Under the Surface 025#
Welcome to a new edition of "Under the Surface," Stereum’s monthly development magazine, where we share updates, behind-the-scenes progress, and what’s coming next in our mission to simplify Ethereum node management. Since our last edition, we’ve checked off major milestones - from completing our L2 Optimism integration to expanding our ecosystem with new clients, testnets, and monitoring tools.
This month, we’re diving into finalized Layer 2 features, exploring the newly supported Grandine and Hoodie Testnet, introducing our SSV Network Monitoring Service, and giving you a sneak peek at the soon-to-be-released version 2.4.0 of Stereum.
✅ Finalized L2 Integration: Optimism
We are thrilled to announce the completion of our Optimism Layer 2 integration, a significant milestone for us, as it is the first integrated L2 in Stereum. This integration empowers users with advanced options for deploying and managing nodes on the Optimism network.
Key Features:
Comprehensive Network Support: Stereum now offers robust support for Optimism nodes across both the Ethereum Mainnet and the Sepolia Testnet, providing flexibility for development and production environments.
Deployment Modes: Users can choose between:
L1+L2 Mode: Integrates both Layer 1 and Layer 2 functionalities, ensuring seamless communication and enhanced security by leveraging Ethereum's robust infrastructure.
Solo L2 Mode: Focuses exclusively on Layer 2 operations, offering optimized performance and making it possible via expert mode for users to manually configure endpoints, granting greater control over node connections and network interactions.
Archive Mode Support: With the inclusion of archive mode, users can access historical blockchain data, facilitating comprehensive analysis and research capabilities. This will need a lot of resources, however once running every user will be able to get the full blockchain state from their L2 node.
While the core integration is complete, there’s still more to come. We're currently working on enhancing the Stereum Control Page to better support Optimism-specific metrics and configurations. Monitoring tools for Optimism nodes are also on the roadmap to ensure users have full visibility into performance, sync status, and potential issues. These improvements will round out the integration and bring the full Optimism experience into the Stereum ecosystem.
🌱 Grandine Integration
We’re excited to officially welcome Grandine to the list of consensus clients supported in Stereum! Built in Rust, Grandine is a lightweight, performance-focused client designed to handle tens of thousands of validators efficiently - making it ideal for both solo stakers and large-scale operators.
Key Features:
Rust-Based Efficiency: Grandine leverages Rust's speed and memory safety to deliver high performance with low resource usage.
Advanced Validator Support: It scales effortlessly with high validator counts, while maintaining stability and responsiveness.
Features: Grandine includes support for checkpoint sync, pruning, and MEV builder APIs with failover, ensuring robustness in a production environment.
Available Now: You can now choose Grandine as your consensus client in Stereum for both testnet and mainnet setups.
This integration not only expands the choices for Stereum users but reinforces our commitment to client diversity and performance.
🧪 Hoodie Testnet Support
Say hello to Hoodie - a brand-new testnet now fully supported in Stereum!Following the deprecation of Holesky, Hoodie steps in as a quick and reliable environment for testing validator setups, experimenting with node configurations, or building atop Ethereum infrastructure without the risks or delays of mainnet deployments.
Key Highlights:
Easy to Set Up: Just select Hoodie from the available networks in Stereum, and you're good to go - no additional configuration needed.
Perfect for Experimentation: Whether you're testing new features, validating updates, or simulating different scenarios, Hoodie is your go-to testnet.
By supporting Hoodie, we’re giving our community more freedom to experiment and build confidently in a low-stakes environment.
🚀 Erigon 3.0 Support in Stereum 2.4.0
We're excited to announce that with the upcoming Stereum 2.4.0 release, we've integrated support for Erigon 3.0, the latest iteration of the high-performance Ethereum client. This integration brings several enhancements to your node operations:
Key Enhancements:
Optimized Performance: Erigon 3.0 introduces significant improvements in sync times and resource utilization, allowing for faster and more efficient node synchronization.
Advanced Features: The new version includes features like OtterSync, which enhances data distribution and maintains a high degree of decentralization, ensuring data integrity and security.
🛠️ SSV Network Monitoring Service
We’ve added native integration for the SSV Network Monitoring Service, making it easier than ever to operate Distributed Validator Technology (DVT) setups with confidence and control.
What this means for you:
Real-Time Validator Monitoring: Track your SSV validator status, performance, and connectivity in real-time directly from within your Stereum setup.
Health Checks & Alerts: Quickly identify issues and maintain uptime through integrated health metrics and monitoring insights.
This is just the beginning - we’re planning to expand this monitoring layer further, offering deeper insight and smarter automation for SSV users in future updates.
🌐 Stereum & StereumPlus Website Redesigns
A fresh coat of paint is coming to both stereum.com and stereumplus.com! We’ve been hard at work on a full redesign aimed at creating a more unified, intuitive, and informative experience across both platforms.
What to expect:
Unified Visual Style: Both sites are getting a cohesive visual overhaul - modern, clean, and aligned with our evolving brand identity.
Improved Content Structure: We’re reorganizing and updating content to better highlight features, use cases, and resources, making it easier to find exactly what you’re looking for.
Streamlined Navigation: Whether you're exploring Stereum for the first time or returning for support, the new layout will get you where you need to go - faster.
We’ll be sharing more on the launch timeline soon, but rest assured: this is more than just a facelift. It’s about clarity, ease of use, and a better experience for our growing community.
🗓️ Upcoming Events
The Stereum team will be on the road again in 2025! Here’s where you can catch us next:
ETH Bratislava (May 23-24 2025)
Location: Bratislava, Slovakia About: A regional Ethereum-focused event for developers and ecosystem contributors in Central Europe. Stereum’s Plans: We're thrilled to announce that we’ll be joining ETH Bratislava as speakers! Expect a hands-on Stereum workshop, and there’s a good chance we’ll also take part in a panel discussion. Additionally we will be helping builders get up and running with Stereum nodes on StereumPlus, offering guidance, setup help, and real-time support throughout the hackathon
ETH Belgrade (June 3–5, 2025)
Location: Belgrade, Serbia About: Part of Belgrade Blockchain Week, ETH Belgrade brings together Ethereum builders and innovators for a deep dive into the ecosystem’s future. Stereum’s Plans: We’re planning to host a talk focused on node infrastructure and best practices with Stereum. Come say hi!
DevConnect Buenos Aires (November 17–22, 2025)
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina About: A global Ethereum gathering featuring live dApps, workshops, and community events. Stereum’s Plans: Confirmed presence! We'll be engaging in node-related workshops, chats about DVT, and sharing what's next for Stereum.
🙏 Thank You for Being Part of the Journey
As we wrap up this edition of "Under the Surface," we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to you - our community. Your unwavering support, insightful feedback, and active participation fuel our drive to innovate and improve. So stay connected, raise your voice, and let's continue building! See you next time!
Warm regards, ❤️ Your Stereum Team