**Ethereum Co-founder Advocates for Lower Solo Staking Requirements**

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin is pushing to lower the minimum Ether (ETH) required for solo staking, aiming to make it more accessible for crypto investors. Currently, solo stakers need to lock up 32 ETH, a significant barrier for many.

During a community discussion on Oct. 3, Buterin suggested reducing the deposit requirement to 16 or 24 ETH temporarily, with a long-term goal of dropping it to just 1 ETH. He believes this change could enhance Ethereum's decentralization and security by encouraging more solo stakers.

Buterin emphasized that even a small increase in solo stakers can add a crucial layer of protection against 51% attacks. However, some developers raised concerns about the impact of increased bandwidth requirements on home networks.

In addition, Buterin has called for stricter definitions for Ethereum layer-2 networks, urging projects to meet specific standards by the end of 2024. If they fail, they should no longer be considered true layer-2 solutions.