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Crypto service provider Bitcoin Suisse expects to offer its Ethererum staking services before Christmas, underscoring the firm's expectations of an imminent launch of Ethereum 2.0.

"The deposit contract for Ethereum 2 is now live. This means that the new version of the second biggest protocol by market cap will most likely become a reality before Christmas."

The Ethereum 2.0 deposit contract is open, which means anyone who wants to become a validator can deposit their minimum stake of 32 Ether.

As of Wednesday, the deposit contract had over 101,700 ETH deposits valued at nearly $48.2 million.

The first stage of ETH 2.0 is expected to launch Dec. 1, according to an Ethereum Foundation blog post from earlier this month.

Developers have set a minimum total staking threshold of 524,288 ETH as the trigger for the mainnet.

At the current rate, it appears unlikely that enough ETH will be staked to ensure a successful launch by Dec. 1.

"There's little benefit in staking early, so I think people are just taking their time."

As a crypto custodian, Bitcoin Suisse lets investors participate in Ethereum staking without having to meet the minimum 32 ETH threshold.

Svante Jorgensen, a blockchain engineer at the firm, told Trustnodes earlier this year that Bitcoin Suisse offers "No lower limit on staking size."