what's Community Staking Module (CSM)?

The Community Staking Module (CSM) is the first permissionless staking module in the Lido on Ethereum protocol, designed to enable community stakers and solo operators to run Ethereum validators with lower entry barriers. Instead of requiring a full 32 ETH per validator, operators post a minimal bond in stETH (e.g., 2.4 ETH for the first validator, reduced for subsequent ones), which acts as collateral against downtime or slashing. This bond is rebased with rewards, and staking rewards (including execution layer) are socialized across Lido's modules, providing competitive yields with improved capital efficiency compared to solo staking.[[1]](https://csm.lido.fi/)[[2]](https://github.com/lidofinance/community-staking-module) CSM fosters decentralization by allowing permissionless onboarding of diverse node operators, with safeguards like bond slashing for misbehavior ensuring staker protection. It supports integrations such as Distributed Validator Technology (DVT) via proposals like IDVTC, enhancing resilience. Operators can monitor performance via dedicated Dune dashboards, and the module has scaled to hundreds of operators managing significant ETH stake, positioning it as a major permissionless staking venue.[[3]](https://lido.fi/csm)[[4]](https://www.dune.com/smeee/lidocsm)

CSM has 559 node operators and 558,000 ETH staked as of March 18, 2026.