The Ethereum Foundation is testing a method of managing validators that could make it much easier for institutions holding large amounts of ether to set up staking infrastructure, expanding the pool of participants and creating a more decentralized network.
In an article on The experiment aims to make running validators on multiple machines less complicated.
Buterin said the goal is to reduce the process to something close to a one-click setup, where operators choose which computers will run the validator nodes, launch the software and enter the same key on each machine. The system would then automatically connect the nodes and begin staking.
“My hope for this project is that we can make distributed staking as simple and one-click as possible for institutions,” Buterin wrote.
Today, running Ethereum validators typically means operating a single node containing the key used to sign blocks and participate in the network. If this machine crashes or goes offline, the validator may stop working and be penalized.
Distributed validator technology (DVT) changes this by allowing multiple independent machines to collectively act as a single validator. Instead of relying on a key and a computer, multiple nodes work together and only a few of them sign for the validator to work. This means that the validator can continue to work even if some machines fail.
But existing DVT systems can be complicated to deploy because operators must coordinate networking, keys, and communication between nodes. Buterin has previously argued that complexity is one of the reasons why large staking providers have come to dominate the ecosystem.
The “DVT-lite” setup aims to automate much of this process, making it easier for institutions to run distributed validators with minimal infrastructure expertise.
Buterin said he plans to use the system himself and hopes that large ETH holders will adopt similar setups, helping to expand control of Ethereum’s staking infrastructure to more operators rather than concentrating it among a handful of professional providers.
“The idea that ‘managing infrastructure’ is a scary, complicated thing where every person involved has to be a ‘professional’ is horrible and anti-decentralization, and we need to attack it directly,” he wrote.
Read more: Vitalik Buterin Proposes Simpler “Distributed Validator” Staking for Ethereum
