Chapter · Master Ethereum
Staking and validators
To run a validator on your own, you lock up 32 ETH as a deposit. That stake is your promise to behave. Do the job well and you earn steady rewards. Try to cheat or go badly offline and part of your stake can be taken away, a penalty called slashing. This is how proof of stake stays honest: acting badly costs real money. Most people do not have 32 ETH, so services exist that let you stake smaller amounts together.
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What this lesson covers
Rewards are not free money
Staking pays a yield, but it is not a savings account. Your ETH can drop in value, liquid staking tokens carry smart contract risk, and validators can be slashed for mistakes. The reward is compensation for taking on real jobs and real risks. Understand what you are locking up and through whom before you stake anything.
What you get asked
How many ETH do you need to run your own solo validator?
The protocol sets the solo validator deposit at 32 ETH. That fixed amount keeps validators uniform and gives each one meaningful skin in the game.
If a validator cheats or misbehaves, it can lose part of its stake through a penalty called ___.
Slashing removes part of a misbehaving validator's stake. The threat of losing money is what keeps validators playing by the rules.
What problem does liquid staking solve?
Liquid staking pools let smaller holders stake together and often hand back a token that represents the staked ETH, so funds are not fully stuck. It adds convenience but also extra smart contract risk.
Where do staking rewards actually come from?
Validators earn newly issued ETH plus a share of transaction fees. It is a reward for useful work, not a fixed or guaranteed yield.
The rest of this chapter
Learn how Ethereum works as a programmable blockchain, from smart contracts and gas to staking, Layer 2s, and DeFi.