Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, has put forward an innovative proposal aimed at improving the decentralization of the staking process on Ethereum. This initiative aims to further penalize related failures among validators, in order to promote independent operation and participation in the more diversified and resilient network
.
Table of Contents:
Encourage the Independent Operation of Validators
Buterin, in the Ethereum research forum, has exposed a staking mechanism that provides for stricter penalties for validators in the event of related failures, especially when these are managed by the same entity.
The goal is to discourage large staking entities from monopolizing the validation process, thus promoting a wider distribution of validation operations across the
network.
Addressing Related Failures and Pool Dominance
The proposed penalty structure aims to mitigate the risk of related failures within staking pools and large clusters of validators, which often share infrastructure and, consequently, vulnerability. By introducing higher penalties for simultaneous failures, the proposal intends to encourage the decentralization of staking infrastructures, making solitary staking more attractive and economically profitable than joining large staking
pools.
Simulations and Economic Implications
The simulations carried out by Buterin suggest that this anti-correlation penalty system could reduce the competitive advantage of large staking entities, thus encouraging smaller validators and improving the decentralization of the network. The proposal also explores various penalty schemes to ensure fairness and minimize the dominance of large validators, underlining the importance of geographical diversity and customers
within the Ethereum ecosystem.
The Challenges of Staking Pool Dominance
Despite the attractiveness of staking pools and liquid staking services such as Lido, which allow participation with smaller amounts of ETH, concerns have emerged regarding their increasing dominance and the potential for ‘cartellization’. With Lido controlling a significant part of the fully staked ETH, there is an increasing need within the Ethereum community to explore mechanisms that encourage fairer participation and distribution of rewards
.
Vitalik Buterin’s proposal represents an innovative approach to enhance Ethereum’s decentralization through targeted penalties for related validator failures. As the community and developers continue to discuss the merits and potential implementation of this system, the proposal highlights Ethereum’s ongoing commitment to maintaining a secure, decentralized, and equitable network for all participants
.
