DVStakers - Grant Proposal

[Eridian]

About DVStakers

DVStakers is an educational initiative around all things DVT with a growing global network of solo stakers, running Ethereum nodes, and DVT validators.

DVStakers was formed during ETHDenver in March 2023 by long-time ETHStaker contributors Eridian and Spacesider. In a space that is becoming increasingly more competitive, we are a neutral unbiased voice.

Website: https://www.dvstakers.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DVStakers

What we’ve accomplished

• Creating and maintaining the DVStakers.com website educational and technical content
  • This site provides in-depth technical tutorials and explanations of how to set up a DVT node running the currently available DVT protocols
• Setting up an Ethereum DVT validators in Kenya
  • These are the first mainnet Ethereum nodes running in central Africa
  • Kenya Node Presentation - Lido Node Operator Community Call #9
• Running Obol and SSV DVT validators on testnet
  • Working directly with the protocol teams to debug, test and monitor the clusters
  • Testing different hardware solutions including low cost Raspberry Pi machines
  • We’ve found that DVStakers provide unique insight for development teams that mainly test in data centers and do not always consider (or are not even aware) of the struggles and challenges faced by home stakers
• Participating in Lido’s DVT trials with Obol and SSV
  • As some of the community stakers involved in these trials, the DVStakers input was useful in supporting the solo staker case to Lido
• Supporting Dappnode to test and develop their DVT packages
  • Integrating DVT protocols in packages on Dappnode machines is important for the technology to be able to scale to less technical users
  • DVStakers discussed and pushed the idea of running multiple DVT clients on a single machine and allowing users to be part of multiple clusters
• Running DVStaker Global nodes (non-cloud based) on testnet
  • Kenya, UK, Germany, Australia, USA
• Creating educational DVT videos on Twitter and YouTube
• Participating in Twitter Spaces as neutral DVT educators

What’s next

• Host a DVT panel at DevConnect 2023
• Setup other nodes in under-represented regions to grow DVT awareness
• Research and test using Raspberry Pis to run DVT software and connect to a full node
• Continue to test, evaluate and create content for all new DVT providers on Ethereum
  • This is an ongoing plan, as the DVT landscape is rapidly evolving and changing, so DVStakers will continue to keep up-to-date on all the latest developments
• Quizzes and badges for DVT education so protocols can be discussed impartially and fairly
• Create a “DVStakers certified” badge that can be used to differentiate solo stakers using DVT setups from home

Team

• Eridian
  • An Ethereum staking enthusiast involved with all things DVT education and testing
• Spacesider
  • Spacesider is an active member of the ethfinance community and a staking educator within the EthStaker community
• Metanull
  • Prominent “Educator” on the EthStaker Discord, offering guidance and support to emerging/existing stakers.
• James
  • Staking researcher at Ethereum Foundation and DVT enthusiast

Grant

We are seeking a grant from LEGO of $25k USD to continue to develop and grow this educational community.

Please send payment to dvstakers.eth (0x9FF9e6D73024615a4d8F9493178C06C8aAb3239C).

[Obol.Labs]

At Obol Labs, we have been closely following the amazing work being undertaken by Eridian and the entire DVStakers team. We are thoroughly impressed with your collective efforts to educate the community around DVT and making solo staking increasingly accessible.

The technical guidance they provide on https://www.dvstakers.com, your efforts in under-represented regions, and the comprehensive educational guides and research you’ve released are truly commendable. These initiatives align closely with our own mission at Obol to advance the development of DVT.

We strongly support and appreciate the value that a neutral, unbiased voice like DVStakers can bring to the space. The future of DVT is community-driven, and we applaud their efforts to work alongside key stakeholders like Lido, Dappnode, and various protocol teams to improve the ecosystem for the community.

It’s also important to underscore the significance of your work for Lido. DVT emerges as a critical component and one of the main vectors to achieve decentralization for V2 of the protocol. Your expertise and the insights you bring are instrumental in shaping the future of not just DVT but also protocols that will heavily rely on it to achieve further decentralization.

Therefore, we would like to express our full support for your application for a $25k USD grant from LEGO. Your educational initiative has already proven its value, and we are confident that this grant will allow DVStakers to amplify their impact even further.

[Izzy]

I support this grant proposal, and echo the comments above, especially with regards to the extremely valuable educational and technical resources that you’ve put together.

[Alex_L]

@Eridian I’m glad to be the person bringing these news - LEGO council approved and disbursed a grant of 25K DAI to the project!

Thank you and looking forward to new achievements in making validation more accessible!

[Eridian]

Thanks for the amazing news @Alex_L! With this grant DVStakers will be able to move ahead with our plans for a fully off the grid Ethereum node running in Kenya. This initiative will educate and empower a rural community that would otherwise not have access to this technology or resources

[irina_everstake]

Can’t believe how much was achieved just in half a year. Big shout out to DVStakers team and thanks for what you do for the Ethereum ecosystem!

@Eridian

DVStakers was formed during ETHDenver in March 2023

[Eridian]

An update on the grant progress: Kenya Node - Phase 2

Thanks again to LEGO for their support with this project!