Convert RPL to TRY

Rocket Pool is a decentralized Ethereum staking pool offering up to 4.33% APR for ETH2 staking. Users can join the Rocket Pool with its decentralized node operator network or run their own nodes with only 16 ETH. In the latter case, they can earn a commission from staking ETH and earn additional RPL rewards from providing RPL collateral, amounting to up to 6.36% APR for ETH and the additional RPL rewards.

Rocket Pool provides liquid staking, meaning users benefit from an increasing exchange rate instead of rebasing their staked collateral, which would be a taxable event. Furthermore, Rocket Pool offers smart nodes: a custom node software allowing anyone to run a node on its network. With losses from bad nodes socialized across the network, users minimize their risk of facing penalties. This is supported by the pool’s open-source and audited smart contracts, which guarantee fully non-custodial staking and a maximum degree of decentralization.

What is Rocket Pool?

Anyone can stake Ethereum, receive staking rewards, and help secure the network using Rocket Pool, a decentralized liquid staking protocol for the Ethereum ecosystem that eliminates the requirement for a standalone validator. Rocket Pool reduces the staking requirements for both regular users and tech-savvy node operators. It is based on smart contracts and is driven by a worldwide network of independent node operators.

Accessibility is one of the main issues with Ethereum staking that Rocket Pool resolves. Native Ethereum staking has always required hardware management, uptime guarantees, and a complete 32 ETH. These are replaced with liquid staking tokens and a permissionless staking pool in Rocket Pool. Because of this strategy, it is among the ecosystem’s most popular and robust staking systems.

What Makes It Different?

Rocket Pool essentially offers anyone to participate in ETH2 staking, regardless of their capital investment or level of technological sophistication. Its core premise is to enable the trustless staking of ETH to a network of decentralized autonomous nodes that are underpinned by RPL collateral.

Rocket Pool sees itself as a complement to staking-as-a-service providers. These providers can choose to maximize returns by joining Rocket Pool and running a node, which they receive rewards in ETH and RPL for in return. In this manner, even a big player like Gemini could use Rocket Pool by creating nodes that stake 16 ETH each. This is where Rocket Pool’s staked ETH wrapper rETH comes into play.

rETH is a tokenized version of the staked ETH in Rocket Pool, which allows stakers to engage from 0.01 ETH to up to 32 ETH. By staking their Ether, users receive rETH in return, which automatically accrues staking rewards based on the performance of the entire network of node operators. The value of rETH is protected against slashing through insurance mechanisms, with node operators staking RPL on nodes as collateral for any penalties they incur.

The second way of interacting with Rocket Pool is through Node Staking. Users can deposit 16 ETH and are assigned an additional 16 ETH from users who are depositing ETH and receiving rETH. In essence, you stake your own 16 ETH and 16 ETH on behalf of the protocol. RPL automatically adjusts its commission rate based on the supply and demand of node operators and available ETH. With this model, node operators are rewarded for providing insurance for stakers in case they are penalized or slashed. Furthermore, node operators must deposit a minimum amount of RPL as a collateral.

How Is the Rocket Pool Network Secured?

RPL is an ERC-20 token on Ethereum. Rocket Pool has been successfully audited by three separate firms: Sigma Prime, Consensys Diligence, and Trail of Bits. It also runs a bug bounty program to incentivize keeping its protocol safe.

Furthermore, governance of RPL is split across its Protocol DAO and Oracle DAO. The Protocol DAO is responsible for settings like RPL inflation, rewards, and auctions, the staking requirements and commissions for nodes, and deposits. The Oracle DAO bridges the smart contracts between the Beacon Chain and the ETH1 main chain. Members of the Oracle DAO are several big ETH2 staking clients like Lighthouse, Nimbus, Prysm, ConsenSys Codefi, Blockchain Capital, Bankless, and others.