Vitalik Buterin proposes native DVT for Ethereum staking to boost security

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin proposed a native Distributed Validator Technology (DVT) at the protocol staking layer on January 21, aiming to strengthen network security and validator decentralization, according to a post on the Ethereum Research forum. Under the design, validators could register multiple independent keys and operate as a "group validator," with block proposals or attestations considered valid only after signatures from a preset threshold of keys; holders of multiples of the 32 ETH minimum stake could configure up to 16 keys and select a threshold, with the scheme embedded in-protocol rather than relying on an external coordination layer. Buterin said the added performance overhead would be minimal, introducing one extra delay for block production while leaving attestation latency unchanged, and the approach is compatible with any signature scheme, which he argues helps reduce dependence on long-term cryptographic assumptions. If adopted, Buterin believes native DVT could make self-custodied, fault-tolerant staking more accessible for individuals and institutions and lessen reliance on large staking providers, potentially improving decentralization metrics such as the Nakamoto coefficient; he noted the proposal remains at an early-discussion stage and will require broad community evaluation and consensus.