#Educational Post

What Is #Liquid #Staking and How Does It Work?

In short, liquid staking is the tokenization of staked assets. We can think of it as an evolved version of traditional staking.

Conventional staking involves locking assets on a Proof of Stake (PoS) blockchain for a chance to receive rewards while contributing to the network’s security. However, this process often comes with a trade-off, as staked assets are typically illiquid (locked) during the staking period.

Liquid staking addresses this liquidity issue by introducing a mechanism where users receive liquid staking tokens (LSTs) in exchange for their staked assets. For example, if you stake ETH on a platform like Lido, you will receive stETH tokens in return. This gives staked tokens more utility, as users can benefit from staking rewards without compromising liquidity.

Why Does Liquid Staking Matter?

Liquid staking addresses the liquidity issue associated with traditional staking, providing users with greater flexibility and accessibility to their staked assets.

Platforms like Lido can offer users the opportunity to tokenize their staked assets into LSTs that can then be freely traded, used in decentralized finance (DeFi) applications, or leveraged as collateral without waiting for the staking period to conclude.

In addition, liquid staking contributes to the overall growth and adoption of blockchain networks by encouraging more active participation from users who may have been hesitant to lock up their assets for extended periods.