对于以太坊来说,去中心化的属性是一个长期要坚持并且需要保持的事情。但当前来看,以太坊想要提高去中心化程度,还有很长的路要走。PGNode 希望可以参与并加速这个进程。
客户端的去中心化程度
客户端的多样性相比之前已经有了很大的进步,Geth 的份额按照预期降低了不少,给其他的客户端流出了更多的空间,不过当前的占比还是太高,未来还需要持续降低。
数据来源:https://www.rated.network/
质押的去中心化程度
在 Validator 的质押上,我们需要关注以下三个方面:
质押池分布
当前以太坊的 Validator 已经超过 100 万,大多数 Validator 是通过质押池来完成质押。当前在质押的赛道,Lido 依然一骑绝尘,占据最大的份额,前 20 的质押池占据了 65% 的以太坊质押份额,呈现明显中心化的趋势。
数据来源:https://www.rated.network/
地域分布
目前,大多数的以太坊质押在美国和德国。这两个地域就超过了 50% 的份额。前十的地域占据了 78% 的份额。从地域的角度看也呈现中心化的趋势。
数据来源:https://www.rated.network/
基础设施分布
当前已经统计了的就有接近 50% 的份额来自各个云厂商,还有其他的微软、Google、阿里云等云厂商的份额没有被统计。但如果云基础设施发生了重大故障,对以太坊网络也会发生很大的打击。
数据来源:https://www.rated.network/
Solo Staking
通过 Solo Staking 可以解决上面的问题,理想情况下,每个人都可以用一种很方便的形式进入以太坊网络,并成为 Validator,但现在以太坊网络的数据越来越膨胀,很多家用的设备已经支持不了节点的搭建。
数据来源:https://etherscan.io/chartsync/chainarchive
而且对于普通用户来说,当前最好的选择就是质押池,既能获取额外的收益,还不用牺牲资产的流动性,又不需要自己的硬件成本,这样就会让以太坊持续的中心化。
以太坊社区显然也认识到了这个问题,在 Vitalik 的以太坊可能的未来系列博客中,详细解释了当前以太坊遇到的问题。其中 Solo Staking 在未来可能是提升以太坊的去中心化的关键因素。
当前 Solo Staking 的解决方案
当前对于 Solo Staking 有一些解决方案,但是对比于质押池的解决方案还不够多,而且当前的方案对于想参与用户来说,还不够友好。
数据来源:https://www.staking.directory/
提升 Solo Staking 的占比不在于当前各种搭建节点的方案。而在于节点协议的迭代需要持续为 Solo Staking 提供支持,比如降低质押需要最少 ETH 的数、轻节点的发展。特别是轻节点的发展,需要支持各种设备,理想情况下,以后用户可以很方便地在移动设备上创建节点并成为一个 Validator。
PGNode 能做什么
PGNode 希望用一种可持续性的方式来支持公共物品,实现 Web3 公共物品的繁荣。
PGNode 认为 Solo Staking 这件事情对于以太坊生态的繁荣非常重要,并且计划从公共物品的角度为 Solo Staking 做出一些贡献。PGNode 计划从以下三个方面开始行动:
在启动阶段,PGNode 会开发一套易用的 Validator 解决方案,让 Solo Staker 能够多一个选择。就想以太坊客户端需要多样性一样,Validator 的搭建方案也应该保持多样性。
在中文社区,有着很庞大的以太坊开发群体,LXDAO 本身就运营着一个非常活跃的开发者社区。PGNode 会配合 LXDAO 做一系列持续的 Solo Staking 教育课程,让更多开发者愿意参与进来。
PGNode 也会持续关注以太坊底层协议的建设,比如参与以太坊轻节点的建设,并随着以太坊协议的发展而优化对应的 Solo Satking 方案。早日实现在手机上运行以太坊 Validator。
For Ethereum, the attribute of decentralization is something that needs to be adhered to and maintained in the long run. However, at present, Ethereum still has a long way to go if it wants to increase its degree of decentralization. PGNode hopes to participate in and accelerate this process.
Degree of Decentralization of Clients
The diversity of clients has made significant progress compared to before. The share of Geth has decreased considerably as expected, leaving more room for other clients. Nevertheless, its current proportion is still too high, and there is a need to continuously reduce it in the future.
Data source: https://www.rated.network/
Degree of Decentralization of Staking
When it comes to the staking of Validators, we need to pay attention to the following three aspects:
Distribution of Staking Pools
Currently, the number of Ethereum Validators has exceeded 1 million, and most of them complete staking through staking pools. In the current staking track, Lido is still far ahead, holding the largest share. The top 20 staking pools account for 65% of the Ethereum staking share, showing an obvious trend of centralization.
Data source: https://www.rated.network/
Geographical Distribution
At present, most of the Ethereum staking is concentrated in the United States and Germany. These two regions account for more than 50% of the share. The top ten regions account for 78% of the share. From a geographical perspective, there is also a trend of centralization.
Data source: https://www.rated.network/
Distribution of Infrastructure
Nearly 50% of the share that has been counted currently comes from various cloud vendors. There are also shares from other cloud vendors such as Microsoft, Google, and Alibaba Cloud that have not been counted. However, if a major failure occurs in the cloud infrastructure, it will also have a significant impact on the Ethereum network.
Data source: https://www.rated.network/
Solo Staking
Solo Staking can solve the above problems. Ideally, everyone should be able to enter the Ethereum network in a convenient way and become a Validator. However, the data of the Ethereum network is expanding more and more, and many home devices can no longer support the setup of nodes.
Data source: https://etherscan.io/chartsync/chainarchive
Moreover, for ordinary users, the current best choice is the staking pool. They can not only obtain additional income but also do not need to sacrifice the liquidity of their assets and do not require their own hardware costs. This will lead to the continuous centralization of Ethereum.
The Ethereum community has obviously recognized this problem. In Vitalik’s series of blogs on the possible future of Ethereum, the problems currently faced by Ethereum are explained in detail. Among them, Solo Staking may be a key factor in enhancing the decentralization of Ethereum in the future.
Current Solutions for Solo Staking
There are currently some solutions for Solo Staking, but compared to those of staking pools, they are not sufficient, and the current solutions are not user - friendly enough for those who want to participate.
Data source: https://www.staking.directory/
Increasing the proportion of Solo Staking does not lie in the current solutions for setting up nodes. Instead, it lies in the continuous support for Solo Staking through the iteration of the node protocol, such as reducing the minimum amount of ETH required for staking and the development of light nodes. Especially for the development of light nodes, it needs to support various devices. Ideally, in the future, users can easily create nodes on mobile devices and become a Validator.
What Can PGNode Do
PGNode hopes to support public goods in a sustainable way and achieve the prosperity of Web3 public goods.
PGNode believes that Solo Staking is of great importance to the prosperity of the Ethereum ecosystem and plans to make some contributions to Solo Staking from the perspective of public goods. PGNode plans to take action in the following three aspects:
In the startup phase, PGNode will develop an easy - to - use Validator solution, providing Solo Stakers with one more option. Just as the Ethereum clients need to be diverse, the solutions for setting up Validators should also maintain diversity.
In the Chinese community, there is a large Ethereum development group. LXDAO itself operates a very active developer community. PGNode will cooperate with LXDAO to conduct a series of continuous educational courses on Solo Staking, making more developers willing to participate.
PGNode will also continuously pay attention to the construction of the Ethereum underlying protocol, such as participating in the construction of Ethereum light nodes, and optimize the corresponding Solo Staking solutions as the Ethereum protocol develops. It aims to realize running an Ethereum Validator on mobile phones as soon as possible.