Lido (@LidoFinance): August 2025 Validator Set Highlights

August 2025 Validator Set Highlights Curious about what's happening inside Lido’s validator set? Every month, the Validator Set Updates cover all the key developments across the Lido staking modules to keep Node Operators informed about recent changes and tech updates, mainnet and testnet releases, new proposals, and decentralization milestones. This article features only the main highlights (reading time <4 minutes) - operators are encouraged to read the full August Update on the Node Operator Portal for more details and useful links. August Highlights Staking Module End-of-August Stats Exclusive CSM Benefits for Identified Community Stakers The ICS application is now open! While the Community Staking Module is preparing for the v2 upgrade, existing and aspiring CSM operators can already apply for special benefits and enhanced parameters designed for Community Stakers , which will take effect once CSM v2 goes live on mainnet. As Lido continues evolving toward a permissionless staking future, these parameters were introduced to incentivize the growth of the staking community and enable inclusion of Community Stakers into this highly competitive landscape, keeping low barriers of entry to Ethereum validation. CSM Operators Invited to SafeStake DVT Testnet @SafeStakeDVT has launched an incentive program for its Cluster Node Module (CNM) testnet and invites CSM operators to join, earning DVTtoken rewards for their contribution. This is a great opportunity to gain hands-on experience with emerging DVT infrastructure and further strengthen the decentralization of Ethereum staking. Mellow Distributed Validator Vault Hit $100m TVL In the final week of August, @mellowprotocol DVV crossed a major milestone - $100 million in deposits, marking a new all-time high. New deposits accelerate the growth of DVT-based validator setups powered by Obol and SSV Network, while Vault users receive additional rewards in the form of Obol and SSV tokens. The First Lido Tokenholder Update Call The inaugural Lido Tokenholder Update Call featured Vasiliy, Executive Director at Lido Labs Foundation, with a deep dive into staking market dynamics and growth priorities. Q&A with Isidoros Passadis, Chief of Staking, and Sam Kim, COO, unpacked what’s next for Lido and addressed the most popular questions from the community. Validator Ejector Oracle Allowlist Update and 1.9.0 Pre-release Mainnet Ejector (a service that helps manage validator exits) ORACLE_ADDRESSES_ALLOWLIST configuration rotation has been executed. Please update if you're a Curated or Simple DVT Node Operator using Ejector or referencing the Lido Oracle Allowlist in a custom setup. A new Lido Validator Ejector v1.9.0 is now available and ready for testing on the Hoodi testnet only. This version introduces the Triggerable Withdrawals support. Community Sentiment Around Raising the Gas Limit As of September 1st, 94% of Lido validators are voting for a 45M+ gas limit, marking an 11.6 percentage point increase month over month. This reflects a shared ecosystem commitment to improving Ethereum’s transaction throughput and a careful, testing-driven approach grounded in client software readiness and successful testnet validation. Validator & Node Operator Metrics Q2 Update The latest VaNOM report highlights continued progress toward Lido’s decentralization goals, including increased stake distribution, more diverse infrastructure and client usage, as well as an additional level of transparency on reward attribution across the Lido Node Operator Set. Bonus Content @d_gusakov, Staking Modules Team Lead at the Lido Labs, joined the Blueprints by @symbioticfi podcast to unpack the future of staking and share insights into the evolving decentralization landscape, how Lido is pioneering it and why the CSM plays a pivotal role in empowering independent stakers and strengthening Ethereum’s validator set. All Lido Validator Set Updates in One Place Explore previous Monthly Validator Set Updates on the Node Operator Portal. Stay informed. Stay aligned. Keep securing Ethereum.