FAQ

The most frequently asked questions

In the spirit of transparency, if you find that important questions are missing from this list, please let us know in Discord, Telegram, or Twitter and we'll add them promptly.

ethStaking Platform

What staking options are available in ethStaking?

• You can choose between pooling any amount of ETH together with other stakers in ethStaking Pool and launching a solo (non-custodial) validator with blocks of 32 ETH in ethStaking Solo.

Is ethStaking safe to use?

• We use every precaution, including getting our code audited, to ensure that ethStaking is safe to use. Nevertheless, we encourage users to do their own research before making a deposit.

What ensures the stable performance of ethStaking infrastructure?

• ethStaking uses cloud infrastructure that scales automatically according to demand:

• Our unique cloud operator is capable of creating and maintaining validators with no human involvement:

• Whenever more validators and Beacon Chain applications must be launched and current servers do not have enough capacity, the new servers are started.

• Our unique cloud operator is capable of creating and maintaining validators with no human involvement:

• For each new validator, it finds the server with the most available resources or creates a new one if all the resources are used up.

• When a new version of the validator application is released, the operator upgrades all the validators with close to zero downtime while ensuring full slashing protection.

• For Solo staking, it applies withdrawal credentials provided by the user to create deposit data and submits it to the contract.

What steps does ethStaking take to prevent slashing and penalties?

• We run our applications with both external and local slashing protection enabled all the time and make sure that the validator's database persists across restarts (whenever the validators are upgraded to a newer version).

• To prevent penalties, we run beacon and ETH1 nodes with failover enabled. If a server crashes, all the validators will re-establish the connection with a different beacon node located on another server.

• We invested a lot in the monitoring of our performance on an attestation/proposal level. This allows us to always be aware of any anomalies happening with the applications we are running. For that, we use alerts, Prometheus, and Stackdriver.

What sets ethStaking apart from the other staking providers?

• Yield-maximizing Pool offering - built on top of a bulletproof setup, our Pool charges competitive fees and tokenizes deposits and rewards separately to maximize staking returns for its users. If you prioritize yield, liquidity of your stake, and access to profit maximization opportunities in DeFi, this Pool is for you.

• Tailored (non-custodial) Solo offering - packing a resilient infrastructure, our Solo staking is a winning combination of stable performance, intuitive validator management tools, and DAI-based service fee, created for returns-conscious stakers who don't compromise on security.

• Strong track record - by running in public beta for over half a year (Medium article) and successfully testing our ability to stake over 200,000 ETH in various testnets, we have done more than most to stress-test and perfect our system. We use this experience to run an extremely resilient infrastructure in Phase 0 and beyond.

ethStaking Pool

How does ethStaking Pool work?

• The Pool represents a network of validators run by ethStaking.

• For every 32 ETH collectively deposited in the Pool by users, ethStaking creates a new validator and adds it to the network.

• The rewards generated by these validators are shared among users proportionally to their ETH contribution in the Pool.

What do I need to start staking in ethStaking Pool?

• There are no prerequisites to start - you can stake from as little as 1 wei.

Is my stake in ethStaking Pool tokenized?

• ethStaking tokenizes both deposits and rewards earned by those staking in the Pool. We mint sETH (staking ETH) and rETH (reward ETH) that represent users' deposits and rewards in a 1:1 ratio.

• As long as you hold sETH that represents your deposit, rETH will accrue on your address as a reward from staking.

What is the commission for staking in ethStaking Pool?

• We charge a flat fee of 10% on the rewards earned by the Pool.

How does ethStaking manage the withdrawal key for funds in the Pool?

• We split the withdrawal key into multiple parts and use Shamir's secret sharing to require a threshold of signatures to be submitted for transferring the validators' balances back to the users. The withdrawal key parts are distributed among different trusted entities and stored in cold storage according to the best security practices. Read more about our Horcrux mechanism.

How can I deposit ETH into ethStaking Pool?

• Navigate to the ethStaking Pool app, click on the Deposit button and follow instructions on the screen.

How can I track the amount of my staking rewards in ethStaking Pool?

• You accrue rETH (staking rewards) as long as you hold sETH in your address. Hence, the amount of rETH that accrued in your address is the amount of staking rewards you have earned with the ethStaking Pool.

• We show an estimated APR as a Yearly Growth figure in the ethStaking Pool app.

How can I withdraw my deposit and rewards from ethStaking Pool?

• Before Phase 2: use protocols like Uniswap, Sushi or Curve to exchange sETH and rETH into other assets.

• Upon Phase 2: burn your sETH and rETH in the ethStaking app to redeem your ETH deposit and reward.

ethStaking Solo

How does ethStaking Solo work?

• Solo enables stakers to leverage ethStaking's bespoke infrastructure and validator management tools to run solo validators and use their own withdrawal credentials to remain in the sole custody of the validators' funds.

• ethStaking uses submitted withdrawal credentials to register validators and handles the complex task of running them on users' behalf to maximize the rewards.

• Users are charged a monthly fee per each validator they run, payable in DAI.

Is ethStaking Solo non-custodial?

• Yes, it is. You remain the sole custodian of your withdrawal key and validator's balance when creating a validator with Solo.

Only the holder of the withdrawal key will have access to the validator's balance upon Phase 2. Make sure to store your withdrawal key securely to avoid losing access to your funds.

What do I need to start staking in ethStaking Solo?

• You will need to generate the withdrawal credentials and deposit at least 32 ETH to stake in Solo.

How do I know if my funds are really secure with ethStaking Solo?

• ethStaking is committed to the highest level of transparency, which is why users can have a look at our Solos smart contract. This smart contract does all the work of getting the deposit from the user (seeaddDeposit) and registering the validator for it (see registerValidator).

• If ethStaking were to use some other withdrawal credentials for generating deposit data, it would get rejected by the validator registration contract. This is because it would calculate the deposit data root that does not match the root generated with the user's withdrawal credentials.

Is my stake in ethStaking Solo tokenized?

• We cannot tokenize your Solo stake, because it is only possible with custodial staking as of today.

What is the commission for staking in ethStaking Solo?

• There is a fee of 10 DAI ($10) per validator per month, payable using our automated billing system.

What happens to my validators if I don't pay for Solo staking?

• When using ethStaking Solo, you will be asked to pay 10 DAI per validator every month.

• If your bill has not been paid, ethStaking will continue running your validators until you have 2 unpaid monthly bills. If that happens, we will be forced to exit your validators from the network. It will lock up your validator's balance on the Beacon Chain until Phase 2.

• Hence, we recommend you to top-up the billing account immediately after your newly created validator starts staking and avoid having unpaid bills on your account.

How does ethStaking manage the validator keys in Solo?

• Navigate to the ethStaking Solo app, click on the Deposit button and follow instructions on the screen.

How can I track the amount of my staking rewards in ethStaking Solo?

• We provide reward statistics and have a direct link to beaconcha.in to check attestation and proposal performance for each of your validators individually.

How can I withdraw my deposit from ethStaking Solo?

• Login to your account with your login and password.

• Connect your ETH wallet used for deposit via MetaMask.

• Click Unstake Button and confirm transaction in your MetaMask wallet.

• After few seconds the deposited ETH will arrive to your original ETH wallet.

How can I request exit for validators in ethStaking Solo?

• An interface that provides the option to Exit your validators in batch or individually will become available soon.

Can I provide liquidity for sETH and rETH tokens in protocols like Uniswap, Sushi or Curve?

• Not only this is possible, but it is also encouraged.

Make sure to familiarize yourself with the risks and returns associated with liquidity provision on Uniswap, Sushi and Curve before adding liquidity. Always do your own research.