# Overview {% hint style="success" %} This feature is currently available only on demand. Please contact your Technical Account Manager for more information. {% endhint %} ## Introduction Since September 22, 2022 the Ethereum protocol has fully transitioned from a Proof-of-Work to a [Proof-of-Stake](https://ethereum.org/en/developers/docs/consensus-mechanisms/pos/) consensus mechanism. The implementation of a Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanism can vary widely depending on the different networks (see Polkadot staking). On Ethereum, staking is implemented via a *Deposit* smart contract and Validators. Staking is the act of depositing 32 ETH to the *Deposit* contract in order to activate a validator node. This will enable you to contribute to the security of the network, and to earn rewards. The benefits of Ethereum staking are: * **High yield** : Ethereum is the largest smart-contract blockchain by market cap and developer activity. However, only about 28% of the ETH supply is currently staked, in contrast with 50-80% on other PoS blockchains. This means that rewards can significant. You can find more information on Ethereum staking rewards [here](https://www.kiln.fi/post/the-merge-and-its-impact-on-eth-staking-rewards) . * **Low risk** : so far, only 0.36% of validators have been slashed. Slashing is considered to be a rare event, and should only affect validators who misbehave deliberately. As long as the validator is participating for at least 50% of the time, they will not lose their stake. * **Simplicity** : unlike other networks where staking requires a more complex set up and a suite of operations, such as Polkadot, staking on Ethereum is straightforward and can be managed easily. ### How does it work? Staking is the act of depositing 32 ETH to the staking deposit contract in order to contribute to the security of the network, and to earn Ether rewards in return (between 4 & 8% depending on network activity). In essence, there are three main operations involved when staking on Ethereum: 1. **Depositing** to activate the stake 2. **Withdrawing reward** (partial withdrawing) 3. **Exiting** to end the stake (full withdrawing) When staking via Ledger Enterprise, every interaction is managed and secured by your Ledger Enterprise workspace to ensure self-custody and peace of mind. Only the Ledger Enterprise Ethereum account that initiated the stake can control it and receive the withdrawn funds at the end of the stake’s life cycle. All assets remain in custody of your Ledger Enterprise accounts. Please note that a staking positions on Ethereum requires to be of at least 32 ETH to be valid; you can initiate multiple stakes at once by submitting any multiple of 32 ETH to save on gas. --- # Agent Instructions: 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: ``` GET https://help.enterprise.ledger.com/help-center/staking/stake-ethereum/overview.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. 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.