Whale Moves Over $70 Million in Ethereum Staking and Stablecoins Signal Shifts in DeFi Liquidity

• Whale moves $70M in staked ETH, ETH, and USDC, signaling major DeFi liquidity shifts.
• Large STETH transfers from minting address indicate active staking and unstaking operations.
• Coordinated USDC and AETHUS flows suggest cross-protocol asset management strategies.

According to recent blockchain data, a large Ethereum whale has transferred more than $70 million worth of staking-related tokens and stablecoins, highlighting big liquidity movements in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space. The activity, recorded within the last 24 hours, involves inflows of staked Ether (STETH), Ethereum (ETH), USDC stablecoins, and the relatively new AETHUS token to centralized wallets and DeFi protocols.

BREAKING A WHALE BOUGHT 30,000 $ETH WORTH $72.9 MILLION TODAY pic.twitter.com/3pYibX23vB

— That Martini Guy ₿ (@MartiniGuyYT) June 21, 2025

Between 9 and 13 hours ago, a wallet address received approximately 30,000 STETH tokens worth nearly $72.5 million. The largest single transfer involved 24,000 STETH tokens valued at close to $58 million originating from the Null Address, a blockchain marker typically associated with token minting or contract issuance. Additional transfers of 6,000 STETH tokens, estimated at $14.5 million, indicate ongoing large staking or unstaking activities.

Ethereum and USDC Transfers Highlight Exchange Wallet Involvement

The same wallet also received over 6,000 ETH from Coinbase Hot Wallet addresses, amounting to roughly $14.6 million in value. This inflow suggests liquidity repositioning or fund movement related to centralized exchange operations.

Concurrently, huge transfers of USDC stablecoins were recorded. Two large USDC transactions from the Aave Ethereum USDC contract accounted for 24 million and nearly 59 million USDC respectively, equating to $24 million and $58.9 million. These amounts point to active lending or borrowing strategies within the DeFi ecosystem.

The parallel movement of USDC and AETHUS tokens in matching volumes from one address to another indicates coordinated asset management, possibly involving cross-protocol liquidity or stablecoin issuance. AETHUS tokens, some minted from the Null Address, have seen transfers ranging from small fractions to tens of millions, signaling dynamic token distribution or reward mechanisms linked to staking or lending protocols.

The simultaneous movement of staking tokens, Ethereum, and stablecoins signals a swap of assets between centralized exchanges and DeFi lending platforms. This pattern may reflect an effort to optimize liquidity across protocols, adjust staking exposure, or manage collateral positions in response to market conditions.