Rocket Pool (RPL) Price Prediction

Deep Dive

1. Saturn Protocol Upgrade (Bullish Impact)

Overview:
Rocket Pool’s Saturn upgrade (devnet-4 live as of August 14) introduces 4 ETH minipools (vs. current 8 ETH requirement) and “megapools” for scalable node operations. This reduces capital barriers for validators, potentially expanding network participation.

What this means:
Lower ETH thresholds could attract more node operators, increasing demand for RPL collateral (node operators must stake RPL to run minipools). Historical precedent: RPL rose 45% in June 2025 after TVL surged to $1.7B during similar upgrades.

2. Regulatory Tailwinds vs. Competition (Mixed Impact)

Overview:
The SEC’s August 2025 guidance clarified that decentralized liquid staking (like Rocket Pool’s rETH) isn’t a security, boosting institutional confidence. However, Lido dominates 47% of the $67B liquid staking market, while Rocket Pool holds ~3%.

What this means:
Regulatory clarity may drive rETH adoption (up 12% post-announcement), but Rocket Pool must compete with Lido’s liquidity and Coinbase’s institutional reach. Mixed price impact: RPL rallied 10.5% post-SEC news but remains 70% below its 2024 peak.

3. Ethereum Staking & rETH Adoption (Bullish Impact)

Overview:
Ethereum’s staking ratio hit 30% in August 2025, with Rocket Pool’s rETH TVL at $1.8B. Publicly traded firms like BTCS now use Rocket Pool for higher yields, while smoothing pool payouts (e.g., $186K on August 15) incentivize node operators.

What this means:
Growing ETH staking demand directly benefits RPL – every 1M ETH staked via Rocket Pool requires ~72K RPL collateral. With ETH price recovery (+40% since July 2025), RPL’s 6.36% node APR could attract capital if the Saturn upgrade delivers.

Conclusion

RPL’s mid-term outlook leans bullish due to Ethereum’s staking growth and Saturn’s efficiency gains, but Lido’s dominance and macroeconomic risks (e.g., ETH volatility) cap upside. Watch the mainnet Saturn rollout (expected Q4 2025) and rETH’s DeFi integrations – a breakout above $7.20 resistance could signal renewed momentum.

Will Ethereum’s staking growth outpace RPL’s inflation (9.72% supply increase in 90 days)?