Lido upgrade aims to slash Ethereum’s validator count by one-third
Lido, a liquid staking protocol, has launched an upgrade to its staking infrastructure that aims to improve validator efficiency and decentralization. The upgrade introduces Curated Module v2, which adds support for Ethereum’s 0x02 withdrawal credentials.
Intelligence analysis by Llama

Lido has launched an upgrade to its staking infrastructure, introducing Curated Module v2, which aims to improve validator efficiency and decentralization. The upgrade adds support for Ethereum’s 0x02 withdrawal credentials and could reduce Ethereum’s validator count by one-third.
Lido, a company that helps people earn money by staking Ethereum, has updated its system to make it more efficient and secure. This update could reduce the number of people who help validate transactions on the Ethereum network by one-third, making it more secure and efficient.
Analysis
A New Era for Ethereum Validators
Lido’s upgrade to its staking infrastructure marks a significant step towards improving validator efficiency and decentralization on the Ethereum network. The introduction of Curated Module v2 adds support for Ethereum’s 0x02 withdrawal credentials, allowing validators to increase their effective balance from 32 ETH to up to 2,048 ETH. This change is expected to reduce Ethereum’s validator count from about 880,000 to roughly 628,000, a decrease of about one-third.
The migration to Curated Module v2 is not expected to change execution-layer activity, which determines transaction fees and gas costs. However, it will affect Ethereum’s consensus layer by reducing the number of validators and validator messages required to maintain the network. This could lead to improved network security and efficiency.
In addition to the technical improvements, the upgrade also introduces new accountability measures for Lido’s node operators. These measures include bonding and penalty mechanisms, which aim to incentivize operators to perform well and contribute to the Ethereum ecosystem.
The upgrade is expected to have a positive impact on the Ethereum network, leading to improved validator efficiency and decentralization. However, it is essential to note that the figures mentioned are based on Lido’s projections and the migration has not started yet.
Key points
- Lido has launched an upgrade to its staking infrastructure, introducing Curated Module v2.
- The upgrade adds support for Ethereum’s 0x02 withdrawal credentials, allowing validators to increase their effective balance.
- The migration could reduce Ethereum’s validator count by one-third, leading to improved network security and efficiency.
- The upgrade introduces new accountability measures for Lido’s node operators, including bonding and penalty mechanisms.
If the upgrade is successful, it could lead to improved network security and efficiency, making Ethereum a more attractive option for users and investors.
However, the upgrade also introduces new risks, such as the potential for validator centralization and the impact of the reduced validator count on the network’s security and efficiency.



