Smart Node v1.17.0 is now live, bringing major client updates—most of which raise the default block gas limit to 45M—and a new pruning feature that allows node operators to reduce storage needs by enabling partial history expiry. This is a recommended update for all Node Operators. Full details and upgrade instructions: https://github.com/rocket-pool/smartnode/releases/tag/v1.17.0.

In July 2025, the Rocket Pool community comes together to celebrate Samus, a cherished member who has just become a dad. Community members joined a thread to share their congratulations and offer kind words of support as he embarks on this exciting new chapter.

This thread was a space for Rocket Pool believers to share why they were still here—what they believed in about Rocket Pool and RPL, what it felt like to hold through the lows, and how they could stay positive and proactive. It offered support, reflection, and encouragement, grounded in shared values around decentralization and Ethereum staking. The focus stayed on honest experiences, not blame or mockery—just voices from those still building and believing. Participants received a POAP.

It’s been a turbulent week for crypto, with RPL and other altcoins continuing to struggle as the token price hovers near $5. While the market remains uncertain, Rocket Pool has exciting upgrades on the way, such as Saturn on the horizon. Until then, the price action will be a bumpy ride. Community members within the Rocket Pool Discord that share their struggles receive a POAP.

Rocket Pool has had separate quora for on-chain and snapshot voting. This isn't really the intent; it's based on getting similar absolute requirements given that one is a percent of all vote power and the other is a percent of initialized vote power. haloooloolo has volunteered to initialize more vote power so that the difference is small and Rocket Pool can use a single quorum going forward without more tweaks. Buyers of this POAP helped fund this community initiative to initialize on-chain vote power!

The Rocket Pool community is celebrating the launch of Saturn 0, an important step toward Saturn 1, enabling new minipools to operate without requiring staked RPL. These minipools offer a 5% commission, with a bonus up to 9% if participating in the Smoothing Pool, depending on RPL stake levels. This bonus will phase out four reward periods after Saturn 1, encouraging users to transition while still earning RPL rewards with any amount of RPL stake. Under Saturn 0, any amount of RPL stake qualifies for rewards. This POAP was awarded to community members who attended the event in the Rocket Pool Discord.

The Rocket Pool Smartnode v1.14.0 release includes mandatory client updates for Nethermind, Prysm, Besu, and Reth, alongside Smart Node changes such as removing the 16 ETH minipool option, enhancing deposit prompts, and optimizing RPC calls for oDAO nodes. Minor adjustments were also made to accommodate Saturn-0 and update messages. Shortly after, version 1.14.1 was released to address a breaking change in Prysm and update Lodestar, which is only necessary for Prysm users. Node operators that updated within 72 hours received a POAP.

The contributors to the Rocket Pool #support channel work in the shadows, helping to keep the validators from Rocket Pool node operators functional while protecting us all from scammers. In October, 2024 the community shared stories of why they are thankful for #support.