Lido, the largest liquid staking protocol on Ethereum, has officially rolled out its stVaults infrastructure on mainnet, marking a significant step in how staking products are designed and deployed. The launch follows nearly a year of testing with institutional validators, data firms, and blockchain networks, and is already seeing adoption from early users including Linea, Nansen, and several large staking providers.
Introduced earlier this year as part of Lido’s V3 upgrade, stVaults are non-custodial smart contracts that allow institutions, protocols, rollups, and other users to build customized staking configurations on top of Lido’s existing infrastructure. Rather than offering a single, standardized staking product, Lido is positioning itself as a modular platform that can support a wide range of staking needs while still connecting users to the liquidity of stETH.
Lido described the release as a structural change for Ethereum staking. Traditionally, teams launching staking products have had to set up validators, integrations, and liquidity independently. With stVaults, those elements can be assembled within a shared framework, reducing operational complexity and time to market.
At a technical level, stVaults allow ETH to be staked through selected node operators while maintaining access to Lido’s liquid staking token. Configurations can be adjusted to suit different objectives, including fee structures, validator selection, and risk profiles. Lido currently charges a 10% fee on staking rewards, though vault creators can tailor how those economics are applied.
The mainnet launch includes a group of day-one partners spanning multiple parts of the ecosystem. Node operators such as P2P.org, Chorus One, Pier Two, and Sentora (in partnership with Kiln) are participating, alongside institutional stakers including Solstice, Twinstake, Northstake, and Everstake. Many of these firms were involved in Lido’s early adopter program during the testing phase.
Several projects have already built products using the stVaults stack. Linea, the Consensys-backed Layer 2 network, introduced a native yield feature that automatically stakes bridged ETH through a protocol-controlled stVault, generating passive returns for users. Blockchain analytics firm Nansen has also launched its first Ethereum staking product, combining customized staking via stVaults with access to stETH-based DeFi strategies and onchain analytics.
Lido
According to Lido and its partners, institutional demand has been a key driver behind the new design. stVaults can be configured to meet specific compliance and operational requirements, including validator segregation, enhanced traceability, and tailored deposit and withdrawal controls. For institutions, these features help address concerns around transparency and governance while remaining connected to shared liquidity.
Importantly, stVaults are opt-in and isolated from one another, limiting potential security risks to the broader Lido user base.
Lido was founded in 2020 to lower the barrier to Ethereum staking by allowing users to participate without running their own validator or holding the full 32 ETH required. Its liquid staking token, stETH, represents staked ETH and accrued rewards and is widely used across decentralized finance. Today, stETH has a market capitalization of roughly $27 billion, accounting for about a quarter of all liquid staking tokens in circulation.
As Ethereum staking continues to mature and attract a more diverse set of participants, Lido’s stVaults signal a shift toward more flexible, purpose-built staking infrastructure. The move reflects a broader trend: staking is no longer one-size-fits-all, and platforms that can adapt to different technical and institutional needs are likely to play a central role in the network’s next phase of growth.
