Stake and roam
Liquid staking.
Earn staking rewards without locking your coins away: liquid staking tokens like stETH and JitoSOL keep your capital free while it works. Here is how the model works and how to use it well.
Reviewed and current as of September 13, 2026
01Staking, the quick version
Proof of stake networks pay you to help secure them. You lock up coins with a validator, the validator confirms transactions honestly, and you earn a share of the rewards. Ethereum, Solana and many others run this way.
The catch is the lockup. Traditional staking ties your coins down: unstaking can take days or weeks, and locked coins cannot be used anywhere else. Your capital works one job at a time.
02The lockup problem
Locked capital is idle capital. While your ETH secures Ethereum, it cannot provide liquidity, serve as collateral, or chase opportunities elsewhere. For active users, that opportunity cost stings.
Liquid staking solves it with a clever receipt. Stake your coins through a protocol, receive a liquid token representing your position, and keep earning rewards while the receipt roams free across DeFi.
03How liquid staking tokens work
Deposit ETH into Lido and you receive stETH: a token that tracks your staked position plus accruing rewards. Deposit SOL into Jito and you get JitoSOL, which adds MEV rewards on top of standard staking yield. The receipt stays liquid while the original coins keep working.
You can trade the receipt, lend it, or provide liquidity with it, stacking extra yield on top of staking rewards. When you want out, swap the token back or unstake through the protocol. Flexibility becomes a feature, not a tradeoff.
04The big providers
Lido pioneered the model on Ethereum and remains the largest, with stETH woven through all of DeFi. Rocket Pool offers a more decentralized alternative where anyone can run a minipool. On Solana, Jito and Marinade lead, with Jito's MEV boosted rewards drawing heavy demand.
Competition keeps improving the deal: lower fees, better decentralization, richer integrations. The ecosystem rewards protocols that stay transparent about validators and reserves.
05Using LSTs wisely
Start with the established tokens and the core use: earn staking yield while staying liquid. As you learn, explore lending your LSTs for extra return, always sizing positions so a depeg would be a lesson, not a disaster.
Master the foundations: the Staking Guide covers the basics, the DeFi Yields Guide tours yield strategies, and the Ethereum Guide explains the network most LSTs live on.
01What is liquid staking?
Staking that gives you a liquid receipt token for your locked position. You keep earning staking rewards while the receipt token stays free to trade, lend, or use across DeFi.
02What is stETH?
Lido's liquid staking token for Ethereum. Deposit ETH, receive stETH representing your stake plus accruing rewards, and use it throughout DeFi while the underlying ETH keeps securing the network.
03What is JitoSOL?
Jito's liquid staking token for Solana. It bundles standard staking rewards with MEV rewards, giving holders one of the richest yields in the Solana ecosystem while staying fully liquid.
04What are the risks of liquid staking?
Smart contract risk, validator slashing risk, and the chance the receipt token temporarily trades below its backing (a depeg). Established protocols, audited code and sensible position sizing keep the adventure fun.
05What is the difference between liquid staking and restaking?
Liquid staking frees up staked capital with receipt tokens. Restaking takes those receipts and secures additional networks for extra yield and extra risk. Restaking builds on liquid staking, one layer higher.