Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has proposed integrating distributed validator technology (DVT) into the blockchain’s staking system, suggesting it could simplify the process and enhance the underlying infrastructure.
In a post to the Ethereum Research forum on Wednesday, Buterin outlined the concept of “native DVT,” which would allow Ether stakers to participate without relying entirely on a single node.
Currently, Ethereum validators operate one node each to help secure the blockchain, leaving them vulnerable to penalties if the node goes offline.
With DVT, a validator’s key could be used across multiple nodes, lowering the risk of downtime and associated penalties.
“The key is secret-shared across a few nodes, and all signatures are threshold signed,” Buterin explained, adding that the setup ensures the node functions correctly as long as more than two out of three nodes “are honest.”
Buterin noted that several existing protocols use DVT, but he said they “do not do full-on consensus inside each validator, so they offer slightly weaker guarantees, though they are considerably simpler.”
Arguing that DVT should be implemented directly at the protocol level, Buterin proposed a “surprisingly simple alternative: we enshrine DVT into the protocol.”
Under his design, a validator could create up to 16 keys, or “virtual identities,” which act independently but are treated as a single entity by the blockchain. This “group identity” only executes an action, such as proposing a block, if a minimum number of its virtual identities sign off, with rewards or penalties determined by the majority’s actions.
“This design is extremely simple from the perspective of a user,” Buterin said, explaining that DVT staking would essentially involve running multiple copies of a standard client node.
He added that the approach could benefit security-conscious stakers holding large amounts of ETH, allowing them to stake more securely without relying on a single node. By enabling users to stake their own tokens more easily instead of depending on providers, the proposal could also enhance staking decentralization.
Buterin’s latest proposal follows other ideas he has floated to make Ethereum more user-friendly. However, he noted that it will require further discussion and debate before it could be adopted on the network.
