tl;dr

Even with lower capital requirements with DVT, many people can't justify buying the hardware for the rewards. EthStaker, in collaboration with Diva & Stakesaurus, is launching a 10-week pilot program to create and subsidize hardware for new node operators

The Current Challenge

• DVT and Capital Requirements: DVT protocols reduce the need for large initial investments (32 ETH) to operate a validator, allowing for a 1 ETH bond and collaboration with other users to meet the full requirement

• Economic Viability: A standard 32 ETH validator can earn about $150/month, recouping hardware costs in 4-5 months. However, for a DVT setup with only a 1 ETH deposit, the return doesn't justify the hardware investment (for now! Hardware costs are forever going down)

Addressing the Problem

EthStaker is a grant-funded organization dedicated to decentralizing the validator set primarily by supporting home stakers with resources and technical guidance. To address prohibitive hardware costs, we're introducing a pilot program to facilitate new home stakers using DVT

Program Overview

• Cohort: The first group will consist of twenty stakers, aiming to draw applicants of diverse skill sets and from areas that are underrepresented in node distribution

• Curriculum: Participants will engage in a practical curriculum, achieving milestones for setup, practicing on testnet, and eventually making a mainnet deposit

• Incentives: After two months of successful mainnet operation, participants will be reimbursed for their hardware costs, allowing subsequent rewards to be 100% profit

• Timeline: Application details will be released soon. The selection is expected by mid-January for a February program start

Pilot Cohort Specifics

• Duration: A 10-week asynchronous course on our Discord forums. Each week will have a milestone for participants to achieve

• Content: The course covers fundamentals, node operation basics, testnet practice, and concludes with a mainnet deposit

• Cost: No cost (outside of initial hardware purchase & mainnet deposit)

• Mentorship: A mentor specifically dedicated to this program will hold 3 office hours per week for guidance

Participant Requirements

• Hardware Investment: Participants must initially invest in the necessary hardware (approximately $500-800). Reimbursement will require program completion, with a validator live on mainnet for two months (dependent on Diva mainnet launch date)

• Capital for Validator Deposit: A 1 ETH bond is required for the mainnet DVT validator deposit

• Internet Connectivity: A stable and reliable internet connection with over 2 TB of monthly bandwidth is essential

• Skill level: Must have experience using a self-custodied Ethereum wallet and be willing to be guided through command line usage!

Apply

The application to participate will be open on ethstaker.cc/dvtprogram on Friday, 15 Dec and will close on Friday, 19 Jan

Partnership Info

EthStaker is partnering with Stakesaurus and Diva to pilot the program. Stakesaurus is a well-regarded staking guide creator who runs a business in SEA doing 1:1 hands-on training for solo stakers. Diva is a DVT-integrated liquid staking protocol, currently in testnet phase. We're aiming for the conclusion of the program to coincide with Diva's launch on mainnet. EthStaker intends to partner with additional DVT programs for future cohorts

Questions? Please ask!

You can leave a comment here, pop over to EthStaker's #general Discord channel (discord.gg/ethstaker), email us (team at ethstaker dot cc), ask a question in our subreddit (reddit.com/r/ethstaker), or tag us on twitter (twitter.com/ethstaker)