0/ Ethereum’s security comes from its stakers. A guest thread about Ethereum staking, doing so as independently as possible, and community making all the difference. I’m Jonathan Meyer (@jwmeyer), Exec Director of @EthStaker, and am excited to share how you can take part. ↓

1/ Why do we need independent stakers? “The whole point of a public blockchain is lost if you are not resistant for the worst-case scenarios. It’s too easy to get complacent and fail at the very moment when blockchains are supposed to be the Phial of Galadriel”. - @apolynya

3/ Stakers protect the network through the regular validation activity they do. Every 12 seconds stakers propose and confirm a block of transactions, and these tasks ensure the chain remains secure and credible into the future.

4/ These activities earn rewards in a decentralized way. In order to preserve the network’s credible neutrality, stakers can participate directly and contribute toward its resilience and decentralization.

5/ Of the ways to stake, solo staking at home enables maximum independence, and is the simplest connection between a staker and the protocol. Solo staking keeps Ethereum diverse and censorship resistant, but takes 32 ETH which creates challenges for many.

6/ In that case, there are other ways to be a home staker. For example, running a decentralized liquid staking node or with distributed validator tech (DVT). These options are resilient but have tradeoffs associated with extra software and smart contract risks. s/o: @Obol_Collective @ssv_network @LidoFinance @Rocket_Pool

7/ The principle is simple. The more independent you are, the more valuable your contribution to Ethereum’s resilience and resistance to outside control.

8/ EthStaker’s 2025 survey shows stakers care about independence and network health. Top reasons for running an independent validator: - Benefit the network (27%) - Minimize trust assumptions (21%) - Profit maximization (17%)

9/ Over 68% surveyed see the network’s stake centralization as a significant concern. Taking these stats together it’s clear the independent core of stakers see the health of the network and its resistance to capture as the top priority to defend.

10/ Running your own node enables: - A private access point for reading and writing data to the chain. - Seeing validator entry and exit queues - Inspecting the details of each new block The data you see is authentic and tamper-proof. No one can alter that view.

11/ The journey can feel complex at first. Hardware, software, and upgrades are always evolving. That is why community matters. You are not alone. Thousands of operators share guides, tools, and time to help you succeed.

13/ We go to live events, and soon will see much of the community at Devconnect (@EFDevcon) in Buenos Aires, Argentina supporting the Node Operators community hub and hosting an event open to all called the Staking Gathering during that week!

15/ If you are curious, start now. Set up a node (no ETH required), explore how it works, and ask questions. Staking from home, whether solo or liquid, is a high quality way to contribute to Ethereum.

16/ Ethereum’s greatest strength is its people. The more independent the staker, the more resilient the network.

17/ And with community support, anyone can learn and take part. Art credit: @electropillow