Liquid Staking Protocol Lido Launches stVaults on Mainnet to Expand Ethereum Staking

Ethereum-based liquid staking giant Lido contributors have announced the mainnet release of stVaults, a new staking primitive designed to open Lido’s staking infrastructure, liquidity, and integrations to external builders.

Lido V3 is live on Ethereum mainnet, introducing stVaults:

Modular staking infrastructure for builders, powered by stETH.https://t.co/A6vpfysrXp

↓ pic.twitter.com/RpQxRXtWH8

— Lido (@LidoFinance) January 30, 2026

The launch marks Lido’s expansion from a single liquid staking product into shared staking infrastructure, allowing teams to run custom validator configurations and, optionally, mint stETH.

According to the announcement, stVaults introduces isolated staking environments that make it easier for developers, Layer 2 networks, and institutional operators to build new staking products without bootstrapping infrastructure from scratch.

A Structural Shift in Ethereum Staking Design

The release represents a broader evolution in how Ethereum staking products are built and deployed. Until now, teams launching staking solutions typically needed to develop validator infrastructure, liquidity pathways, and ecosystem integrations independently. stVaults offer an alternative: purpose-built staking environments that connect directly into Lido’s existing staking and liquidity network.

According to the update, Lido’s core protocol remains unchanged and continues operating as before, while stVaults run alongside it, creating a framework for multiple staking setups to operate in parallel.

As Ethereum staking matures, the ecosystem is moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach toward more specialized staking designs tailored to different users and applications.

Layer 2 Adoption Begins With Linea

Initial deployments of stVaults are already underway across Layer 2 networks, professional node operators, institutional staking providers, and application builders.

Linea is the first network to adopt the model through its “Linea Yield Boost” design. The approach stakes a portion of bridged ETH via stVaults and redirects staking rewards toward liquidity providers and ecosystem incentives, while remaining connected to stETH liquidity.

Declan Fox, Head of Linea, said the integration allows bridged ETH to become productive capital at the protocol level without requiring users to change how they use ETH on the network.

Institutional Node Operators Join at Launch

stVaults are also being deployed by professional validator operators, including P2P.org, Chorus One, Pier Two, and Sentora (with Kiln).

The system allows operators to offer staking products on dedicated validator infrastructure while still accessing shared liquidity, supporting configurations designed for institutional requirements and more specialized strategies.

Artemiy Parshakov, VP of Institutions at P2P.org, said stVaults help Ethereum staking move beyond generic delegation toward clearer validator environments with stronger accountability and operational separation.

Expanding Shared Staking Infrastructure

The launch comes as liquid staking reaches traditional financial markets. VanEck has filed for a Lido-staked ETH ETF, while WisdomTree recently introduced a fully staked ETH ETP backed by stETH.

Isidoros Passadis, Chief of Staking at Lido Labs Foundation, said stVaults demonstrate how Ethereum staking is evolving, with different users requiring different setups, including Layer 2 integrations and institution-ready configurations.

Lido said stVaults are rolling out with conservative limits initially, ensuring stable operation before broader expansion across the Ethereum ecosystem.