When you stake an Ethereum validator, it goes through several stages, each representing a specific point in its lifecycle. Understanding these stages is important for understanding your annual yield and earned rewards. The table below outlines the key statuses a validator may encounter during its lifetime, along with relevant details on the fee pool mechanism where applicable.

Validator Lifecycle

Status	Description	Fee Pool¹
`pending_initialized`	The validator is in the queue, waiting to be activated. This occurs after the deposit is made.
`pending_queued`	The validator is in the activation queue, awaiting eligibility to start validating.
`active_ongoing`	The validator is actively participating in the network, validating transactions, and earning rewards.	The validator will join the fee pool at midnight
`active_exiting`	The validator has initiated an exit and will stop participating after completing the exit process.	The validator will exit the fee pool at midnight
`exited_unslashed`	The validator has successfully exited and is no longer validating.
`withdrawal_possible`	The validator's balance is now available for withdrawal after successfully exiting.
`withdrawal_done`	The validator’s balance has been withdrawn, completing its lifecycle.

¹ - Fee Pool is an additional feature. You can read about in the Fee Pool: Maximizing Execution Layer Rewards.

If you don't know how to check the status of your validator, refer to the Monitoring Your Validator page.