Expanding EtherFi’s Operation Solo Staker
Overview
EtherFi and Obol are excited to announce a new expansion of the Operation Solo Staker Program. Originally created in late 2023 with the vision of bringing more decentralisation to Ethereum, the initiative onboards home stakers to EtherFi’s validator set by leveraging Obol Distributed Validators (DVs). This technology not only supports EtherFi’s mission of decentralising its validator set, but also brings enhanced performance, as demonstrated by the original solo staker cohort.
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What’s Happening
After extensive testing on testnet, two new cohorts of operators are onboarding to DVs on mainnet, made up of over 10 DV clusters with 40 operators. For home stakers, this marks the beginning of a new era, many of whom have been waiting for delegated staking opportunities like this. Obol’s Techne Credential was a key piece of the pipeline for these opportunities, as it allowed home operators to demonstrate their skills via an on-chain credential. By leveling the playing field and providing more opportunities for home node operators, we can help Ethereum continue on the path of becoming a decentralised global settlement layer.
Key Benefits
- Enhanced Decentralisation: The Operation Solo Staker Program gives home stakers the opportunity to join EtherFi’s validator set, supporting Ethereum’s long-term goal of decentralisation. By enabling more validators to be run by individuals, the network becomes more resilient, more censorship-resistant and less reliant on centralised validation entities.
- Improved Security and Performance: Obol DVs enhance security and performance by allowing multiple operators to share the responsibility of running a single validator. This reduces the risk of slashing while ensuring that validators maintain high uptime and effectiveness.
- Opportunities for Home Stakers: This program provides home operators with a chance to earn rewards and an on-chain attestation of their experience on mainnet: the Silver Obol Techne Credential. This will make them attractive candidates for future staking opportunities both inside and outside of EtherFi.
- Scalable Validator Set: By leveraging DVs, EtherFi can rapidly expand a highly decentralised validator set which enhances the security, performance and decentralisation of their staking protocol.
FAQ
Q: What is the EtherFi Solo Staker Program?
A: The EtherFi Solo Staker Program allows individual home stakers to join EtherFi’s validator set using Obol’s Distributed Validator Technology (DVT). The program is designed to decentralize the validator set while improving security and performance.
Q: How do Obol Distributed Validators (DVs) improve the staking experience?
A: Obol DVs allows multiple operators to work together to share the responsibility of running a validator. This reduces the risks of slashing due and downtime, enhancing security and validator performance.
Q: Who can I get involved?
A: This program is primarily geared toward experienced home stakers. Holders of Bronze and Silver Techne Credentials are being prioritised as they’ve proven their ability to run distributed validators. Earn a Techne and apply for Techne Opportunities!
Q: What are the benefits for home stakers?
A: Giving home stakers an opportunity to run validators with delegated stake earns them income, which incentivizes more home stakers to get online.
Q: How many operators are moving to mainnet?
A: We are currently targeting 10 clusters with more than 40 operators being added to EtherFi. The plan is to scale up the number of validators per cluster based on performance metrics over the following weeks.
Q: How does this program help Ethereum’s decentralization?
A: By enabling home stakers to operate as validators and reducing reliance on centralized staking entities, the Solo Staker Program contributes to a more decentralized and robust Ethereum network.