Marinade vs Sanctum: Native Staking or Shared LST Liquidity
Marinade is a Solana staking protocol founded in 2021. It offers mSOL liquid staking and native delegation through standard stake accounts, with automated allocation across hundreds of validators. Marinade also supports borrowing against mSOL or active stake accounts.
Sanctum is a Solana liquid staking infrastructure layer for over 1,300 custom LSTs, including jupSOL, bbSOL, and dSOL. Its Infinity pool issues INF, while the Router supports instant conversions between SOL and supported LSTs. The main split is custody and liquidity: Marinade offers a native route without smart contract custody exposure, while Sanctum connects many LST pools. Sanctum charges a 0.10% withdrawal fee and a 10 basis point deposit fee.
Quick verdict
The deciding difference is the staking model. Marinade covers both liquid staking and native Solana delegation, while Sanctum focuses on shared liquidity across custom LSTs. Marinade issues mSOL and supports stake-account borrowing. Sanctum issues INF through Infinity and routes swaps across more than 1,300 LSTs. Its liquidity pools support immediate exits instead of standard epoch withdrawals.
Choose Marinade if Solana is the required network and native staking without smart contract custody exposure is more important than cross-LST liquidity. It also fits institutions using custodians such as Zodia Custody, BitGo, or Copper, plus holders who want mSOL, automated validator delegation, or Marinade Borrow. Marinade has audits from Neodyme, Ackee Blockchain, and Kudelski Security.
Choose Sanctum if instant SOL and LST conversions or diversified LST liquidity are the main requirements. Its Router charges a 0.10% withdrawal fee and a 10 basis point deposit fee. Sanctum uses non-custodial smart contracts, and upgrades are controlled by an 11-member multisig.
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | ||
| Our score | 4.3/5 | 4.5/5 |
| User rating | No reviews yet | No reviews yet |
| Yield | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Security | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Liquidity | 4.0 | 5.0 |
| Decentralization | 4.5 | 4.0 |
| Ease of use | 4.0 | 4.5 |
| Specs | ||
| KYC required | No | Not disclosed |
| Type | Liquid staking, Native staking | Liquid staking |
| Stakeable assets | SOL | SOL |
| Receipt token | mSOL | INF and validator LSTs |
| Protocol fee | Not disclosed | 0.1% |
| Chains | Solana | Solana |
| Node operators | Automated delegation across hundreds of Solana validators via Stake Auction Marketplace | Permissionless validator set with custom white-label pools |
| Audited | Yes | Yes |
| Restaking | No | Not disclosed |
| Typical reward rate | 5.04% - 7.6% | 5.65%-5.69% |
| Company | ||
| Founded | 2021 | — |
| Headquarters | United States | — |
| Investors | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Strengths and weaknesses | ||
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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| Best for | Solana DeFi liquidity providers, Users avoiding smart contract risk, Institutions using qualified custodians | Solana holders seeking diversified yield, Validators launching branded LSTs, DeFi traders swapping liquid tokens |
Highlighted cells show the stronger value in each row. Data comes from each provider's site and public sources; check details before you sign up.
FAQ
Is Marinade cheaper than Sanctum?
Sanctum charges a 0.10% withdrawal fee and a 10 basis point deposit fee.
Which one supports native Solana staking?
Marinade supports native staking through standard Solana stake accounts. Sanctum focuses on liquid staking, shared liquidity, and swaps between SOL and LSTs.
Which protocol has broader liquid staking support?
Sanctum connects over 1,300 custom Solana LSTs through shared liquidity. Marinade centers its liquid staking route on mSOL, alongside its separate native delegation service.
Are Marinade and Sanctum non-custodial?
Both use non-custodial designs, but their custody trade-offs differ. Marinade's native route avoids smart contract custody exposure, while Sanctum's liquid staking system runs through Solana smart contracts and interconnected pools.
Which protocol has more listed security audits?
Sanctum lists audits from six firms, including Halborn, Kudelski, OtterSec, Neodyme, Quantstamp, and Sec3. Marinade lists audits from Neodyme, Ackee Blockchain, and Kudelski Security.