciation and network resilience. Rocket pool price prediction 2026-2032 Rocket Pool market price prediction: Analysts’ RPL price forecast Firm Name 2026 2027 DigitalCoinPrice $0.0827 $0.17 Coincodex $1.11 $ 1.89 Cryptopolitan’s Rocket Pool price prediction According to Cryptopolitan’s forecast, Rocket Pool (RPL) is expected to have a maximum price of $2.28 in 2026. Looking ahead, we predict that RPL’s maximum market price for 2032 might reach $20.70. Rocket Pool’s historic price sentiment RPL price history by Coingecko The year 2020 marked a transformative period for Rocket Pool, with its price starting at $0.4877 in January and soaring to $3.70 by August, reflecting substantial growth. Despite early challenges in 2020, with prices as low as $0.3813 in March, Rocket Pool demonstrated resilience and ended the year on a positive note, closing at $4.27 in December. Notably, Rocket Pool experienced a surge in trading volume during the latter half of 2020, indicating increasing investor interest and confidence in the company’s prospects. 2021 showcased volatility in Rocket Pool’s price, with highs of $51.27 in November amidst a peak in trading volume. However, it faced significant lows earlier in the year, dipping to $4.27 in January. The year 2022 reflected a mixed sentiment, with Rocket Pool experiencing peaks and valleys. It started the year at $27.57, showing promise, but ended with a decline to $10.50 by June. In 2023, the stock witnessed a bullish trend, reaching its peak in March with a high of $64.29. However, it experienced a sharp decline thereafter, closing the year at $27.57, indicating a substantial downturn. In 2024, RPL peaked at $38 in March before dropping to $18 by May, then fluctuated between $13 and $28 through July. By November 2024, it fell to $8.8, climbed to $17.6 in December, and closed the year at $11.7. In 2025, RPL ranged around $12 in January, spiked to $62 in February, and then in May, it’s trading between $3.9–$4.4. RPL ended May at $4.9. In June, RPL is trading between $4.0 and $6.2 RPL ended June at $5.30. In the beginning of July RPL is trading between $4.84-$5.10 PL dropped from approximately $7.73 on July 31 to about $6.61 on August 1, a decline of roughly –14.5% in two days. August 2 to August 4/5: The token rebounded from $6.30 on August 2 to $6.48 on August 3, then climbed to around $6.92 by August 4, reflecting a recovery exceeding +10% At the start of August, RPL traded between approximately $6.87 and $8.08, reaching highs above $9.00 on August 9 before losing traction and ending the month around $7.08. In early September, RPL pulled back, closing near $6.68 on September 1, then declined to around $6.63, before dropping further to approximately $6.40 by September 6. Overall, RPL shifted from a mid-August peak above $9.00 to trading near $6.40 by September 6, reflecting a steady downward move over the month. Since September 6, RPL has shown resistance around the $5.80 Fibonacci zone, with repeated rejections as traders pocket gains on rally attempts. Aound late September 2025, RPL was trading at approximately $5.16 after earlier levels in the $5.30–$5.60 range. In early October, on October 12–13, RPL dropped to about $3.44–$3.82, reflecting a sharp decline in value. Mid-October saw a brief recovery with a high around $4.04 on October 13, before continuing downward. Late October (around October 30) shows RPL trading near $3.37, indicating continued consolidation at lower levels. By early November 3, RPL remains in the $3.30–$3.40 region, pointing to a stabilization phase after the prior declines. In early November (around Nov 7–10) RPL traded near $30–$32, coinciding with a broader market rebound. Through mid-to-late November the price drifted downward to around $24–$26, reflecting general market cooling and altcoin weakness. By early December (Dec 5–9), RPL stabilized near $22–$23, showing consolidation after the drop and holding modest support levels. Early to Mid-December 2025: From around $2.29 on Dec 12, RPL mostly traded between roughly $2.00 and $2.30, dipping into the $1.80–$1.90 area as the market fluctuated. Late December to Mid-January 2026: Into early January, RPL climbed above $2.10–$2.20, peaking near $2.28 on Jan 6 before consolidating around $2.10–$2.20 by Jan 18, 2026. Around January 16 2026 Rocket Pool was trading near the $2.10 to $2.20 range after rebounding from earlier lows, with price moving sideways as traders weighed whether the recovery could extend. By February 2 2026 RPL had slipped toward roughly $1.90 to $2.00, showing renewed selling pressure and fading bullish momentum as profit taking and weak sentiment pulled prices lower. RPL opened February 2 around $1.51, consolidating near those depressed levels through mid-February as broader crypto selling pressure kept the token range-bound near its multi-year lows — trading 97.2% below its all-time high of $61.90. Through March, RPL attempted a modest recovery, gradually climbing from lows of around $1.50 toward $1.65–1.76, aided by the Saturn upgrade anticipation and node operator demand — gaining approximately 6.49% in the final week of March alone. By April 6, RPL was trading at $1.77, up 1.19% on the day — representing a modest overall recovery of roughly 17% from February lows, though the token remains deeply depressed with a market cap of only $39.3M.