Why Proof-of-Stake Validators Need an Overhaul in 2025?

Jakarta, Pintu News – Every day, hundreds of new validators join blockchain networks, and many celebrate this as an increase in “decentralization”. Ethereum staking participation has increased to 30% of total supply, with approximately 36 million Ethereum (~$154 billion) staked, while Solana has grown to 3,248 validators in over 45 countries.

Passive Validation Issues

While the participation numbers look impressive, most validators only contribute to transaction processing and nothing more. This passive approach creates several interrelated systemic problems, which ultimately weaken the health of the blockchain ecosystem.

Minimal involvement of validators in network governance is common, even though this greatly affects the systems they secure. Essential services such as RPCs, developer tools, and educational resources are often underfunded because validators consider public goods to be “someone else’s responsibility”.

Meanwhile, protocol upgrades are experiencing implementation delays as passive validators lack the technical sophistication to evaluate complex proposals or contribute to network evolution.

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The Illusion of Decentralization

Ethereum’s one million validators may suggest strong decentralization, but Coinbase and Lido manage 27.7% of the staked ETH, while ETFs in the US continue to grow. Furthermore, as the Ethereum Merge approaches, only 15,000 validators out of more than 400,000 are actively participating in testnet validation.

This statistic proves that the network celebrates the growth of validators without differentiating between engaged ecosystem participants and those who are just looking to profit. The result is decentralization that appears on the surface but is actually controlled by a few powerful players.

Active Validation Framework

To address these systemic issues, there needs to be a fundamental rethinking of what validation means beyond just transaction processing. The most sophisticated validators don’t just secure the network, they become infrastructure architects, building tools and services that other participants rely on.

This approach creates a positive feedback loop where technical excellence attracts more diverse talent, which in turn enables more protocol development. Active validators distinguish themselves through several key contribution areas.

Conclusion

The protocol that will ultimately succeed is not the one with the most validators, but the one whose validators are truly invested in building something meaningful. The evolution from passive staking to active development shows that decentralized systems can outperform traditional alternatives when participants are properly directed and motivated.

Networks that successfully make this transition will attract the most talented builders and smart capital, becoming the foundation for the next generation of decentralized applications. Meanwhile, networks that stick to old models that reward passive participation will find their networks slowly falling behind as innovation moves towards more active alternatives.

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Reference

• BeInCrypto. Why We Need to Reimagine Proof of Stake Validators in 2025. Accessed on September 18, 2025