# SSV distributed validators by SSV Network (SSV Labs, SSV DAO)

Canonical page: https://technooptimist.io/crypto/ssv-dvt
Frontier: [Crypto](https://technooptimist.io/crypto.md) · Field: Staking & block building · Company: [SSV Network (SSV Labs, SSV DAO)](https://technooptimist.io/companies/ssv-network.md)
Stage: Scaling (5 of 5: Research → Proto → Pilot → Deploy → Scaling)
Updated: last update 2026-04-29, facts checked 2026-10-11
Goal: Remove single points of failure from Ethereum staking: if one server crashes or one company is hacked, validators keep signing, and no operator alone can steal or double-sign with a validator's key.
Status: ~7.4M ETH on ~118,000 validators (Apr 2026); ETH-paid fees and SSV staking live since Apr 29, 2026.
Next milestone: Permissionless, stake-weighted oracle selection

## Milestones

| Status | Milestone | Date | Slip |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Done | Ethereum Foundation grant | 2021 |   |
| Done | Mainnet launch | 14 Sep 2023 |   |
| Done | Lido's Simple DVT module approved (SSV and Obol) | Feb 2024 |   |
| Done | SSV staking, ETH fees, effective-balance oracles | 29 Apr 2026 |   |
| Planned | Permissionless, stake-weighted oracle selection |   |   |

## Most important updates

- **29 Apr 2026**: SSV launches token staking and moves fees to ETH; network secures about 7.4M ETH. SSV holders can now stake SSV for cSSV and earn ETH from network fees and from running Effective Balance Oracles. ([our story](https://technooptimist.io/stories/ssv-launches-token-staking-and-moves-fees-to-eth-network-secures-about-b05e862a.md) · [original source](https://www.theblock.co/post/399378/ssv-staking-launches-connecting-ssv-holders-to-ethereums-largest-distributed-validator-network))
- **16 Apr 2024**: Lido's Simple DVT module, built on Obol and SSV distributed validators, opens Lido to solo and community stakers. Approved by an on-chain vote in February 2024, Simple DVT is Lido's second staking module and the first that lets solo and community stakers run Lido validators, in clusters using distributed validator technology from Obol and SSV. ([our story](https://technooptimist.io/stories/lido-s-simple-dvt-module-built-on-obol-and-ssv-distributed-validators-525aa1af.md) · [original source](https://blog.lido.fi/simpledvt-new-phase-for-lido-on-ethereum/))
- **14 Sep 2023**: SSV.network launches mainnet after two years of testnets, bringing distributed validators to Ethereum. SSV's mainnet lets a group of node operators act together as one Ethereum validator, governed by smart contracts. ([our story](https://technooptimist.io/stories/ssv-network-launches-mainnet-after-two-years-of-testnets-bringing-39184d13.md) · [original source](https://tipranks.com/news/article/ssv-networks-mainnet-launch-simplifying-decentralized-ethereum-staking))

## Current obstacles

- **Oracles are permissioned for now**: Four DAO-elected operators bring validator balances on-chain; a faulty or colluding set could misprice fees until selection opens up.
- **Colluding operators**: If enough operators in one cluster collude to reach the signing threshold, they can still misuse the validator.

## Physics limits

- **Fault tolerance needs extra machines**: Byzantine agreement requires n ≥ 3f + 1 participants: tolerating one bad operator needs four, tolerating two needs seven, multiplying hardware and fees.
- **Every vote adds network delay**: Operators must message each other before each signature, and Ethereum gives validators seconds per slot, so far-apart clusters risk late votes.

## How it works

### Split: Cut the key into shares

The validator's private key is split into n shares with Shamir secret sharing; each share is encrypted to one operator's public key.

### Agree: Operators vote on each duty

For every block proposal or attestation, the cluster's operators run a QBFT consensus round so they all sign the same message.

### Sign: A threshold rebuilds the signature

Signatures from a threshold of shares (e.g. 3 of 4) combine into one valid validator signature, so no single operator holds the full key.

### Pay: Fees in ETH, by stake

Since 2026 network and operator fees are paid in ETH and scale with each validator's effective balance, read on-chain via oracles.

## Spec sheet

| Spec | SSV distributed validators | Provenance |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ETH staked through SSV (Apr 2026) | ~7.4M ETH | reported |
| Validators (Apr 2026) | ~118,000 | reported |
| Node operators (Apr 2026) | ~1,900 | reported |
| Faults tolerated, 4-operator cluster | 1 of 4 | reported |
| Cluster sizes | 4, 7, 10 or 13 operators | reported |
| Bug bounty (Immunefi) | up to $250,000 | reported |

Provenance: reported = stated by the company; estimated = our estimate; sample = a sample figure.

## About SSV Network (SSV Labs, SSV DAO)

SSV Network runs Ethereum validators across several independent operators: each validator key is split into shares so no single machine or company can sign alone, and the validator stays online if one operator fails.

- Secures ~7.4M ETH across ~118,000 validators and ~1,900 operators (Apr 2026), the largest DVT network.
- One of two distributed-validator providers in Lido's Simple DVT module.
- Fees moved from the SSV token to ETH with the April 2026 staking upgrade.

- Headquarters: IL
- Status: private
- Website: https://ssv.network
- People: Alon Muroch (SSV protocol lead (at 2023 mainnet launch))
- Partners, customers, investors: Lido (customer); Kraken (partner); Ethereum Foundation (partner)

Company page: https://technooptimist.io/companies/ssv-network.md

## Related programs

Everything in Crypto: https://technooptimist.io/crypto.md

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