Why is ETH staking important?

Since Ethereum completed “The Merge” and upgraded to the Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism, ETH staking has become the primary way for ETH holders to earn on-chain rewards and participate in network governance.

Staking is not only a technical security support but also a sustainable means of passive income. Unlike traditional “mining”, ETH staking no longer relies on mining machines or power resources; ordinary users only need to hold ETH and choose the appropriate path to activate the earning model.

The current annualized yield for ETH staking is in the range of 3%-5%. Although it is not high, it is stable and is part of the native economy of blockchain, possessing certain anti-inflation properties and long-term value support.

Overview of Current Mainstream Staking Paths

According to the thresholds, liquidity, and degree of decentralization, the current ETH staking is mainly divided into three major categories of paths:

1. Fully Autonomous Stake (Solo Staking)
2. Decentralized liquid staking (LSD, such as Lido, Rocket Pool)
3. Centralized platform custody staking (such as Gate etc.)

User profiles adapted to different paths are also different. Below is a detailed analysis of the representatives of various schemes.

Lido: Decentralized staking leader

Lido is currently the largest ETH liquid staking protocol by market share, accounting for over 30% of the staked ETH in the entire network. Its core advantages are:

• Users can participate without 32 ETH;
• After staking, you will receive an equivalent amount of stETH, which represents your staking rights.
• stETH can be used in DeFi for purposes such as lending, liquidity mining, etc., giving assets the ability to appreciate in value for the second time;
• Supports automatic compound interest, with earnings settled per block and credited to stETH balance daily.

The success of Lido has also given rise to similar protocols such as Rocket Pool (rETH) and Frax ETH (frxETH). However, the price of stETH may slightly deviate from ETH due to market supply and demand, so it is important to pay attention to its “redemption discount” risk.

The staking advantages of ETH on exchanges like Gate.

Figure:https://www.gate.com/eth2

If you prefer a one-stop, low-threshold way to participate without wallet management, exchange staking is a more friendly option.

Taking Gate’s ETH2 product as an example:

• Buying ETH2 is equivalent to staking ETH.
• No lock-up restrictions, can trade at any time in the ETH2/ETH or ETH2/USDT markets;
• Earnings are automatically distributed daily without manual operation;
• All ETH2 assets are backed 1:1 by real ETH, and the platform promises full reserves.
• Supports both app and web operations, suitable for beginner users.

The core advantage of such products lies in “flexibility + simplicity,” but it also requires trust in the platform’s custody and risk control capabilities.

Who is suitable for self-node staking?

If you own more than 32 ETH and have certain technical skills, you may consider running a node (becoming a validator) for Solo Staking.

Advantages:

• No third-party custody, complete control over private keys and earnings;
• Higher yield (a few schemes support MEV extraction);
• The most primitive and decentralized way of the network.

Disadvantages:

• It requires a stable server to run, with high maintenance costs and complexity.
• There is a penalty mechanism (Slashing), and if there is improper behavior or a disconnection, part of the assets will be confiscated.
• Asset liquidity is not supported, and exiting requires waiting for ETH exit queue processing.

Therefore, Solo Staking is more suitable for Web3 native users or institutional participants.

How to evaluate annualized return vs liquidity?

When choosing an ETH stake plan, be sure to consider comprehensively:

• Annual Percentage Yield (APY): Currently, centralized platforms are similar to Lido, both ranging from 3% to 5%;
• Liquidity Demand: Whether you want to trade staked assets at any time or use them for DeFi;
• Risk tolerance: Willing to trust the platform, or prefer decentralization more?
• Time cost and operational complexity: whether one can independently manage a wallet or run a node.

Summary and Suggestions: Choose the plan that suits you best.

ETH staking is not limited to one path; the key is to match your own capital scale, operating habits, and risk preferences:

• If you want to stake safely for the long term, you may consider exchange products.
• If you want to participate flexibly in DeFi, you can try Lido or Rocket Pool;
• If you want to have full control over your assets and participate in Ethereum governance and security construction, you can research node staking.

In the future, with the development of EIP-7002 (re-staking mechanism), EigenLayer, and re-staking protocols, ETH staking will iterate into more forms. However, for beginners, starting with simple products from mainstream platforms is the best way to enter the PoS world.