A year on from the Merge, however, centralization remains one of Ethereum’s biggest challenges. To stake on Ethereum, a validator needs to lock up 32 ETH, or roughly $50,000 with the network – funds that earn a steady stream of interest, but can be revoked if a validator errs or acts dishonestly. Setting up a validator node to stake on the network can also be a complicated task, meaning financial penalties can result if things are set up improperly.
