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Best Liquid Staking Protocols

The entries span Solana and Ethereum, differing across validator models, protocol fees, withdrawal paths and reward structures.

Sanctum, Marinade and Jito focus on Solana liquidity and validator delegation. Rocket Pool and Lido provide Ethereum staking with rETH and stETH. Protocol choices differ primarily by operator model and receipt-token depeg risks. Several options also provide native delegation mechanisms or distribute extra MEV rewards.

Updated Oct 20, 2026 8 picks All staking & liquid staking
  1. 1
    Solana liquidity layer

    Sanctum

     4.5/5

    Sanctum connects more than 1,300 Solana liquid staking tokens through shared liquidity, with INF and validator LSTs available as receipt assets. Its Router supports immediate conversions, while custom pools let validators and platforms launch branded tokens. Six security firms have audited the protocol. The trade-off is single-chain access, a 1 basis point SOL withdrawal fee, and exposure to smart contract and validator risks.

    Liquid stakingSolanaAuditedSOL
    • Connects over 1,360 Solana liquid staking tokens into shared liquidity
    • Audited by six firms including Quantstamp, OtterSec, and Halborn
    • Program upgrades secured by an 11-member multi-organization multisig
    Visit websiteRead review
  2. 2
    Native staking flexibility

    Marinade

     4.3/5

    Marinade combines mSOL liquid staking with native Solana delegation, so users can stake through a receipt token or standard stake accounts. Its Stake Auction Marketplace allocates funds across hundreds of validators, and mSOL integrates with Solana DeFi. The main trade-off is Solana-only coverage: mSOL can depeg, while native positions face epoch withdrawal delays and instant exits depend on liquidity.

    Liquid staking · Native stakingSolanaAuditedSOL
    • Supports native staking without smart contract custody exposure
    • Liquid staking via mSOL is widely integrated across Solana DeFi
    • Smart contracts audited by Neodyme, Ackee Blockchain, and Kudelski Security
    Visit websiteRead review
  3. 3
    MEV reward exposure

    Jito

     4.2/5

    Jito issues JitoSOL and combines standard staking rewards with transaction tips captured through its MEV infrastructure. StakeNet distributes deposits across Solana validators, while JitoSOL works as transferable DeFi collateral. The protocol had about $1.09B in TVL as of October 2026 and charges a 4% protocol fee. Its trade-offs include Solana-only exposure, validator and contract risk, plus possible JitoSOL depegs.

    Liquid stakingSolanaAuditedRestaking
    • Over $1.09B in TVL on Solana as of October 2026
    • Dual yield stream combining standard staking rewards with MEV tips
    • Requires no KYC checks or identity verification to stake
    Visit websiteRead review
  4. 4
    Permissionless Ethereum staking

    Rocket Pool

     4.2/5

    Rocket Pool offers rETH liquid staking from 0.01 ETH and uses permissionless node operators, with 1,439 node operators listed. Its 4 ETH validator bond lowers the capital needed for operators, while a deposit buffer can support near-instant redemptions. The trade-off is a 14% protocol fee and withdrawal liquidity that depends on the buffer, alongside node slashing and smart contract risks.

    Liquid stakingEthereumAuditedETH
    • Permissionless node operator set with over 1,400 independent operators
    • Low minimum liquid deposit of 0.01 ETH with no identity checks
    • Requires only 4 ETH validator bonds instead of standard 32 ETH solo stakes
    Visit websiteRead review
  5. 5

    Kinetiq

     4.1/5

    Kinetiq is a liquid staking protocol on Hyperliquid that lets users stake HYPE for yield-bearing kHYPE. Backed by $1.75M in seed funding, it suits DeFi participants seeking Hyperliquid yield while maintaining trading liquidity.

    Liquid stakingHyperliquidAuditedHYPE
    • Over $860M in TVL on Hyperliquid
    • Codebase audited by Spearbit, Pashov Audit Group, Zenith, and Code4rena
    • Bug bounty program offering up to $1M in payouts
    Visit websiteRead review
  6. 6
    Deep Ethereum liquidity

    Lido

     4.1/5

    Lido issues stETH and wstETH across an Ethereum validator network with more than 600 operators. stETH rebases daily, while wstETH uses a value-accruing format across more than 100 DeFi integrations. The protocol supports a permissionless Community Staking Module and charges 10% of rewards. Trade-offs include receipt-token price variation, oracle and validator risks, DAO governance and withdrawal dependence on Ethereum exits.

    Liquid stakingEthereumAuditedETH
    • 600+ node operators across multiple validator modules
    • stETH remains usable in DeFi while ETH is staked
    • Permissionless Community Staking Module supports solo stakers
    Visit websiteRead review
  7. 7

    mETH Protocol

     3.9/5

    mETH Protocol is an Ethereum liquid staking and restaking platform backed by Mantle that issues mETH and cmETH receipt tokens with a 10% fee on staking rewards, suited for DeFi participants on Ethereum and Mantle.

    Liquid staking · Liquid restakingEthereumAuditedRestaking
    • Zero slashing incidents recorded across underlying validators since launch
    • Fast unstaking redemptions taking 1 to 5 minutes through the Instant Buffer
    • Restaking integration across EigenLayer, Symbiotic, and Karak via cmETH
    Visit websiteRead review
  8. 8

    Kiln

     3.8/5

    Kiln provides enterprise staking and DeFi yield infrastructure across 30+ networks, letting custodians and fintechs deploy validators while keeping their own custody.

    Native staking · Liquid staking +2Ethereum · Solana +7AuditedRestaking
    • SOC 2 Type II certified infrastructure audited by Insight Assurance in June 2026
    • Integrates directly with enterprise custodians including Fireblocks and Ledger
    • Supports over 30 Proof-of-Stake blockchains from a unified API and dashboard
    Visit websiteRead review

How we picked

Selection is limited to protocols classified as staking products with a liquid staking type. Each entry has a receipt token representing the staked position and operates on at least one supported blockchain.

The ordering uses the editorial score, with the listed ratings and product facts informing the assessment. The comparison considers chain coverage, stakeable asset, protocol fee, typical reward rate, withdrawal terms, validator access, audit status and the main custody or smart contract trade-off.

  • Sanctum: 4.5
  • Marinade: 4.3
  • Jito: 4.2
  • Rocket Pool: 4.2
  • Lido: 4.1

FAQ

Which protocols support Solana liquid staking?

Sanctum, Marinade and Jito support Solana liquid staking. They issue INF or validator LSTs, mSOL and JitoSOL respectively, while each remains limited to Solana.

Which protocols support Ethereum liquid staking?

Rocket Pool and Lido support Ethereum liquid staking. Rocket Pool issues rETH from deposits as small as 0.01 ETH, while Lido issues stETH and wstETH.

Which liquid staking protocol has the lowest stated minimum?

Rocket Pool has the lowest stated minimum, at 0.01 ETH for rETH. The protocol also lets node operators run validators with a 4 ETH bond.

How do the protocol fees compare?

The stated fees are 0.1% for Sanctum, 4% for Jito, 14% for Rocket Pool and 10% for Lido.

Which protocols offer permissionless validator participation?

Rocket Pool uses permissionless node operators, while Lido has a permissionless Community Staking Module. Sanctum uses a permissionless validator set for custom pools, and Marinade automates delegation across its validator marketplace.