Staking Modules Updates
Community Staking Module
Fresh Look at Lido’s First Permissionless Module
Whether you’re a CSM OG or a staker exploring the Community Staking Module for the first time, there’s no better place to check than the new Getting Started, which migrated from the Lido Node Operator Portal to lido.fi/csm.
This refreshed page gives a clear, up-to-date view of Lido’s first permissionless staking module, including current staking APR and reward structure, a comparison of pathways to begin running validators with the CSM, guides to the integrated solutions that help you to optimize validator operations, frequently asked questions, and highlights from the Lido Stakers Guild over the years.
Check it out and enjoy your CSM journey!
Round Two ICS Application Results
On December 22, the second review round for Identified Community Staker (ICS) applications assessment concluded.
An additional 23 Node Operators qualified for ICS Node Operator status, unlocking enhanced parameters — including a 6% reward share for the first 16 validators, deposit priority for the first 10 validators, reduced bond requirement for the first validator and lower removal fee for all keys, and more flexible performance thresholds — relative to permissionless CSM operator type.
Round #2 applicants can check their status via the CSM interface:
- Eligible operators can claim their ICS operator type directly in the UI.
- New operators will have the ICS type assigned automatically upon creating their CSM operator profile in the UI.
The Identified Community Staker (ICS) framework brings truly independent Node Operators — such as solo stakers and community groups — into the permissionless CSM by formally recognizing their status and rewarding it with better capital efficiency and more flexible performance requirements. By offering tailored conditions to empower their participation in the Lido validator set, ICS enables a broader and more diverse group of operators to secure Ethereum, strengthening decentralization across the network.
ICS Applications Remain Open
Since the introduction of the ICS framework with the CSM v2 upgrade, it has gained strong momentum, with 482 applications evaluated, 345 approvals to date, and 220 operators claimed their ICS status as of January 1.
If you're an independent staker and haven’t applied yet, there’s still plenty of time to submit your application, improve your score, and run validator as part of Lido permissionless set! Applications will remain open, with another review round expected in late Q1 or early Q2 — stay tuned for updates on the exact timeline.
Additional Round Ends on January 22
To empower more independent stakers joining the CSM — and give another opportunity to those who narrowly missed qualifying as an ICS operator in Round #2 — Lido contributors are scheduling an additional application assessment ahead of the proposed increase in the module’s share from 5% to 7.5%.
This review round will take place at the end of January and will include all applications submitted between December 22, 2025, and January 22, 2026.
If LDO tokenholders approve the module capacity increase and it passes the Dual Governance review, this will open the space for more ICS operators to join Lido’s permissionless validator set by activating validators, as they have access to the priority entry queue.
Submit your application as soon as possible to be considered in this extra review round and start benefiting from ICS status!
Curated Module
CMv2 Bond Approach & Values Suggestion
Following the proposal of the high-level design for Curated Module v2 (CMv2), contributors from the Lido Analytics Workstream shared their suggested bond sizing approach.
The recommendation is based on the risk mitigation framework originally developed for the Community Staking Module, while adapted to reflect the changes brought by the Pectra upgrade and current network conditions.
Bonding is a newly proposed mechanism in CMv2 that aims to complement — not replace — reputation-based approach, which has historically served as the
primary alignment and reliability guarantee in the Curated Module. While it has proven effective, it does not provide measurable protection against operational risks. As the ecosystem matures, introducing a bond component can help quantify it and enhance protocol resilience.
By integrating bonding, Lido contributors aims to strengthen the security and accountability of the NO set, ensuring more robust and transparent safeguards — a critical step toward a more sustainable and aligned with Ethereum’s decentralization goals setup.
Discover the approach here.
Future of the Curated Module | CMv2 Landscape
Bond values & approach suggestion: Hi there! Firstly, thank you Aleksandra G for an extensive and well-structured proposal for discussion. I would like to focus on one of the key goals outlined in the document: Introduce measurable accountability. Incorporate bonding and penalty frameworks to align operator behavior with staker interests in a more formal way. As a contributor within the analytics workstream, I want to share my approach and suggestion on bond values for CMv2, based on the r...
research.lido.fi
Simple DVT Module
Lido x Obol
Lido x SSV
Mainnet | Status: Active ▶️
- Cohort 1 is active, 12 clusters running 80 validators each
- Cohort 2 is active: 14 clusters running 80 validators each
- Cohort 3 is active, 10 clusters running 80 validators each
- Obol Super Clusters are active, 5 clusters running 500 validators each
Mainnet | Status: Active ▶️
- Cohort 1 is active, 12 clusters running 80 validators each
- Cohort 2 is active, 9 clusters running 80 validators each
- Cohort 3 is active, 15 clusters running 80 validators each
- SSV Super Clusters are active, 5 clusters running 500 validators each
Node Operator Community
5 Years of Lido Protocol
On December 19, 2020, Lido went live with a mission to provide Ethereum users with access to simple, secure and decentralised staking. At the time, Ethereum staking was complex and inaccessible to most users.
Hundreds of thousands of users and billions of dollars in staking rewards later, Lido has evolved into a core part of the Ethereum ecosystem. Resume the 5-year journey below:
- 8,700,000 ETH staked
- 800+ Node Operators
- ~33% of stETH used across DeFi
The work is far from done: with ongoing decentralization efforts, V3 introducing new staking primitives and new institutional pathways for stETH exposure, Lido is expanding beyond a single product into a modular staking infrastructure.
To the stakers, Node Operators, contributors, builders, and Ethereum community members who have helped shape Lido over the past five years — thank you! Here's to 5 more years 🥂
Lido Poolside: Decentralization
2025 closed out with a dedicated community updated focused on Lido decentralization roadmap.
The December edition of the Poolside Call brought together key updates that painted a clear picture of where the protocol is headed: from celebrating the first anniversary of the CSM and outlining its 2026 outlook, exploring the proposed evolution of the Curated Module, to introducing the strategic framing of GOOSE-3 and its upcoming funding request.
Watch the full 70-minute recording on YouTube, or catch the main highlights in the recap.
Lido V3 & stVaults Full Launch Soon
Soft Launch on Mainnet
Following LDO tokenholder approval and a completion of the Dual Governance review, Phase 1 of Lido V3 was activated on Christmas Eve.
Due to the complexity and breadth of the V3 upgrade introducing modular architecture and stVaults to the protocol, the rollout follows previously introduced phased approach that started with the Soft Launch mode. It allows builders, early adopters, and trusted partners to begin integrating and testing V3 core components while maintaining a security posture set by Phase 1 limits.
As part of this Phase, the first 22 Node Operators were provided with stETH minting capacity on December 29. The stVaults onboarding process continues permanently, so submit your request following the stVaults Node Operators Identification guide.
Phase 2 — the Full Launch — is expected in late January, unlocking broader capabilities such as the Predeposit Guarantee (PDG) contract, full-featured stVaults UI, increased stETH minting caps, and full-scale public communications.
Early Builders and Partners: Final Call
As Lido contributors prepare for the V3 Phase 2 (Full Launch), they’re inviting early builders, Node Operators, integrators, and partners to join the initial launch wave. Whether you're:
- Building or launching products using stVaults infrastructure
- Planning to join co-launch or co-marketing activities around V3
- Aiming to help shape the next phase of Ethereum staking
… Lido contributors would be happy to support your efforts with visibility, technical help, and co-marketing.
If you’re building something and aim for V3 launch, fill out this form and join the Lido V3 launch wave.
Lido Validators Gas Limits
2025 marked a year of progressive gas limit increases across Ethereum — from 30M (held since 2021) to 35M in February, 45M in July, and ultimately 60M in late November followed by the Fusaka upgrade, which set it a default value. The final raise doubled the per-block gas capacity compared to the start of the year, a long-awaited step to boost Ethereum’s throughput and execution capacity.
Lido validators were at the forefront of this transition support, reinforcing contribution to Ethereum’s evolution at the infrastructure layer. Throughout the year, Node Operators consistently tested and signaled the gas limit increases, helping the network move toward higher blockspace while maintaining performance and stability.
As of December 31st, 86.9% of Lido validators were voting for a 60M+ gas limit. The breakdown was as follows:
- 13.1% (-41.8pp. MoM) voting for 45M
- 86.1% (+41.5pp. MoM) voting for 60M
- 0.8% (+0.3pp. MoM) voting for 90M
Track It Live
The latest gas limit votings can be tracked via the Lido Pumped Gas Dune Dashboard, which offers a clearer view of changes across Lido operator set, including a 14-day history, data available at both an aggregated level and for individual blocks, all verifiable on-chain.
