Lido is the leading liquid staking protocol for proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchains, particularly Ethereum. It allows users to stake any amount of ETH or other supported assets without locking them or needing to run a validator node. In return, users receive liquid tokens—like stETH—that represent their staked assets and accrue staking rewards over time.
These liquid tokens can be freely used across decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms for trading, lending, yield farming, or liquidity provision, offering both flexibility and income. Lido eliminates the traditional barriers to staking, making the process simple, accessible, and capital-efficient.
Since its launch in December 2020, Lido has grown to become one of the largest liquid staking providers by total value locked, with billions in assets and rewards distributed. The protocol operates through a decentralized network of professional node operators, reducing reliance on any single party and increasing security.
Lido’s smart contracts are open-source, audited, and backed by an ongoing bug bounty program. Governance is handled by the Lido DAO, where holders of the native token, LDO, can vote on protocol upgrades, validator selection, fee structures, and treasury management.
A service fee of around 10% is applied to staking rewards, which is distributed between node operators and the DAO treasury. This structure supports long-term development, maintenance, and community initiatives.
Lido is integrated with dozens of DeFi applications, enabling seamless use of staked assets across the ecosystem. The platform’s user interface is beginner-friendly, requires no minimum deposit, and removes the technical complexity from staking.
