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ETH Home Staking Collection
DVT Home Staking Curriculum
DVT Home Staking Curriculum
  • The DVT Home Staking Curriculum
  • Curriculum breakdown & timeline
  • Understanding ETH validators
    • Introduction to ETH Validators
    • Roles & Responsibilities of a node operator
    • Rewards and penalties
    • Importance of client diversity
    • Distributed Validator Technologies (DVTs)
    • Economics of using DVTs (WIP)
      • Diva Staking (WIP)
      • Obol (WIP)
      • SSV (WIP)
    • Bonded Validators
    • Economics of bonded validators (WIP)
  • Hardware & systems setup
    • Setup Overview
    • Hardware & system requirements
    • Procuring your hardware
    • Assemble your hardware
    • Practicing for free on Cloud VMs
      • Google Cloud
      • Alibaba Cloud
  • Linux OS, Networking, & Security
    • Install and prepare the OS
    • Networking & network security
    • Device level security setup
    • Verifying checksums
  • Installing & configuring your EL+CL clients
    • Set up and configure execution layer client
      • Nethermind
      • Besu
      • Geth
      • Erigon
      • Reth
    • Set up and configure consensus layer client
      • Teku BN
      • Nimbus BN
      • Lodestar BN
      • Lighthouse BN
      • Prysm BN
  • Keystore generation & MEV-Boost
    • Validator key generation
    • Set up and configure MEV-boost
  • Native Solo Staking Setup
    • Validator client setup
      • Teku VC
      • Nimbus VC
      • Lodestar VC
      • Lighthouse VC
      • Prysm VC
    • Depositing 32 ETH into your validator
    • Exiting your validator
  • Monitoring, Maintenance, and Updates
    • Set up monitoring suite
      • Installing & configuring Prometheus
      • Installing & configuring Node Exporter
      • Installing & configuring Grafana
      • Beaconcha.in App API
      • Client Uptime Check
    • Maintenance & Updates
      • Nethermind
      • Besu
      • Teku
      • Nimbus
      • Lodestar
      • Updating the monitoring suite
      • Preparing for Pectra
  • DVT Setup
    • Diva Staking
      • Diva Staking client setup
        • Default - All-in-one setup
        • Advanced - with standalone Lodestar VC
      • Registering your Diva node
      • Updating your Diva client
      • Monitoring your Diva Node
    • Obol
      • Techne Bronze Speedrun (Launchpad)
      • Obol + Bonded Validators (Techne Silver)
        • Obol + Lido CSM
    • SSV
      • SSV + Lido CSM (WIP)
      • SSV Operator
      • SSV Staker
  • Bonded Validators Setup
    • Lido CSM
      • Generating CSM keystores
      • Set Fee Recipient Address
        • Method 1: Configure on validator keys
        • Method 2: Configure on separate validator client
        • Verifying Fee Recipient Registered on MEV Relays
      • Upload/Remove/View validator keys
      • Rewards & bonds
      • Exiting CSM validators
        • "Lazy" exits (TESTNET ONLY)
        • Proper Exits
      • Role/Address management
      • Monitoring
      • Automations
        • CSM with ETHPillar
        • CSM with ETH Docker
        • CSM with Dappnode
    • Puffer
      • Non-Enclave: 2 ETH
    • Ether.fi
      • Receive distributed validator keyshares
    • Stader (WIP)
    • Rocketpool (WIP)
  • Liquid Staking Vaults
    • Stakewise V3
  • Mainnet
    • Mainnet Deployment
    • Heroglpyhs (WIP)
  • Best practices
    • Slashing prevention
    • Maximising uptime and performance
    • Optimising security
    • Managing your withdrawal wallet
  • Tips
    • Advanced networking
    • Downloading files from your node
  • Useful resources
    • General resources
    • Holesky Faucets
  • Automation/tools
    • ETHPillar
    • ETH Docker
    • Automated power on/off
      • Wake-on-LAN (WoL)
      • Network UPS Tools (NUT)
    • Validator Healthcheck Alerts
  • Solo Stakers Guild
    • Lido CSM+SSV+Obol (Testnet)
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On this page
  • What are bonded validators?
  • Examples of bonded validators
  • How do I run bonded validators as a solo staker?
  1. Understanding ETH validators

Bonded Validators

PreviousSSV (WIP)NextEconomics of bonded validators (WIP)

Last updated 10 months ago

What are bonded validators?

Conventionally, running an Ethereum validator node as a solo staker required you to deposit 32 ETH into the .

However, there are options available today to significantly reduce this capital requirement in the form of bonded validators. The basic mechanism works as follows:

  1. Liquid stakers stakes native ETH into smart contracts of liquid staking protocols

  2. Node operators provide some amount of ETH as collateral or bond (e.g., 1/2/4/8 ETH) to serve as the first line of defence against slashing events, poor performance, & MEV theft.

  3. Liquid staking protocols assign some amount of staked ETH of liquid stakers to node operators to fulfil the 32 ETH minimum requirement per active validator key

  4. Fee distribution: Liquid staker pay some fees (e.g., 10% or 14%) to the liquid staking protocol and a majority portion (or all) of this flows to node operators

Hence, bonded validators enable node operators to lower their capital requirements and boost their rewards rate as compared to native solo staking.

Examples of bonded validators

Option
ETH bond
ETH matched
Non-ETH bond
Fee %
Note

Rocketpool

8

24

2.4 ETH worth of RPL

14% out of 14% total

8% APR on RPL staked

Stader

4

28

0.4 ETH worth of SD

6% out of 10% total

7.97% APR on SD staked

Lido

2

32

None

8% out of 10% total

Bond provided in stETH which also accrues rewards

Ether.fi (WIP)

Puffer (WIP)

How do I run bonded validators as a solo staker?

There are 2 methods of setting up bonded validators today.

For the Lido CSM, you will essentially be running just a native validator node with no additional services required on your hardware. Bond deposit is managed on the CSM Webapp.

Jump to Lido CSM setup here

For the Rocketpool and Stader, you will need to run an additional and separate service that handles the ETH bond + alternative tokens deposit on your hardware on top of your native validator node.

You then expose the endpoints of your execution and consensus, and connect them to your bonded validator client. This way, your bonded validator client can now "talk" to your existing execution + consensus clients and perform its duties.

Jump to Rocketpool and Stader setup below

Jump to native Solo Staking setup below

You can also run multiple bonded validator clients on the same hardware, provided that you have sufficient resources (e.g., CPU, RAM, Disk) on your hardware to meet the minimum requirements of each additional service.

You can also run DVT clients alongside bonded validator clients.

beacon deposit contract
Lido CSM
Rocketpool (WIP)
Stader (WIP)
Setup Overview
Simplified illustration of a solo staker setup