Following Ethereum's major upgrade in April, the blockchain has seen its first decrease in validator count since then. Recent blockchain data reveals that there are now only 598 validators awaiting entry to the network, a substantial drop from the peak of over 96,000 validators in early June. This decline can be attributed to several factors, including the elimination of risk for investors through the ability to withdraw staked ETH and a reduction in staking rewards. CoinDesk's Composite Ether Staking Rate shows that staking rewards have decreased to approximately 3.5%, compared to the 5%-6% earlier this year. This decline in rewards is due to lower network activity in generating revenue from fees, as well as the growing number of stakers. In contrast, other blockchain platforms like Solana, Cardano, and Avalanche boast higher staking ratios of 69%, 63%, and 53% respectively.