Deniz 
Leading Ethereum wallet and browser plugin MetaMask has started its pooled staking service, letting users stake any quantity of ETH.
MetaMask’s Pooled Staking Explained
On the proof-of-stake network, Ethereum staking is the process by which validators engage in consensus, therefore verifying transactions before they are included in the blockchain. They get rewards if their nodes handle online blocks of transaction processing allotted blocks. Should they fail, they could see their staked ETH reduced as a punishment.
But users require 32 ETH to become validators—a criteria that 99% of holders fall short of, MetaMask noted in its press statement.
MetaMask users will be able to stake any amount of ETH and get rewards for helping the network remain secure by means of pooled staking. A limited number of people now use the service; a wider rollout is expected not too far off.
Still, it won’t first be found in the United States or the United Kingdom.
The U.S. staking service crackdown has been really severe. The Securities and Exchange Commission fined Kraken $30 million in a settlement in 2023 on claims that its crypto staking service amounted to an unregistered offering of securities. After the SEC leveled identical accusations against the San Francisco-based cryptocurrency exchange, Coinbase’s staking program was cut off.
Global Staking Distribution and Market Impact
Some Ethereum users have taken the lack of clarity or governmental pressure as a chance to further distribute the network. As it stands, the U.S. accounts for 50% of all validator nodes on the network, followed by Germany with 12%, South Korea with 6%, and the UK with 4%, according to Etherscan.
Senior product manager Matthieu Saint Olive of Consensys, the firm behind Metamask, underlined the simplicity and control the new solution provided. “MetaMask users now have an easy way to stake ETH in enterprise-grade validators while maintaining full control of their ETH, earning rewards, and making Ethereum more secure,” he stated.
MetaMask’s pooled staking is powered by Consensys Staking, which maintains over 33,000 Ethereum validators and more than 1 million ETH staked. The business claimed in its press release that it has a 99.9% validator participation rate and zero cut validators.
MetaMask’s entry into pooled staking positions it against existing companies like Lido and Coinbase, which still provide staking services both worldwide and in various U.S. states. Together, the two providers own approximately 45% of the 33 million ETH—worth $116 billion at the time of writing—that has been committed on the network.
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