On September 4 at 15:15 UTC one of our collators stopped syncing and due to an error in the monitoring rules the incident went unnoticed. As a result of this the collator did not produce blocks for a period of 27 hours.
An error was made in one of the many rules of our monitoring system. When writing this rule, we mistakenly used the wrong metric to determine the status of the collator in the candidate list. As a result, when the collator stopped synchronizing, the engineering team did not receive any notifications about the incident.
Delegators who nominated and had their staked allocated to this collator did not receive rewards for a period of 4 rounds.
Unfortunately, we received information about the incident from an external source, which is unacceptable.
After receiving information about the incident, the failed collator was promptly restored as soon as possible and began to produce blocks.
We are going to implement strict checks and audits of all our monitoring rules. We are also in the process of automating testing of monitoring rules as much as possible before applying them to the production environment.
P2P takes full responsibility for the event that led to the weak performance and we are sorry for the inconvenience. Please be assured that we are taking actions to eliminate even a small probability of such an event occurring in the future.
About P2P Validator
P2P Validator is a world-leading staking provider with the best industry security practices and proven expertise. We provide comprehensive due-diligence of digital assets and offer only high class staking opportunities. At the time of the latest update, more than 1.5 billion USD value is staked with P2P Validator by over 25,000 delegators across 40+ networks.
If you have any questions, feel free to join our Telegram chat, we are always open for communication.
<!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h1 id="table-of-contents">Table of Contents</h1> <ul> <li><span style=" font-size:16px"> Ethereum 2.0 staking - The Beginners Guide </span> <ul> <li><a href="#T1"><span style=" font-size:16px"> What Is Ethereum 2.0?</span></a></li> <li><a href="#T2"><span style=" font-size:16px"> What Is Ethereum 2.0 (ETH) Staking?</span></a></li> <li><a href="#T3"><span style=" font-size:16px">Why Stake Ethereum for Ethereum 2.0?</span></a></li> <li><a href="#T4"><span style=" font-size:16px">How Does Ethereum 2.0 (ETH) Staking Work?</span></a></li> <li><a href="#T5"><span style=" font-size:16px"> Ethereum 2.0 (ETH) Staking Rewards & Fees</span></a></li> <li><a href="#T6"><span style=" font-size:16px"> How Much Do You Make Staking Ethereum?</span></a> <ul> <li><a href="#T7"><span style=" font-size:16px"> When do I get my staking rewards?</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="#T8"><span style=" font-size:16px"> How do I Track My ETH 2.0 Staking Rewards?</span></a></li> <li><a href="#T9"><span style=" font-size:16px"> Unstaking Period Ethereum (ETH)</span></a></li> <li><a href="#T10"><span style=" font-size:16px"> How to Stake Ethereum (ETH)?</span></a> <ul> <li><a href="#T11"><span style=" font-size:16px"> Solo Staking</span></a></li> <li><a href="#T12"><span style=" font-size:16px"> Staking as a Service</span></a></li> <li><a href="#T13"><span style=" font-size:16px"> Pooled Staking</span></a></li> <li><a href="#T14"><span style=" font-size:16px"> Centralized Exchanges</span></a></li> <li><a href="#T15"><span style=" font-size:16px"> Why Stake Ethereum with P2P?</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="#T16"><span style=" font-size:16px"> Possible Risks of Staking ETH</span></a> <ul> <li><a href="#T17"><span style=" font-size:16px"> What Will Ethereum 2.0 Value Be?</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="#T18"><span style=" font-size:16px"> Conclusion</span></a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="#T19"><span style=" font-size:16px"> ETH 2.0 Staking FAQ</span></a> <ul> <li><a href="#T20"><span style=" font-size:16px"> What is Ethereum?</span></a></li> <li><a href="#T21"><span style=" font-size:16px"> What is the Ethereum staking APR?</span></a></li> <li><a href="#T22"><span style=" font-size:16px"> How often are staking rewards distributed?</span></a></li> <li><a href="#T23"><span style=" font-size:16px"> Is there an unstaking period?</span></a></li> <li><a href="#T24"><span style=" font-size:16px"> Is there a slashing risk for validators?</span></a></li> <li><a href="#T25"><span style=" font-size:16px"> Is there a minimum staking amount for Ethereum?</span></a></li> <li><a href="#T26"><span style=" font-size:16px"> Do staking rewards compound?</span></a></li> <li><a href="#T27"><span style=" font-size:16px"> What is the Ethereum inflation rate?</span></a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>The Ethereum ecosystem has been gaining immense popularity in the last few years. This blockchain platform hosts a variety of DeFi projects and NFTs, while its native coin, ETH, remains the second largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. Ethereum Foundation, the non-profit organization that supports this system, continuously attempts to improve the Ethereum network, making it more scalable, sustainable, and secure. </p><p>One of the most significant changes that Ethereum is undergoing now is the introduction of Ethereum 2.0, which implies a switch from the Proof-of-Work (PoW) to the Proof-of-Stake (PoS) protocol. This upgrade is aimed at solving the problem of fast-growing transaction costs (aka gas costs) and colossal energy consumption by shifting from mining to a staking mechanism. In this article, we will dive deeper into Ethereum 2.0, outline its key features, and provide you with all the important details on how to stake Ethereum (ETH).</p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h2 id="what-is-ethereum-20a-namet1a">What is Ethereum 2.0?<a name="T1"></a></h2> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/SFTx3GHk7QKfs9OyQyk6Y8wLw6LZZPGQJpvB9Cau4pAJi_v5imj0zEDCnelYD_YSPqTbIrq8wtMTNCNcZ_pGM8H98Ka9JQd1zY_i70USWJhNTGAFpeE4nt_r4Mtn9YSRerWeULV3T4ySwdfCKcST2wA" class="kg-image" alt loading="lazy"></figure><p>Ethereum 2.0 (also called Serenity or ETH2) is a number of updates planned by the Ethereum Foundation which are going to result in the ETH network moving from the PoW to PoS consensus protocol. The primary goal of this major network improvement is to solve the issues of scalability, high transaction fees, and energy consumption that have been plaguing Ethereum (ETH) since its inception. <br>The Ethereum Foundation has been working on these long-awaited upgrades for several years now. The first change happened in 2020 when the Beacon Chain was introduced. It opened the possibility of ETH staking. Another upgrade called “The Merge” is planned to occur in 2022. This step will unite ETH1 (the execution layer) and ETH2 (the consensus layer) into one network. The total shift to the Proof-of-Stake mechanism is expected to finish in 2023 - 2024.<br></p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h2 id="what-is-ethereum-20-eth-staking-a-namet2a">What is Ethereum 2.0 (ETH) Staking? <a name="T2"></a></h2> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>The Proof-of-Work (PoW) consensus algorithm used by the current Ethereum ecosystem implies that miners validate transactions and add new blocks to the blockchain in exchange for rewards paid in ETH. <em>Although this approach has proven to be secure, it has some significant pitfalls. <br></em></p><ol><li><em><strong>Huge energy consumption.</strong> PoW is quite resource-intensive as it requires expensive hardware and a lot of electricity to power it. <br></em></li><li><em><strong>Ever-growing gas costs.</strong> As the network expands, the transaction fees increase. <br></em></li><li><em><strong>Limited scalability. </strong>The current Ethereum network can only process around 15 transactions per second.</em></li></ol><p><br>These issues can be resolved as soon as the Proof-of-Stake mechanism comes out. PoS is a much more efficient and eco-friendly way of validating transactions and adding new blocks to the blockchain. In this approach, instead of mining, there is a staking process in which users stake their Ethereum to validate transactions and earn rewards. As there is no need for expensive hardware or enormous amounts of electricity, PoS is much cheaper and more sustainable than PoW. <em>Moreover, as stakers can validate transactions much faster, Ethereum’s scalability will also improve.</em></p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h2 id="why-stake-ethereum-for-ethereum-20-a-namet3a">Why stake Ethereum for Ethereum 2.0? <a name="T3"></a></h2> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>Every ETH holder might wonder why it’s worth staking. Let’s consider the core reasons.</p><ol><li><strong>Extra income.</strong> Staking is a great way to earn passive returns. As long as you keep your ETH staked, you will continue to receive a percentage of rewards.</li><li><strong>Ethereum network development.</strong> This is one of the ways to support the Ethereum ecosystem and its shifting to the PoS consensus algorithm. If you stake your ETH, you help to secure the network and make it more scalable.</li><li><strong>Sustainability.</strong> Staking is eco-friendly. Unlike mining, it doesn’t require heavy energy consumption.</li><li><strong>Easy to start.</strong> Anyone with a computer can become a staker. It’s not necessary to have expensive hardware or much capital to get started.</li></ol><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h2 id="how-does-ethereum-20-eth-staking-work-a-namet4a">How does Ethereum 2.0 (ETH) Staking work? <a name="T4"></a></h2> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>ETH staking implies adding new blocks to the Ethereum blockchain. A user must deposit 32 ETH to become a full validator who is responsible for processing transactions, storing data, and adding blocks. The reward is earned for correctly validated transactions. If a validator submits fraudulent transactions or breaks the network rules, they are punished with a process known as slashing, which means that they could lose part of their investment and be kicked out of the ETH ecosystem.</p><p>There are some alternative ways to participate in staking. If a user doesn’t want to get into the details of this reward-earning approach or deal with hardware, they could make use of staking-as-a-service. For users who are limited in capital, there is an option of pooled staking. However, it’s crucial to remember that these techniques come with certain risks, especially related to the counterparty.</p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h2 id="ethereum-20-eth-staking-rewards-fees-a-namet5a">Ethereum 2.0 (ETH) Staking Rewards & Fees <a name="T5"></a></h2> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>In staking, the amount of the reward is variable. It depends on factors such as the total amount of ETH staked, the length of time it is staked for, and the overall inflation rate. For example, if you stake your ETH for a shorter period, you will receive less reward than if you stake it for a longer time. However, as long as you keep your ETH staked, you will continue to receive rewards regularly. Most commonly, users who stake their ETH take a reward of about 8% Annual Percentage Rate (APR). This means that if you stake 1 Ethereum, you will have 1.08 ETH at the end of the year.<br>When it comes to the fees, everything depends on the platform the staker is using. The amount can greatly vary. For example, Lido takes 10% for ETH staking, Coinbase has a 25% fee, while <a href="https://p2p.org/networks/ethereum?ref=p2p.org">P2P</a> charges a 10% fee.</p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h2 id="how-much-do-you-make-staking-ethereum-a-namet6a">How Much Do You Make Staking Ethereum? <a name="T6"></a></h2> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>As previously mentioned, the amount of money that can be earned from staking Ethereum can vary depending on several factors. The size of the reward is impacted by the amount of ETH that is being staked - the more ETH, the higher the potential reward. Another important factor to take into account is the time the Ethereum is being staked for - a longer period will typically result in more significant profits. In addition, it is also important to consider the current interest rate on Ethereum. The higher it is, the more money can be earned from staking this cryptocurrency. Currently, the average reward from ETH staking fluctuates between 3% - 8% paid annually.</p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h3 id="when-do-i-get-my-staking-rewards-a-namet7a">When do I get my staking rewards? <a name="T7"></a></h3> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>An Ethereum staker gets a reward after each epoch, which usually lasts 6.5 minutes on average. However, it’s important to note that the user should be active during this time to receive it, meaning that they should be online and validating.</p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h2 id="how-do-i-track-my-eth-20-staking-rewards-a-namet8a">How Do I Track My ETH 2.0 Staking Rewards? <a name="T8"></a></h2> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>To track Ethereum staking rewards, the user needs to find their staking address. It’s possible to do it in two ways:</p><ul><li>Find it via transaction history in the blockchain explorer (a tool that allows users to view information about a particular blockchain).<br></li><li>Get the staking address from the wallet and then insert it in the blockchain explorer to find the related information.</li></ul><p>Overall, the process of tracking your ETH 2.0 staking rewards is relatively simple and can be done using either a blockchain explorer or one of the multiple tools that help to track rewards.</p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h2 id="unstaking-period-for-ethereum-eth-a-namet9a">Unstaking period for Ethereum (ETH) <a name="T9"></a></h2> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>The unstaking or undelegation period is the time users must wait to withdraw their ETH if they want to stop staking. This period is required to ensure that all the rewards that have been earned are properly distributed. <br><br>On Ethereum, it is currently not possible to unstake your assets, once they are staked. Withdrawal of staked assets will be enabled in 2023 with the Shanghai upgrade. The unstaking period is variable and depends on how much ETH is queued to be unstaked at the time.</p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h2 id="how-to-stake-ethereum-a-namet10a">How to stake Ethereum? <a name="T10"></a></h2> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>There are a few different ways a user can stake Ethereum. Let’s have a look at them.</p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h3 id="solo-staking-a-namet11a">Solo staking <a name="T11"></a></h3> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>Solo staking means that users stake their ETH and do not pool it with others. This approach comes with the maximum reward since it is not shared with other users. For this type of staking, it’s necessary to invest 32 ETH and have a robust computer with a constant internet connection.</p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h3 id="staking-as-a-service-a-namet12a">Staking as a service <a name="T12"></a></h3> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>This is an easier way for users to participate in staking without having to set up their own validators or run any special software. Instead, they simply deposit their ETH into the provider's smart contract. This model allows for earning rewards without having to bear the full costs and risks of running a validator node. Although Ethereum staking service providers typically charge a small fee, this is often offset by the higher rewards that they offer.</p><p>Staking as a service exists in three forms: custodial, semi-custodial, and non-custodial.<br></p><ul><li><strong>Custodial service providers</strong> completely manage the staking process. They own the users’ validator and withdrawal keys.</li><li><strong>Semi-custodial service providers</strong> don’t hold users’ withdrawal keys, and thus don’t have access to the customer funds, but they do hold users' validator keys.</li><li><strong>Non-custodial service providers</strong> allow users to earn interest on their Ethereum holdings without having to give up control of their private keys.<br></li></ul><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h3 id="pooled-staking-a-namet13a">Pooled Staking <a name="T13"></a></h3> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>Pooled staking is when users pool their Ethereum together to have a better chance of validating blocks and earning rewards. This is a great way for users to earn rewards without having to stake 32 ETH. However, it’s crucial to remember that it’s not a native staking method, and thus it comes with increased third-party risks.</p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h3 id="centralized-exchanges-a-namet14a">Centralized Exchanges <a name="T14"></a></h3> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>This staking method has gained particular popularity among ETH holders. A centralized exchange is a suitable choice for users who don’t feel comfortable holding Ethereum in their wallets and managing their keys. Although centralized exchanges typically offer higher rewards than other methods of staking, they also come with the risk of losing ETH if the exchange is hacked or becomes insolvent.</p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h3 id="why-stake-ethereum-with-p2p-a-namet15a">Why stake Ethereum with P2P? <a name="T15"></a></h3> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p><a href="https://p2p.org/networks/ethereum?ref=p2p.org">P2P</a> provides non-custodial services for Ethereum (ETH) staking. As previously mentioned, this means that users keep full control of their assets and the platform doesn’t have access to their private keys. </p><p><a href="https://p2p.org/?ref=p2p.org">P2P</a> is a cutting-edge solution that provides its customers with top-notch security, transparency, and strong community support. When it comes to ETH staking rewards and fees, after The Merge, it offers its users a ~8% APR and charges a 10% validator fee. By staking before The Merge, a 0.1 ETH flat fee is charged for every 32 ETH.</p><p>New and existing clients can benefit from a 0% validator fee per quarter when staking more than 320 ETH.<br>P2P is one of the leading Node Operators at LIDO, running thousands of nodes for almost 2 years. By opting for this ETH staking solution, users receive high-quality service and 24/7 expert account monitoring and support.</p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h2 id="possible-risks-of-staking-eth-a-namet16a">Possible risks of staking ETH <a name="T16"></a></h2> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/yboZPMkuwLYbqf0ogKAcgMLlQMbdiWl3y1A9VodxcUbzSvlxLMzwm247h7hwtclbKy8sSqlyjlilukqMcr-f-fs97vBjqoU6ZSijj6cUtQQfkqhyuNXtb9fcMaExSJqjp8lcqZgpyrOwX-aHiv2mqcI" class="kg-image" alt loading="lazy"></figure><p>If you decide to stake your ETH, it’s important to be aware of the risks related to this approach. Let’s have a look at the most significant ones:<br></p><ol><li><strong>Unclear price of ETH 2.0.</strong> The value of Ethereum 2.0 will undoubtedly differ from the current Ethereum price. If it goes down, you will still earn rewards for staking, but the overall value of your investment will decrease. However, if Ethereum 2.0 turns out to be successful, its value is likely to increase along with your potential rewards.<br></li><li><strong>Unstaking.</strong> Users will not be able to withdraw their staked Ethereum by the time Ethereum 2.0 is completely released. This could take a couple of years. Currently, the Ethereum Foundation has scheduled the terminal stage for 2023-2024.<br></li><li><strong>Slashing.</strong> This is the risk of losing some funds. Slashing is a penalty imposed on stakers who fail to comply with the network rules or validate fraudulent transactions.<br></li><li><strong>Private key loss.</strong> If a user loses their private keys, they will not be able to access their ETH, and thus will not be able to earn rewards.<br></li></ol><p>While all these risks are possible, they are also relatively unlikely if you are well aware of the features and limitations of this approach.</p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h3 id="what-will-ethereum-20-value-be-a-namet17a">What will Ethereum 2.0 Value Be? <a name="T17"></a></h3> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>Different crypto experts have various expectations about the Ethereum price in the short- and long-term perspective. However, the majority of them agree that the improvements related to Ethereum 2.0 will push this crypto to enter a bullish market. </p><p><a href="https://coinpedia.org/information/market-price-prediction-ethereum-2019/?ref=p2p.org">Coinpedia</a> expects Ethereum to be traded at about $5,000 at the end of 2023. Moreover, if the ETH 2.0 release turns out to be successful, the value of this crypto could hit a maximum of around $11,000 in 2025.<br><br><a href="https://coinpriceforecast.com/ethereum-forecast-2020-2025-2030?ref=p2p.org">Coin Price forecast</a> also has a positive forecast for the Ethereum price. However, it’s more reserved. This platform believes that ETH will reach the level of about $2,200 by the end of 2022 and will continue growing, approaching $2,800 in 2025.</p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h2 id="conclusion-a-namet18a">Conclusion <a name="T18"></a></h2> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>Ethereum staking could be a great way of gaining extra income. Moreover, this process, in contrast to mining, comes with significantly improved scalability, security, and sustainability. However, before making any decision, it’s crucial to be aware of the risks involved. One of the main issues to take into account is that users will not able to withdraw their staked Ethereum by the time Ethereum 2.0 is completely released.<br><br>If you decide that the advantages of this approach outweigh its potential risks, you need to choose among the several possible ways to stake Ethereum and commence your journey.</p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h1 id="eth-20-staking-faq-a-namet19a">ETH 2.0 Staking FAQ <a name="T19"></a></h1> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h2 id="what-is-ethereuma-namet20a">What is Ethereum?<a name="T20"></a></h2> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>Ethereum is a decentralized, open-source blockchain featuring smart contract functionality. Its native token, ETH, is the second largest crypto by market cap after Bitcoin. Ethereum is a unique platform that serves as a home for many decentralized applications and NFTs. Currently, the network is undergoing some significant changes which will result in shifting from a Proof-of-Work to a Proof-of-Stake mechanism.</p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h2 id="what-is-the-ethereum-staking-apr-a-namet21a">What is the Ethereum staking APR? <a name="T21"></a></h2> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>In Ethereum staking, the reward may vary depending on the amount of ETH invested, the time it is staked for, the inflation rate, and more. However, the average Ethereum staking yield is about 5.4%.</p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h2 id="how-often-are-staking-rewards-distributed-a-namet22a">How often are staking rewards distributed? <a name="T22"></a></h2> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>Ethereum staking rewards are distributed by stakers every 24 hours. The amount of the rewards depends on the number of ETH tokens staked, the time they are staked for, inflation, and more. However, typically it is around 4% per year.</p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h2 id="is-there-an-unstaking-period-a-namet23a">Is there an unstaking period? <a name="T23"></a></h2> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>Unstaking Ethereum or any other crypto means taking these coins out of the staking pool. There is no unstaking period in the Ethereum network, and your tokens will be transferable immediately upon unstaking. Note that once you have unstaked your coins, they are no longer eligible for staking rewards.</p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h2 id="is-there-a-slashing-risk-for-validators-a-namet24a">Is there a slashing risk for validators? <a name="T24"></a></h2> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>Yes, there is such a risk. Slashing is a type of punishment imposed on users who don’t comply with network regulations or submit fraudulent transactions. This could result in a user losing some of their funds or even being kicked out of the network.</p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h2 id="is-there-a-minimum-staking-amount-for-ethereum-a-namet25a">Is there a minimum staking amount for Ethereum? <a name="T25"></a></h2> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>In general, there is no minimum amount to stake Ethereum. However, there could be some minimum requirements set by individual staking pools. P2P users don’t have to provide any minimum ETH staking amount.</p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h2 id="do-staking-rewards-compound-a-namet26a">Do staking rewards compound? <a name="T26"></a></h2> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>No, Ethereum staking rewards don't compound; most smart contracts do not allow for compounding rewards. This means that users cannot gain interest on their interest.</p><!--kg-card-begin: markdown--><h2 id="what-is-the-ethereum-inflation-rate-a-namet27a">What is the Ethereum inflation rate? <a name="T27"></a></h2> <!--kg-card-end: markdown--><p>The annual Ethereum supply is limited to 18,000,000. This means that its inflation rate has to decrease each year. As a result, in 2022, Ethereum inflation dropped from 1.10% to 0.51% during the first quarter.</p><p></p><p></p>
from p2p validator
<h3></h3><p>At first, Cardano might appear to have a complicated staking system, but in reality it's quite simple. In this article we will begin by outlining Cardano’s staking architecture before moving on to the key factors about validator pools that will affect your Return-on-Assets (ROA). By the end of this article, you will be able to confidently select a validator pool that is the right fit for you. <br></p><h2 id="staking-architecture">Staking Architecture</h2><p>To get a better understanding of the whole staking architecture, let's first start with how rewards are generated. Within each epoch, fees from network operations and new emissions are collected into a fund. Part of these collected assets goes to the Cardano treasury, while the rest is distributed to validators and delegators as a reward for their commitment to securing the network through staking. <br><br>The validator's role is to secure the network. They are responsible for confirming the validity of new blocks of transactions which are then added to the network's ledger. Every time a new block is added to the ledger, validators are rewarded with staking rewards. </p><p>Cardano token holders can earn staking rewards by delegating their ADA assets to one of the many available validator pools. By delegating your ADA to a validator pool, you are providing this validator with your tokens rights to participate in the validation of blocks. Validators will redistribute their earnings to their delegators pro rata to their stake. </p><p>A validator's probability to be allocated a block to produce, depends on a number of factors. <strong>Pool saturation, </strong>which refers to how much stake a particular pool has,<strong> </strong>is the most important factor when it comes to allocation of new blocks. The higher the pool saturation, the higher is the amount staked in the pool. The greater a pool's stake is, the more blocks will be allocated to them. If the pool does not have enough stake to be allocated a new block, it can take as long as 5 or 50 epochs before they will produce a block. <br><br>So what factors are important to take into consideration when selecting the right validator pool? Below we explain the several key factors to take into account.</p><h2 id="important-factors-when-selecting-a-validator-pool"><br>Important factors when selecting a validator pool<br></h2><h3 id="pool-saturation">Pool saturation </h3><p>The Cardano staking architecture was created in a way that pool saturation does not have a significant effect on ROA in the long run. <br><br>Pools with larger stakes will have more blocks allocated to them and therefore will generate more rewards, but they will also have to distribute it amongst more delegated stake. Smaller pools will produce blocks less often, but will generate a high return to their delegators when they do. <br><br>One has to consider their strategy when deciding which pool to select: Whether they would rather choose a pool with high saturation that will produce more blocks and distribute rewards more evenly and frequently, or choose a less saturated pool that will produce fewer blocks but distribute greater rewards when it does. </p><p>However, in order to promote decentralisation, the Cardano protocol has a cap on the amount of rewards a validator's pool can receive. Therefore, if a pool is <em><strong>oversaturated</strong></em>, the rewards received for producing blocks will have to distribute between all the ADA that was delegated to that pool. This leads to lower rewards per each ADA delegation. The current oversaturation limit is 64 million ADA.</p><h3 id="pool-fees-margin"><br>Pool Fees (Margin)</h3><p>Validators may charge a fee (margin) for maintaining its pools, keeping a percentage of all rewards received. The usual margin for public pools is between 1 and 3%, which has a very low impact on rewards. For example, even if you stake 1 million ADA on nodes with 0% and 1% commission (let’s take average nodes with 50% saturation), the difference in rewards between them will be about 5-10 ADA per epoch. <br><br>Do note that validators can set the fee up to 100%, so it is important to check that the commission is not set too high.</p><h3 id="pledge">Pledge</h3><p>A pledge is an amount of assets self-bonded by the validator intended to remain staked to its pool for as long as it operates. It can affect ROA, but only very slightly. Below we will take a look at an example.</p><p>As an illustration, let's look at the change in the possible ROA depending on the pool parameters:</p><p>Let's imagine we have three pools, each with a saturation of 30 million ADA. Each of them has the following pledge values:</p><p>Pool 1 - 10,000 ADA, </p><p>Pool 2 - 100,000 ADA </p><p>Pool 3 - 1,000,000 ADA</p><p>If you were to stake 10 million ADA, you would get the following ROA on each pool:</p><p>Pool 1 - 3.958%</p><p>Pool 2 - 3.960%</p><p>Pool 3 - 3.982%<br></p><p>As we can see, although there is a difference, it is not significant.<br></p><h3 id="luck">Luck </h3><p>Luck reflects the protocol randomness in the allocation of blocks. When a pool gets allocated more blocks to generate than expected, the luck metric is greater than 100%. If a pool gets allocated less blocks than it would be expected then that number is less than 100%.</p><p>Pools experience this metric every epoch regardless of their size and it is completely random, so smaller pools will see swings between 0% and 100% during long streaks, whereas larger pools will see higher returns in the same period. Over a long enough period of time, the expected APY on rewards will average towards the network expected value.</p><p>It's important to keep in mind that block allocation is calculated on the basis of statistics. If a pool has gotten more than it's expected share of blocks in the past, future block allocations will be lower and vice-versa. </p><h2 id="reliability-and-reputation">Reliability and Reputation</h2><p>Since Pool Saturation, Pledge and Luck do not have a significant impact on ROA in the long run on pools with similar fees, the main consideration a delegator needs to have when selecting a validator pool is the validator’s reliability. In case of failures, errors, etc., no blocks will be created and consequently no participant will receive any reward. So when choosing a pool, this decision should be made responsibly to be sure that the infrastructure is maintained without failures. You can analyse validators' historical performances on <a href="https://adapools.org/?ref=p2p.org">explorers.</a></p><p><br>Let's take an example with one of P2P’s pools. Using the following <a href="https://adapools.org/pool/c29c92f8319150962650bc8a5e24d918491e8a7b3ac43525afe76baa?ref=p2p.org">link</a> to the explorer, you can verify the performance and configurations of P2P. You can see that the saturation is less than half, it has a margin of 0%, a pledge of 1M ADA and it has a ROA of around 4-5%.</p><figure class="kg-card kg-image-card"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/LpTAxAlKIXJyY-JI_abbpO_Ryo6M6V7qFNqtWhm8R38oGMdFWGWaECyyyAda8xus17qRz2gNsNFqWd3DnSb7RVFYJD9BqKLIwHsnMWlb-wpaKGcn5E8sEd0_DsCA-QfkeEOSQ2siZnDtTORjzn53FXsCYIPyXN0XJTHeWRf0aep6JQhPG4p2m2QmfQ" class="kg-image" alt loading="lazy"></figure><p>Delegating to a public node is not the only way to stake. Many experienced validators, including P2P, provide the option to maintain a whitelabel node for large token holders. Essentially, a team would be responsible for maintaining the node, but it would be managed and owned by the token holder. In other words, a DevOps team would solve all the technical issues, whereas the owner would control the margin, marketing, etc. </p><h2 id="takeaways">Takeaways</h2><p>The Cardano staking architecture was designed in a way to provide all well performing staking pools with similar profitability opportunities, regardless of the size of their stake. Therefore, when selecting a public node, the most important consideration is the fee, the stability and reliability of the validator. Validators with low up time, or in cases where technical failures occur, may miss blocks and as a result delegators will lose out on potential rewards.<br></p><hr><h3 id="about-p2p-validator"><strong>About P2P Validator</strong></h3><p><a href="https://p2p.org/?ref=p2p.org">P2P Validator</a> is a world-leading staking provider with the best industry security practices and proven expertise. We provide comprehensive due-diligence of digital assets and offer only high class staking opportunities. At the time of the latest update, more than 1.5 billion USD value is staked with P2P Validator by over 25,000 delegators across 40+ networks.</p><p><em>If you have any questions, feel free to join our<a href="https://t.me/P2Pstaking?ref=p2p.org"> Telegram chat</a>, we are always open for communication.</em></p>
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