According to the latest data from Glassnode, the number of Ethereum ETH -0.41% validator voluntary exits reached 183 on March 16, the second-highest number since the merger.
Voluntary withdrawal is when a validator chooses to stop participating in consensus and leaves the validator pool queue. After the upgrade in Shanghai, they will no longer propose or prove blocks, and they will not be able to withdraw previously staked ETH.
A large number of validator exits may have an impact on the security and decentralization of the Ethereum network. Validators play a vital role in maintaining the integrity of the blockchain by validating transactions and adding new blocks to the chain.
The recent high number of voluntary exits can be attributed to several factors, including changes in staking economics, technical difficulties, or shifts in validator strategies.
Despite potential concerns, Ethereum’s network remains robust and still has many validators contributing to its security and decentralization.
The Ethereum community is closely monitoring the situation, and developers are constantly working to improve network performance and fix any issues that arise.