[katkatkatkatket]

That's exactly the problem. As someone who does not have access to 32 Eth, you need to trust a pool operator with your money.

This is a direct parallel of issues like home and car ownership. If you're not rich enough, you have to trust a 3rd party, and also get less for your money.

[baby]

Vote with your money. There are plenty of other blockchains where this is not the case as delegation is part of the protocol.

[googlryas]

You don't have to trust a third party. You can run a pool yourself and be the one who needs to be trusted.

[katkatkatkatket]

If you don't have enough eth to stake, how will you persuade anyone to lend you their eth?

[googlryas]

Have friends? People who trust you?

[katkatkatkatket]

Obviously I need to have friends who already want to invest a significant amount into Eth, otherwise I'm just "that guy" shilling some scheme to their family and friends.

[googlryas]

Of course. So what's the problem with that?

[katkatkatkatket]

Under what possible scenario do I have a few k$ spare, but not 10k$ spare, to invest in a speculative asset, and also have a large number of friends and family already in exactly the same position?

The only one I can see would make me the "cryptobro", to use the currently-popular phrase.

It's also quite ironic that you suggest the basis of Eth consensus be based on the strength of inter-personal trust. If that's how it works, then why bother with the complexities of Eth?