# ETH 2.0 Mainnet Staking Guide - Lighthouse

Guide for becoming a validator on Ethereum 2.0 using Lighthouse and Ubuntu 20.04.

{% hint style="info" %}
Staking requires a deposit of 32 ETH. You should practice the entire staking process on testnet before committing to running a validator on mainnet. ([Prater Testnet Guide](https://app.gitbook.com/@agstakingco/s/eth-2-0-staking-guide-prater-lighthouse/))

If you're new to Ubuntu and would like to start with the basics, see [Ubuntu for Beginners](https://app.gitbook.com/@agstakingco/s/ethereum-2-0-ubuntu-for-beginners/)
{% endhint %}

## What is Eth 2.0?

When Ethereum was created in 2013, much of the road-map wasn't feasible given the current state of technology. Ethereum 1.0 was launched in 2015 to introduce the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), while Proof-of-Stake (POS) and sharding would be incorporated in the redesigned Ethereum 2.0.

The ETH 2.0 Beacon Chain launched on Dec 1st, 2020 with a total of 21,063 validators, and Eth1 is expected to merge with Eth2 in early 2022.

### ETH1 and ETH2 Interacting

This diagram gives an overview of the Eth1 POW and Eth2 POS chains running in parallel.

![](https://1909644549-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-Mf-NdEjHOrQMjMjT9E7%2F-Mf-NfhFXFZ8aSnCzvyw%2F-Mf-RR9kWcZNRqvFu82O%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=7068e457-86d2-45ad-9126-7e1a38dc2ce6)

### **Recommended PC ( i7 / 32GB RAM / 2TB SSD )**

This guide is tailored for a dedicated Ethereum PC/server. A new machine with ( i7 / 32GB RAM / 2TB SSD ) will cost \~$800 and should last through Eth 2.0 - Phase 2.

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It is possible to run on \~8gb RAM, but your node may struggle to keep up under stressful network conditions.
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### Related Technologies

The following technologies are used in this guide:

1. **Ubuntu 20.04 LTS -** [Linux Operating System](https://ubuntu.com/download/desktop)
2. **Python 3.7 -** [Programming Language](https://www.python.org/downloads/)
3. **Metamask** - [Ethereum Browser Extension](https://metamask.io/download.html)
4. **Go Ethereum -** [Eth1 Client Software](https://github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum)
5. **Lighthouse -** [Eth2 Client Software](https://github.com/sigp/lighthouse)
6. **Beaconcha.in** - [Eth2 Block Explorer](https://beaconcha.in/)
7. **Somer Esat's**: [Ethereum 2.0 Staking Guides](https://github.com/SomerEsat/ethereum-staking-guide)

### Linux CLI

You will be running everything from the terminal window (aka Command Line Interface).

{% hint style="info" %}
You can use the following shortcuts for Linux CLI:

* **`Ctrl + Alt + T`**  ||  Open new terminal window
* **`Ctrl + Shift + V`**  ||  Paste contents into terminal window
* **`Ctrl + C`**  ||  Quit terminal process
  {% endhint %}

We'll begin the installation by enabling the Universal Firewall (UFW).