A staking pool combines many holders' tokens to run validators collectively — splitting costs, minimums, and rewards proportionally. Exchange pools, liquid staking protocols, and community pools are the three flavors; all solve the same problem: most holders can't (or won't) run infrastructure. Why it matters Pools are decentralization's double edge: they let small holders participate and earn — while concentrating the network's actual validating power in a few giant operators. Lido-scale pools controlling a third of staked ETH are the textbook case. Pool with awareness: spread across operators, prefer smaller independent ones, and watch concentration metrics, not just APY. Related terms staking · delegation · validator
A staking pool combines many holders’ tokens to run validators collectively — splitting costs, minimums, and rewards proportionally. Exchange pools, liquid staking protocols, and community pools are the three flavors; all solve the same problem: most holders can’t (or won’t) run infrastructure.
Why it matters
Pools are decentralization’s double edge: they let small holders participate and earn — while concentrating the network’s actual validating power in a few giant operators. Lido-scale pools controlling a third of staked ETH are the textbook case. Pool with awareness: spread across operators, prefer smaller independent ones, and watch concentration metrics, not just APY.