# What is Rocket Pool? In this lesson, we will look at how Rocket Pool overcomes limitations of directly staking into the ETH network. We will begin by answering the question, “What is Rocket Pool?” Rocket Pool is a decentralized ETH staking protocol. Remember in the previous video, we saw Alice become a staker in the ETH network, but there were some limitations. These limitations are solved by the Rocket Pool in a decentralized manner. To become a staker in the ETH network you need: - 32 ETH - Technical skills to run a validator What Rocket Pool allows a user is that you don’t need 32 ETH and you don’t need the technical skills to stake into Ethereum and earn some rewards. For example, let’s say that Alice is a staker with 1 ETH and no technical skills. Linus is a node operator. He has the technical skills to run a server, secure the validator key and the withdrawal key; however, he only has 8 ETH. So Linus is lacking 24 ETH to become a validator. Then, let's say that we have Wale who has 320 ETH but without any technical skills. All three of these users cannot become a solo staker in the ETH network. Alice lacks the capital requirement and the technical skills, Linus lacks the capital requirement, and Wale lacks the technical skills. However, under the Rocket Pool protocol, all three users can join into the Ethereum network as stakers. The way it works is that all three of these users will interact with the Rocket Pool contracts. Alice will deposit 1 ETH, Linus will deposit 8 ETH and register as a node operator, and Wale will simply deposit 320 ETH. Remember, to become a validator in the ETH network, you need a multiple of 32 ETH. The Rocket Pool protocol will match all of the ETH that was deposited. Now, this Rocket Pool contract has more than 32 ETH. Now Linus can register as a validator within the Rocket Pool protocol to become a validator. Instead of running the ETH validator software, Linus will have to run a Rocket Pool software. The Rocket Pool software will interact with the ETH network to earn ETH staking rewards. This ETH staking reward will be split among Alice, Linus, and Wale - the stakers and the node operators. This is how Rocket Pool is able to match different users with different resources so that all of them can join the Ethereum network and participate in staking and earn staking rewards.