Buterin advocates reducing Ethereum’s staking requirement to increase solo stakers.
Reducing the requirement from 32 ETH aims to encourage decentralization.
Lowering to 1 ETH would make solo staking more accessible and secure Ethereum's network.
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has expressed support for reducing the Ether deposit requirement for solo staking, aiming to make staking more accessible and strengthen Ethereum’s decentralization.
In a community discussion on X on October 3, Buterin backed the idea of lowering the current staking threshold of 32 ETH, which is seen as a barrier to broader participation.
https://twitter.com/VitalikButerin/status/1841756178692358587
Solo staking allows individuals to run full nodes independently, avoiding reliance on third-party services or centralized entities. This method is crucial for maintaining Ethereum’s decentralized nature.
However, the 32 ETH requirement—worth roughly $75,000 as of October—has limited the number of solo stakers.
At the Ethereum Singapore 2024 event in September, Buterin emphasized the role of solo stakers in enhancing Ethereum’s security. He pointed out that even a small increase in the number of solo stakers could provide an essential layer of defense against potential attacks, such as 51% attacks.
The presence of independent validators is considered a safeguard that strengthens Ethereum’s network resilience.
In recent discussions with the Ethereum community, Buterin suggested an interim solution that involves lowering the staking deposit requirement to 16 or 24 ETH, while temporarily increasing bandwidth requirements.
He explained that once technical solutions, such as improved peer-to-peer communication, are in place, it would be possible to further reduce the staking requirement to as low as 1 ETH. This would enable more users to participate in solo staking and further decentralize the network.
Lowering the threshold for solo staking would significantly increase the number of participants, potentially enhancing Ethereum’s security and overall stability.
This proposal reflects Buterin's ongoing efforts to promote broader participation in Ethereum staking and ensure that the network remains decentralized and secure.
