# Entry barriers Unlike PoW, PoS blockchains do not require expensive, sophisticated equipment or access to vast amounts of low-cost energy. However, some entry barriers still make many PoS prohibitively expensive and overly complicated: * The **staking requirements** (i.e., 32 ETH are required to run a single Ethereum 2.0 node, worth over $130k as of Oct 2021) * The **expertise** needed to run and secure many validator nodes * Access to inexpensive and continuous **wifi**, which can be prohibitive for node operators in countries and regions of insufficient coverage * Difficulty **assessing** the various PoS protocols in search of the better staking gains * Low **flexibility** to switch between different blockchains as the coins are locked or bonded for a specified period * Loss of **liquidity** when staking * Other **risks** (downtimes, slashing, hacks, network attacks, etc.) Ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency with a devoted network of developers and supporters, has only 7.8 out of 117.8 million Eth staked (as of Sept 2021), that’s around 6.6%. --- # 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://whitepaper.trustednode.io/industry-challenges/entry-barriers.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.