What is liquid staking crypto?

Liquid staking is a crypto staking process that allows users to unstake or withdraw their staked assets much more quickly than with traditional staking methods. In conventional staking, users lock up their crypto assets to validate transactions and earn rewards, which can take a significant amount of time to unstake or withdraw. This can lead to potential missed opportunities in trading or other activities.

Liquid staking protocols enable users to keep their assets more liquid by creating synthetic assets, derivatives, or tokens (often called 'liquid tokens') that represent the underlying staked assets. These liquid tokens can be traded or used in various decentralized finance (DeFi) applications while still earning staking rewards. The underlying staked assets remain secured in the staking pool, and the liquid tokens are minted to represent the staked assets.

Some well-known liquid staking protocols include Lido Finance (for Ethereum), Rocket Pool (for Ethereum), and Stakewire (for various blockchains). These platforms offer users more flexibility, allowing them to participate in staking and DeFi activities simultaneously without the need for long waiting periods for unstaking. Furthermore, liquid staking usually requires a lower threshold, making it more available as any amount can be staked.

Let's dive into the concept of liquid staking:

Synthetic Assets: In liquid staking protocols, synthetic assets represent the staked assets without actually transferring ownership. Users can trade or use these synthetic assets in DeFi platforms without the need to unstake their original assets. One popular example is Lido's liquid Ethereum (stETH) tokens, where stETH represents the underlying staked ETH in the Ethereum network.

Derivatives: Some liquid staking protocols use derivatives to represent the staked crypto assets, which enable users to trade based on the performance of the staked assets without owning them directly. These derivatives are often traded on decentralized exchanges, providing greater flexibility for users to capitalize on price movements. For instance, Rocket Pool's rETH tokens are ERC-20 derivatives representing the staked ETH in the Ethereum network.

Liquid Tokens: These crypto tokens serve as a representation of the underlying staked assets, allowing users to participate in DeFi activities without waiting for the unstaking period. Liquid tokens generally have a 1:1 ratio with the original assets, but there may be instances where they are over- or under-collateralized. An example of liquid tokens is Stakewire's SWFT tokens, which represent staked assets on various blockchains.

Rewards Distribution: Liquid staking protocols typically distribute staking rewards to users in the form of the respective liquid tokens, which continue to generate more rewards over time. Users can then choose to exchange these liquid tokens back for the original assets or keep using them in DeFi applications.

Security: Liquid staking platforms employ various mechanisms to ensure the security and stability of the system. These include over-collateralization, insurance funds, and smart contract governance to maintain the integrity of the platform and protect users' assets.

Platform Governance: Most liquid staking protocols have a governance system that allows stakeholders to participate in decision-making and propose changes to the protocol. This helps ensure the platform is aligned with the needs and interests of users while maintaining the decentralization ethos of the blockchain.

So, what is liquid staking crypto?

In summary, liquid staking provides a more flexible and accessible way for users to participate in staking and DeFi activities without being limited by the traditional unstaking period and high thresholds on some networks. This innovation allows users to maintain a higher level of liquidity while still benefiting from staking rewards.