Lido And Stakely Launch Public And Institutional stVaults Products For ETH Staking
Liquid staking protocol Lido and blockchain infrastructure provider Stakely have announced two ETH staking products built on stVaults, Lido’s modular staking infrastructure: a public staking vault and dedicated, non-custodial vaults for institutions. The announcement was made on September 9, 2026.
The public vault is open to all users and combines ETH staking with EarnETH, Lido’s ETH DeFi strategy. Participants deposit ETH through Stakely’s branded interface and receive an ERC-20 token representing their share of the vault. The deposited ETH is staked, and the DeFi Wrapper, Lido’s toolkit for end-user staking products, automatically mints stETH against the staked assets and deposits it into EarnETH, which allocates funds across a curated set of established DeFi protocols to generate additional rewards. As a result, participants hold a single position without ever handling stETH themselves. Stakely notes that DeFi strategies carry risks beyond plain staking, and participants are advised to review the product terms before joining.
Stakely, which has operated validators since 2020 with infrastructure distributed across Europe, is a Lido curated Node Operator and an identified operator for stVaults under the Basic Operator category. In both products, validator monitoring, performance management, and operational overhead remain with Stakely.
Institutional Vaults Offer Customization Without Custody
The second product is a dedicated institutional vault, designed for asset managers, treasuries, platforms, custodians, and ETF or ETP issuers. Each client keeps its ETH segregated and defines its own vault configuration: fee terms, operating permissions, liquidity design, and technical parameters.
Institutions select Stakely as their node operator while retaining their own custody model and controls. The setup is non-custodial — Stakely runs the validators but does not act as a custodian of institutional assets. On-chain attribution ties each position to a specific vault, operator, and parameter set, supporting clearer reporting and review.
The launch addresses a long-standing tradeoff between native and pooled staking. Direct ETH staking provides operator selection and potentially stronger validator outcomes, but capital remains illiquid, since withdrawals must clear the Ethereum exit queue, which can stretch to weeks during surges in exits.
Traditional liquid staking offers immediate liquidity but removes operator choice and averages validator performance across a broad pool. By enabling stETH to be minted against assets held in staking vaults, stVaults let stakers retain stETH liquidity while keeping control over validator selection and attribution.
On security, Lido stated that the stVaults smart contracts have undergone audits by Certora (including formal verification), MixBytes, Consensys Diligence, Composable Security, Ackee Blockchain, and Sigma Prime, with an ongoing Immunefi bug bounty offering rewards of up to $2 million.
Stakely additionally holds ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II certifications, Staking Rewards AAA verification, and operates a Staking Insurance Program that reimburses eligible slashing losses, subject to program terms. Both companies note that these measures reduce, but do not eliminate, underlying protocol and market risks. Web UI support for vault owner actions such as rebalancing and vault closure is expected in the second half of 2026.
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About The Author
Alisa, a dedicated journalist at the MPost, specializes in crypto, AI, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a keen eye for emerging trends and technologies, she delivers comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.
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Alisa, a dedicated journalist at the MPost, specializes in crypto, AI, investments, and the expansive realm of Web3. With a keen eye for emerging trends and technologies, she delivers comprehensive coverage to inform and engage readers in the ever-evolving landscape of digital finance.
