By operating their own validator node to process transactions and contribute to the security of the Ethereum network, an Ethereum owner can make staking fees.
However, to do this, one must possess and commit 32 ETH, or ether, tokens, which can be prohibitively expensive for many investors at a cost of roughly $32,000.
Running a validator node has additional costs on top of the initial investment
They require technical expertise to set up and must be online "as often as feasible" to process transactions and maintain the network functioning properly, according to the Ethereum Foundation.
Running a validator also involves some risk because a validator who behaves wrongly risk having his ETH "slashed" as a punishment
Additionally, operating a validator carries some risk because, in the worst situation, a validator who behaves incorrectly could lose all 32 of their ETH as a result of a penalty.