What is the Stakers Union?

We are a collective of solo-stakers, organizing because we are passionate about Ethereum and the long-term health of the network. As solo-stakers, we play perhaps the most important role in ensuring the decentralization and durability of the blockchain. The oft-cited goal of being “World War III-resistant” is achieved partly through protocol-level efforts such as client diversity, but a genuinely decentralized validator network requires solo-stakers. Stakers Union members use different clients on different hardware connected to different networks and operated by different people in different jurisdictions. This wonderful heterogeneity is our strength and provides protections against attacks that could compromise the network’s integrity or perceptions of credible neutrality.

Over the past month we have built a truly engaged community of verified members. Our Oath is more than just a signature, it is a genuine vow of our commitment and passion for this mission:

Night gathers, and now my stake begins. It shall not end until my final block. I shall hold no memes, bear no greed and claim no fame. I shall live and die at my node. I am the validator in the shadows. I am the watcher on the chains. I am the shield that guards against corruption, the fire that fuels the network, the light that maintains transparency, the horn that calls to the honest. I pledge my code and commitment to Ethereum, for this epoch and all the epochs to come.

What’s the problem?

Solo-stakers are rewarded for their efforts, so why organize? Unfortunately, there are challenging disincentives for solo-stakers - mostly related to liquid staking/restaking derivatives (LSD/LRD). These protocols have gathered a significant proportion of all staked ether and for good reason: staking through these protocols is often a simple transaction with no minimum requirement and most importantly results in a useful liquid token. The experience for a solo-staker involves operating hardware, maintaining software, and locking up increments of 32 ETH without access to a liquid token.

Supporting current node operators is only one part of the equation, we need to ensure that the number of solo-stakers continues to grow and distribute in under-represented regions. Distributed validators are an encouraging technology allowing reductions in bond requirements to more accessible levels. However, even these node operators may face viability challenges as the network explores further reductions in issuance.

What can we do?

This pattern presents a meaningful risk to Ethereum’s decentralization and a direction that the Stakers Union strongly opposes. As is often the case with Ethereum, new technology and brilliant engineering is helping mitigate some of these risks. For example, Distributed Validator (DV) technology from early Stakers Union partners like the Obol Collective and organizations of node operators like NodeSet who are pioneering methods to reduce and even eliminate node operator bond requirements.

Other interventions include contributing to and otherwise supporting research into protocol improvements (EIP) that preferentially benefit solo-stakers.

The Ethereum community has a history of recognizing and supporting high-priority public goods (ex. Protocol Guild). The Stakers Union considers the activities of solo-stakers among these and is seeking community support for our key objectives:

1. Ensure the decentralization of the Ethereum network by supporting verified solo-stakers through long-term augmented incentives

2. Provide access to our community for ecosystem participants seeking high-performance decentralized node operators

3. Contribute to and promote discussions and research that preferentially benefit solo-stakers

4. Monitor the solo-staking landscape and provide experiential feedback to protocol developers

How to help?

Join the Union

Becoming a member is easy and you can read more about our verification process in the Stakers Union Proposal. Apply Today!

Become a Partner

If you’re building a staking tool, our members are ready to battle-test your tooling and provide feedback. Join organizations like the Obol Collective, NodeSet and Heroglyphs who have partnered with the Stakers Union to grow their networks and onboard verified solo-stakers. Become a Partner!

Take the Pledge

It’s a big ask but here it is: like the Protocol Guild, we’re asking for your support in committing a portion (any portion) of your protocol’s token or revenue to the Stakers Union. Take the Pledge!

1. Support Decentralization: By committing to the Stakers Union, you actively contribute to maintaining and enhancing the decentralization of the Ethereum network, which is crucial for its security and resilience.

2. Enhance Network Security: Decentralized validators reduce the risk of centralization attacks and single points of failure, thereby strengthening the overall security of the Ethereum blockchain broadly and by extension your Ethereum-based protocol.

3. Promote Credible Neutrality: Supporting solo-stakers helps ensure that no single entity has undue influence over the network, preserving Ethereum's principle of credible neutrality.

4. Encourage Diversity: Client diversity is just one part of the equation, the Stakers Union fosters a diverse validator ecosystem by supporting solo-stakers operating different clients on varied hardware across multiple jurisdictions, which is essential for a robust network.

5. Boost Innovation: Solo-stakers often experiment with new technologies and methodologies, contributing to the overall innovation within the Ethereum ecosystem. Your support can help accelerate these advancements.

6. Ethereum Alignment: Taking the pledge aligns you with a community of dedicated Ethereum supporters and validators, enhancing your reputation within the ecosystem as a contributor to its long-term health and success.

7. Access to Expertise: By partnering with the Stakers Union, you gain access to a pool of experienced solo-stakers who can provide valuable feedback on staking tools and technologies, helping you improve your products.

8. Long-term Vision: Supporting the Stakers Union demonstrates a commitment to the long-term sustainability and growth of the Ethereum network, which can positively impact the value and utility of Ethereum-based projects and tokens.

Fund Allocation

The Stakers Union prioritizes high-performance, residential node operation. A solo-staker operating a single RocketPool minipool is equivalent in our collective to one with dozens of solo validators assuming comparable performance (attestations, sync committee participation and block proposals). Funds are distributed in “seasons” by fiscal quarter and members eligible for distribution are awarded proportionate to their participation and performance if they are verified for the duration of the season. Fund distribution is managed using a Splits contract.

Join the Movement!

We invite you to stand with us, uphold the ethos of decentralization, and ensure that the Ethereum network remains robust and truly decentralized. Together, we can safeguard the integrity and future of Ethereum for generations to come.