Recently, several leading exchanges have been adjusting their staking rates, and many people immediately think "liquidation is coming." But I see it differently — this actually reflects a core market shift in 2026: risk management is shifting from an optional to a mandatory practice. The days of growing recklessly with leverage are indeed over.

Let me start with a phenomenon. The seven assets that were recently adjusted don’t seem to follow a clear pattern at first glance, but in fact, they are quite deliberate. As the Layer 2 leader, ARB has experienced increased volatility recently, with a 24-hour price fluctuation of 6.57%. CFX, despite positive news about its ecosystem, has had relatively mediocre liquidity. XPL saw a sharp spike last September, but trading volume gradually shrank afterward. If you ask what these coins have in common, it’s a severe imbalance between risk and reward. When the market rebounds, they are easily targeted by over-leveraged positions. Exchanges are adjusting staking rates right after Bitcoin just crossed the critical $90,000 mark, with a clear purpose — to prevent retail traders from following the trend and increasing leverage, which could destabilize the market.

The adjustment of staking rates by exchanges essentially reclassifies the risk levels of assets. Lowering the staking rate means these assets are now classified as "high risk," requiring more collateral to withstand volatility. Looking back at data from March to May 2025, top exchanges gradually adjusted the staking rates for nearly 30 assets. The fact that they are already moving again in 2026 shows a clear message — risk control will only tighten throughout the year, not loosen.

This is also related to the broader environment. Although inflation is slowing, economic resilience remains. In a market dominated by institutional funds, overall volatility tends to decrease, but extreme risks are more likely to concentrate and explode. Therefore, exchanges must proactively set defenses to prevent risks from a single asset from evolving into systemic issues. Instead of waiting for problems to arise and then trying to fix them, it’s better to implement robust risk management now.