> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.enterprise.ledger.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.enterprise.ledger.com/help-center-v2/reference/networks/ethereum.md). # Ethereum (ETH) and EVM networks Ethereum and EVM networks on Ledger Enterprise: parent Accounts, linked Accounts, fees, replacing a pending transaction, staking, and contract operations. This page covers Ethereum and the other EVM networks your Workspace has enabled, such as Polygon, BNB Smart Chain, Base, Arbitrum, and Avalanche C-Chain. Which are available is configuration, not a fixed list. ## How Ethereum differs Ethereum uses an **Account** model. A balance is a number recorded against an address, not a set of outputs. An address can also hold code, which is what a smart contract is. Two consequences appear in this product: * A token is a contract, not a native asset. Token balances therefore live in their own Accounts, and the parent Account pays their fees. * The same address is valid on every EVM network, because they share the address format. For the protocol itself, see the [Ethereum developer documentation](https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/). ## Token coverage Ledger Enterprise supports **ETH and ERC-20 tokens** on Ethereum, and the native coin and ERC-20 tokens on each supported EVM network. ## Parent Accounts pay the fees An ERC-20 token Account attaches to a **parent** Account holding the network's native asset. The parent pays the network fees for every token Account beneath it. A token Account can hold a large balance and still be unable to send. This happens when its parent has no native asset left to pay the fee. **If a token transfer fails for want of fees, fund the parent.** > **Note:** Monitor the parent's native balance, not only your token balances. A parent running dry silently blocks every token Account beneath it. ## Linked Accounts The same address can exist across several EVM networks at the same position in your key hierarchy. These **Linked Accounts** share an address but are separate Accounts with separate balances and separate governance, one per network. Check which network an Account is on before sending. An address valid on several EVM networks accepts a transfer on any of them. A transfer sent on the wrong network cannot be recovered by switching network. ## Fees EVM networks price fees per unit of computation, and the total depends on network demand and on how much work the transaction does. A token transfer costs more than a native transfer, and a contract interaction more again. The form offers fee strategies from slower and cheaper through to faster, plus a custom option for full control. The figure shown is a **maximum**, not a prediction. ## If a transaction is stuck An EVM transaction can stay unconfirmed when its fee is too low for current demand. You do not have to wait. You can replace it with a new transaction that takes the same place in the Account's sequence. This is called **Replace by Nonce**. Use it to speed the transaction up, or to cancel it. Find the transaction in the Account's operations list. When replacement is possible, an action button appears on the row. Choose one of two actions: | Action | What it does | | ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Speed-up** | Sends the same transaction again with a higher fee | | **Cancel** | Replaces the transaction with an empty one, so the original never happens | Each action creates a **new Request**. It needs the same approvals and the same review as the original. > **Important:** Cancel still costs a fee. You pay for the replacement transaction. Cancel stops the transfer, it does not refund the cost. Only one of the two transactions can confirm. Until one does, either still can. ## Staking Ethereum Ethereum staking works in whole **validators**. That makes it different from other networks, where you stake an amount. The **Staking** tab appears on Ethereum Accounts that have a staking Rule. Only Operators named in that Rule can act. Everyone else sees the tab read-only. ### What you can do | Action | What it does | | ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | | Start staking | Creates one or more validators from your balance | | Top up position | Adds to a validator you already run | | Consolidate | Merges two validators into one | | Upgrade to Pectra | Converts an older validator to the current type | | Withdraw | Exits stake and returns it to the Account | **Ethereum calls the exit action Withdraw.** Other networks call it Unstake. ### Amounts and validator count A validator holds between **32 ETH** and **2,048 ETH**. When you enter an amount, the form works out how many validators to create and shows a selector. You can change it. The range is **1 to 20 validators** in a single Request. Your amount is divided equally between the validators. Some validators take whole amounts, so the division might not come out exactly. **The leftover stays in your Account.** It is not lost, and it is not staked. For example, if you stake 100 ETH across 3 validators, each takes 33 ETH and 1 ETH stays in the Account. You can spend it, or include it in a later stake. You will see an error if the split leaves less than 32 ETH per validator, or more than 2,048 ETH. Adjust the amount or the validator count. ### Choosing a provider Staking runs through a validator provider. Search for one by name and pick it. Which providers you can choose depends on your Workspace. All validators in one Request go to the same provider. > **Note:** If no providers are available, **Start staking** is disabled and explains why. This is usually temporary. ### Consolidate Consolidating merges one position into another, so you run fewer validators. Rewards then compound inside the larger validator instead of being paid out separately. Start from the position you want to move. It moves in full. You then pick the target position, searching by provider or validator address. The protocol allows **two positions at a time**. Targets that would take the combined balance above 2,048 ETH are not offered. ### Upgrade to Pectra Older validators are marked **Legacy**. They cannot be topped up, and the tab offers **Upgrade to Pectra** on them instead. Upgrading converts the position to the current type. It covers the full 32 ETH, and **it cannot be reversed**. Your provider does not change when you upgrade. It may show as **Unknown provider**, because that information is not published on the blockchain. ### Withdraw Withdrawing returns staked ETH to your Account. Use **Max** to exit the validator completely. For a partial withdrawal, at least 32 ETH must remain in the validator. If you want to take more than that, you have to exit in full. **Withdrawals are not instant.** How long they take depends on which kind you choose, and this difference is large enough to plan around.
KindWhat happensTypical wait
PartialThe validator keeps running. Ethereum pays out your balance above 32 ETH on its regular sweepOften hours, usually under a day
Full exitThe validator has to leave Ethereum's active set first, then wait a fixed period, then be paid outUsually a little over a day
For a **full exit**, three things happen in order: 1. The validator queues to leave the active set. Ethereum limits how many validators can leave at a time. 2. A fixed waiting period of about 27 hours follows. 3. The balance is paid out on the next sweep. > **Note:** Both kinds get slower when many people withdraw at once. A partial withdrawal can stretch to about a week in heavy conditions. A full exit queue is normally short, but it has reached several weeks during periods of mass unstaking. Do not plan a tight deadline around a withdrawal. ### Fees on staking operations Consolidate, upgrade, and withdraw carry **two** fees: * The **network fee**, as on any Ethereum transaction. * A **protocol fee**, shown as an additional line, which pays for the operation on Ethereum's staking layer. The protocol fee includes a safety margin, because the exact cost is not known until the transaction runs. **Anything overpaid is not refunded.** The figure you approve is the total of both. > **Important:** Consolidating and upgrading change your validator set, not how much you have staked. Both need approval like any other Request, so plan them rather than treating them as housekeeping. The shared mechanics, enabling staking Rules and reviewing on your device, are in [**Staking**](/help-center-v2/guides/staking.md). ## Contract operations EVM networks support three operations beyond transfers:
OperationWhat it does
Contract interactionCalls a function on a smart contract, for example depositing into a protocol
Message signingSigns a message without moving funds, for example to prove control of an address
Contract deploymentPublishes a new smart contract
Each is **governed by its own Rule**, separate from your send Rules, and each is optional. An Account that can send cannot necessarily interact with contracts: an Administrator has to add the corresponding Rule. Contract interaction Rules carry their own thresholds and their own Whitelists. See [**Whitelists**](/help-center-v2/guides/governance/whitelists.md). ### Supported standards | Standard | Used for | | -------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | EIP-191 | Signing a plain text message | | EIP-712 | Signing structured, typed data, which the device can display field by field | | ERC-20 | Token transfers and balances | A contract interaction calls a function on any contract your Rule permits. There is no restricted list of contract standards for interactions. To reach external applications, use the [**Connectivity Hub**](/help-center-v2/guides/connectivity-hub.md). ## Related * [**Sending assets**](/help-center-v2/guides/transactions/sending-assets.md) * [**Staking**](/help-center-v2/guides/staking.md) * [**Whitelists**](/help-center-v2/guides/governance/whitelists.md) * [**Networks**](/help-center-v2/reference/networks.md) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://help.enterprise.ledger.com/help-center-v2/reference/networks/ethereum.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.