He said solo stakers might be the key to keeping Ethereum safe and secure in the long run. Let’s break down what this means and why it’s important. But first, let’s define what is a solo staker.

What Are Solo Stakers and Why Does This Matter? Imagine Ethereum is like a big, bustling city. In this city, solo stakers are like the neighborhood watch—each person looking out for their block. Solo stakers are individuals who stake their own $ETH rather than letting big institutions or companies handle it. They’re like the little engine that keeps the Ethereum network decentralized and safe. Here is a staking survey report that shows important stats:

The 2024 Staking Survey report is published ✔️

Interesting tidbits about respondents:
- 32% are genesis stakers
- 74% do not work in crypto
- 62% indicated that they have no plans to exit

Take a guess on the % that are male (spoiler in the report)https://t.co/ltQfB0Yopi

— EthStaker 🦇🔊 (@ethStaker) July 3, 2024

When people stake Ethereum, they are putting their digital money on the line to help keep the network running smoothly. By staking individually, they make sure that no single big player can take over the whole network. Think of it like a big, delicious pie—if only one person had all the slices, they could decide to take the whole pie for themselves.

But if many people have a slice, the pie stays shared and fair. Solo stakers help keep Ethereum’s “pie” shared, which makes it tougher for anyone to control or attack the network.

What Did Vitalik Say?

Vitalik Buterin pointed out that even if only a small part of all Ethereum is staked by solo stakers, it still makes a big difference. He suggested that Ethereum should raise the finalization threshold.

This is a bit like making the goalposts a little higher to make scoring a touchdown tougher. By doing this, it would encourage more people to stake on their own and make the network even more secure

How Will This Help Ethereum? Vitalik believes that supporting and rewarding solo stakers is a smart move. It’s like planting seeds in a garden—you have to take care of them to help them grow. By giving more support to these solo stakers, Ethereum can make sure the network remains strong and safe for everyone who uses it.

As Ethereum keeps growing and changing, making sure these solo stakers are motivated and supported will be key to keeping the network secure and reliable.