Crypto glossary
Staking ratio
The staking ratio is the share of a token's circulating or total supply that is locked in staking, a gauge of network security, liquidity and dilution.
The staking ratio divides the amount of a token committed to staking by its supply. Some data providers use circulating supply and others total supply, so figures for the same network can differ. On proof-of-stake chains the ratio shows how much value backs consensus and how much remains free to trade, lend or use in DeFi.
A high ratio means attacking the network would require acquiring a large amount of stake, and it usually signals that holders are willing to lock tokens for yield. Some protocols tie issuance to it: Cosmos chains raise inflation when the bonded share falls below a target, and Ethereum's reward per validator falls as more ETH is staked. Liquid staking tokens let stakers keep some liquidity, which has pushed ratios up on several chains.
A high ratio is not purely good news. It can thin out spot liquidity, concentrate stake in a few liquid staking providers and make unstaking queues long when many holders exit at once. On inflationary networks, holders who do not stake are diluted, so comparing raw ratios across chains with different reward designs can mislead.
Example
An analyst notes that a chain's staking ratio rose sharply after a liquid staking token became accepted as DeFi collateral, since holders no longer had to choose between yield and liquidity.