With the recent increase in cryptocurrency investment, people have started looking at alternate options to Bitcoin. Ethereum was invented as an improved alternative. Moreover, in the last few years, it has achieved a lot of popularity for all good reasons.
There are three main reasons for this increasing popularity. Firstly, the unique feature of smart contracts. Under smart contracts, you can create self-executing contracts and decentralized agreements, which will be coded in the blockchain immediately. These contracts can be monetary agreements, coupon-paying bonds, swaps, or options contracts.
Another reason for Ethereum's popularity is its speed. Compared to 45 minutes of Bitcoin, Ethereum takes a maximum of 10 minutes to finish the process. It is also more scalable compared to other coins. Its block times are more than the usual 10 seconds.
Thirdly, the proof-of-stake model being adopted by Ethereum replaces the miners with transaction validators. This removes the cryptographic challenges or any illegal behavior in the process. Ethereum is thus changing the proof-of-work method and is bringing in a lot of attention.
Collecting and staking 32 ETH is the minimum requirement to become a validator. Binance has its own ETH 2.0 staking function to provide everyone with an accessible way to collect Ethereum.
The function is available right on the Binance website with a few clicks. You can find the ETH 2.0 option on the Binance Earn page under Finance. You can enter the stake amount and start collecting Ethereum. The entire validator operating expenses and risk of on-chain penalties will be covered by Binance.
You are also eligible for BETH rewards based on your holdings during the process. It will be distributed on-chain to all the BETH users' spot accounts. However, the redemption of these rewards and unstake ETH will occur once the merge is completed.
With the invention and merger of new ETH2.0, staking Ethereum coins has become a very important aspect of the network. In this process, a validator is someone who balances the public key and manages the consensus of the entire network.
To become a validator in the network, you need to stake over 32 ETH. You can use software like a validator client to act on behalf of the validator to hold and use the private key. As a validator, you need to have funds at stake so that your actions get paid.
One of the main advantages of becoming a validator is the rewards given for maintaining the consensus. The total number of rewards depends on the total number of validators in the network.
The addition of Ethereum 2.0 has brought in the opportunity to stake Ethereum for better utilization. Staking is a process of selecting validators to establish a new block.
You can stake Ethereum in multiple ways. One method is solo staking. Under this, you will have complete control of your staking platforms. Along with the sovereignty, you also get all the benefits and profits. But, the risk is not shared.
Another method is the custodial staking system, in which you can hand over your Ether deposit to a system. They will manage the entire node for you. You can keep track of your node. However, they take a cut of your rewards as a commission for their services.
The software that provides staking facilities are prysm, nimbus, Lodestar, Lighthouse and Teku.
Drawbacks of staking ethereum
Though the proof of stake mechanism to collect Ethereum looks like a lucrative proposal, it comes with some risks and drawbacks.
The main risk is when the algorithm penalizes you for not acting in favour of the network's progress. This is called 'slashing'. It may happen when you accidentally accept an invalid transaction or your stake falls below 16 ETH. You can even be punished when your node goes offline. In the case of a pool, if the service operating your pool goes down, your stake is at risk of losing, and recovery is impossible.
Additionally, the conversion to ETH can only occur when the ETH 2.0 project is completed; before that, no withdrawal can be made. The entire process can be only done in the long run. Until the chain and mainnet are merged, your ETH staking is useless.
Benefits of staking ethereum
Staking Ethereum is a very profitable business. It will make the entire blockchain process environment-friendly. As the requirement of resources is comparatively lower, it will attract more investors in the staking process,
Staking Ethereum also helps in passive income generation. The net annual return in staking is high. Once you have set up a node, it becomes easier to earn rewards. These rewards will help secure the network in the blockchain.
The staking process is an integral part of the ETH 2.0 revolution in the development stage. Once it starts with comprehensive practice, rewards will hold much more value.
Bringing a new revolution to the already existing Ethereum blockchain, ETH 2.0 is the newest version of the same. The new upgrade is to switch from the Proof-of-Work model to the Proof-of-Stake method.
For years, there have been two parallel blockchain mediums running for Ethereum. ETH 2 has been made to bridge the gap between the different features. This will unify the technologies making the process hassle-free and more manageable.
The main advantage of this transition is that it will make Ethereum more attractive and a better investment than Bitcoin. This merge will happen later this year.
Ethereum staking pools
Ethereum staking is the newly emerging technology in the cryptocurrency market that allows users to become a validator. However, one needs to invest 32 ETH to become a validator. Staking pools is a collaborative approach to the same. It is called a staking pool when a group of people come together to stake smaller amounts of ETH to obtain the required 32 ETH.
You can easily get the token with a low entry barrier by staking pools. But, it comes with the risk of delegating all node operations to a third party and a fee for the services. Though you can be accountable for your stakes, you are not sovereign with your choices.
One needs to remember that as the risk involved in staking and the fee charged is more, thorough research of the pool, its advantages, and disadvantages must be done before investing or depositing your ETH.