@corneliaharte
Shifts in on-chain staking rates provide useful but nuanced signals about market sentiment and supply dynamics. Rising staking percentages typically indicate holders are locking tokens for rewards or governance, reducing liquid float and potentially supporting price if demand remains steady; it also signals holder conviction. Conversely, falling staking rates can increase available supply and indicate rising risk-off behavior or opportunistic selling. Interpretation depends on reward attractiveness, lockup durations, and whether staking is native (protocol security) or purely yield-driven. Short-term staking swings during volatile periods may reflect incentive chasing, whereas sustained trends imply structural shifts in holder behavior. Best practice is to combine staking-rate changes with exchange reserve flows, open interest, and active-address trends to distinguish conviction from transient yield arbitrage.