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stakefish
Non-custodial validator infrastructure securing over $1.4B in assets across 17 networks
3.6/ 5
Our score
Good
Type
Native stakingRestaking
Protocol fee
4.3%
Audited
Yes
What is stakefish?
stakefish is a non-custodial staking service provider and validator operator founded in 2018, securing over $1.47B in staked assets across 17 proof-of-stake networks as of 2026.
Founding and background
The service was launched by Chief Executive Officer Chun Wang, who co-founded Bitcoin and Ethereum mining pool f2pool in 2013. The stakefish core team includes Operations Manager Jun Soo Kim, Head of Infrastructure Cristian Lucera, Marketing Lead Dasom Song, and Full-Stack Developer Andrea Di Michele. Operations run through globally distributed engineering teams that provide around-the-clock infrastructure coverage across major time zones.
How staking works
The platform runs enterprise validator infrastructure without taking custody of user funds. Delegators retain ownership of their private keys and withdrawal credentials directly on each host network. Supported blockchains include Ethereum, Solana, Cardano, Cosmos, Polygon, Sui, Monad, Starknet, and Babylon Bitcoin. For Ethereum validators, stakefish supports native 32-ETH staking, EigenLayer restaking integrations, and a Batch Deposit Contract designed to fund multiple validators in single transactions. Solana delegators can direct stake through native accounts to capture base inflation alongside MEV rewards.
Fee structure and commission
Commission models depend on the chain and reward type. On Ethereum, stakefish updated its structure in May 2026 to charge a 0% commission on consensus layer rewards and a 50% commission on execution layer and MEV rewards. Between September 2025 and February 2026, this translated into a rolling six-month blended effective commission averaging 4.30%. On Solana, rewards split between network inflation rates of approximately 6% APR and variable MEV returns captured per epoch.
Track record and operational security
stakefish has operated validators since 2018. In October 2026, total Ethereum staked through the service grew to 935,000 ETH. Its Ethereum batch deposit contract was audited by Runtime Verification in collaboration with formal verification researcher Daejun Park. During broader Web3 infrastructure incidents in September 2025 involving NPM packages and SwissBorg, stakefish conducted internal security reviews and confirmed zero downtime or asset loss across its infrastructure.
Risks and considerations
Delegators face native proof-of-stake network risks. While stakefish maintains a clean historical slashing record since launch, validator infrastructure failure or misconfiguration can trigger network slashing penalties or offline downtime deductions. Users also remain subject to protocol-enforced unbonding queues and lockup periods, which prevent immediate liquidity upon exiting positions.
Founders
Chun WangFounder & CEO
Co-founded Bitcoin and Ethereum mining pool f2pool in 2013.
Best for:Institutional stakers running full validatorsLong-term holders seeking non-custodial delegationDevelopers integrating multi-chain staking APIs
Pros and cons
Pros
- Zero percent consensus layer fee for native Ethereum validator deposits
- Non-custodial architecture keeps private keys and withdrawal authority with delegators
- Runtime Verification audit completed on the Ethereum batch deposit smart contract
- Track record spanning over eight years without recorded slashing incidents
Cons
- Fifty percent execution layer fee reduces upside on large Ethereum MEV blocks
- Native Ethereum staking requires a full 32 ETH capital commitment
- Does not issue an in-house liquid staking receipt token for secondary market trading
- Unstaking speeds remain subject to protocol-level network unbonding queues
Our review
3.6/5
Good
stakefish offers reliable, non-custodial staking across major proof-of-stake networks with zero consensus fees, but its 50% execution layer commission and lack of native liquid staking tokens limit flexibility.
Founded in 2018 by Chun Wang, co-founder of f2pool, stakefish operates institutional-grade, non-custodial validators across 17 proof-of-stake networks including Ethereum, Solana, Cosmos, Cardano, and Polygon. With about $1.47B in total assets staked and over 935,000 ETH delegated as of October 2026, the operator maintains a clean historical track record with zero recorded slashing incidents.
The service operates primarily as native validator infrastructure rather than a liquid staking provider. Delegators retain full custody of their private keys and assets, eliminating counterparty custody risk and smart contract depeg risks common to liquid staking derivatives. For Ethereum staking, stakefish utilizes a differentiated pricing structure: it charges a 0% commission on consensus layer rewards alongside a 50% commission on execution layer and MEV earnings. Over a six-month rolling window, this yielded a blended effective fee of roughly 4.30%.
The service has clear limitations depending on user needs:
- No native liquid staking receipt tokens exist, meaning staked assets remain illiquid and subject to protocol-defined unbonding delays.
- Solo delegators running dedicated Ethereum validators must fulfill the native 32 ETH minimum deposit requirement.
- The 50% execution layer cut can significantly reduce earnings during periods of elevated network congestion and MEV spikes.
- Restaking functionality on Ethereum requires manual delegation through third-party platforms like EigenLayer rather than integrated one-click pools.
Smart contract security includes an audit of its batch deposit contract conducted by Runtime Verification. When broader industry security alerts emerged regarding NPM supply chain compromises in September 2025, internal infrastructure reviews confirmed stakefish delegators and validator operations remained unaffected.
stakefish suits long-term delegators, institutions, and high-net-worth holders seeking direct native staking with proven validator uptime. Users prioritizing immediate liquidity, decentralized finance yield loops, or smaller fractional deposits should choose liquid staking protocols instead.
Specs
| KYC required ⓘ | No · unverified |
|---|---|
| Type | Native staking, Restaking · unverified |
| Stakeable assets | ETH, SOL, ADA, ATOM, POL, SUI · unverified |
| Protocol fee | 4.3% · unverified |
| Chains | Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, Cosmos, Sui, Other · unverified |
| Node operators | stakefish internal infrastructure · unverified |
| Audited | Yes · unverified |
| Restaking | Yes · unverified |
| Typical reward rate ⓘ | ~6-7% APR on Solana · unverified |
Not disclosed by the provider: Receipt token, Minimum stake, Withdrawal time, Slashing cover.
Data from the provider's website and public sources. Fees and availability change; confirm on the official site before you sign up.
Key features
Zero consensus layer commission
Ethereum validators pay 0% fee on consensus layer rewards, paired with a 50% commission on execution layer and MEV earnings.
Batch deposit contract
Stakers can fund multiple 32-ETH validators simultaneously using an audited smart contract verified by Runtime Verification.
Unified staking API
Developers can track organization TVL, monitor validator sync status, query delegator rewards, and broadcast signed transactions across supported chains.
MEV smoothing pool
Aggregates and distributes execution layer block proposal tips and MEV rewards across active Ethereum delegators.
Solana reward breakdown
Direct delegation captures base inflation yields near 6% APR alongside epoch-based MEV priority fee distributions.
EigenLayer restaking support
Supports restaking integrations on Ethereum to repurpose staked validator capital across connected services.
Inside stakefish
Classic Staking
Non-custodial staking interface allowing retail delegators to stake assets directly across supported proof-of-stake blockchains while keeping full asset custody.
Institutional Staking
Enterprise staking service offering SOC2-compliant node infrastructure and around-the-clock technical operations for institutions and high-volume validators.
MAX MEV Smoothing Pool
An execution layer rewards pool for Ethereum validators that aggregates and evenly distributes MEV profits among participating stakers.
Unified Staking API and SDK
Developer toolset providing programmatic delegation, validator performance monitoring, total value locked metrics, and reward tracking across supported chains.
What users say about stakefish
Feedback describes stakefish as a non-custodial validator that offers delegation without upfront hosting fees.
In their own words
“stake.fish is a well-known non-custodial validator service with a long track record supporting ETH, SOL, Cosmos and others it lets you delegate for staking rewards without running your own node, though it’s worth checking fees, lock-ups and on-chain data before you commit”
“Phantom, easy staking on stake.fish”
Based on 6 Reddit posts and comments from the last 12 months, checked Oct 21, 2026. These are posts by users on other sites, not reviews submitted on CryptoReview.
User reviews
No user reviews yet. Have you used stakefish? Share your experience below.
FAQ
Who founded stakefish?
stakefish was founded in 2018 by Chun Wang, who also co-founded the mining pool f2pool in 2013.
What fees does stakefish charge for staking?
On Ethereum, stakefish charges a 0% commission on consensus layer rewards and a 50% commission on execution layer and MEV rewards, resulting in a blended fee of about 4.30%. Commissions on other networks vary depending on validator parameters.
Is KYC required to use stakefish?
No, retail delegators interact permissionlessly with non-custodial validators directly from their Web3 wallets without identity verification.
Has stakefish suffered any hacks or slashing penalties?
stakefish has maintained a spotless slashing record since its launch in 2018. Industry security incidents in September 2025 were reviewed internally with zero impact on validator operations or delegator assets.
Does stakefish offer a liquid staking token?
No, stakefish does not mint its own liquid staking receipt token. Delegated assets remain locked according to the native unstaking rules of each supported blockchain.
What chains and assets can you stake with stakefish?
stakefish supports 17 proof-of-stake networks, including Ethereum, Solana, Cardano, Cosmos, Polygon, Sui, Starknet, and Monad.
Latest from stakefish on X
My love language https://t.co/ZVfNSoqwGs
This week in crypto
Binance lost about $6.3B from its hot wallets on October 29. It is the largest crypto theft on record.
The theft hit ten chains, and most of it happened in about 20 minutes.
Plus four more stories worth knowing below. https://t.co/9tW7XexuKU
Binance lost about $6.3B from its hot wallets on October 29. It is the largest crypto theft on record.
The theft hit ten chains, and most of it happened in about 20 minutes.
Plus four more stories worth knowing below. https://t.co/9tW7XexuKU
01 / About 1.3M ETH sat in Ethereum's deposit queue on Oct 27.
At the Glamsterdam fork, every pending deposit gets routed once. The draft rules routed by public key. That let a builder take a validator deposit made for the same key.
The fix merged Oct 26. https://t.co/zjcrjhLtTt
At the Glamsterdam fork, every pending deposit gets routed once. The draft rules routed by public key. That let a builder take a validator deposit made for the same key.
The fix merged Oct 26. https://t.co/zjcrjhLtTt
US spot ETH ETFs that stake have taken in $983M this year.
The ones that don't have lost $859M.
October has been rough for both:
Staking funds: -$123M
Everything else: -$1.33B
@iShares runs one of each. ETHB stakes and is up $852M since it launched in March. ETHA doesn't, and it's down $622M this year.
Data: @FarsideUK, through Oct 29
The ones that don't have lost $859M.
October has been rough for both:
Staking funds: -$123M
Everything else: -$1.33B
@iShares runs one of each. ETHB stakes and is up $852M since it launched in March. ETHA doesn't, and it's down $622M this year.
Data: @FarsideUK, through Oct 29
Recent public posts from @stakefish, shown as published. Not reviewed or endorsed by CryptoReview.
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