Staking Modules Updates
Community Staking Module
Fifth ICS Application Closed, IDVTC Still Open
The fifth Identified Community Staker (ICS) application review round concluded last Monday, June 8.
Applications for Identified DVT Clusters (IDVTC) are open, with those submitted by June 22 being evaluated in the first assessment round.
ICS & IDVTC Assessment Rounds in 2026
To help applicants and prospective cluster members better plan their application and cluster formation timeline, Lido contributors published the assessment schedule for the remainder of 2026.
Both ICS and IDVTC reviews will follow a quarterly cadence. Since IDVTC eligibility requires four operators with ICS status, ICS cutoffs and assessments will take place first, followed by IDVTC reviews two weeks later.
New Score Sources for ICS Framework
The CSM Committee reviewed a proposal from SSV Labs to introduce additional options to obtain points within the ICS framework. The following additions have been approved:
- SSV Verified Operators are now eligible for 3 points under the Proof of Humanity category.
- SSV High Signal status representing SSV Discord engagement can now contribute 2–5 points under the Proof of Engagement category.
These additions recognize contributions already made by community operators within the SSV Network ecosystem and create additional pathways toward ICS qualification.
By enabling more touchpoints for community operators to obtain ICS scores, the changes are expected to support broader DVT adoption within the CSM and facilitate participation in the IDVTC following its mainnet launch alongside CSMv3.
Curated Module
Curated Module v2 Migration Testnet
The Curated Module v2 (CMv2) Hoodi migration testnet officially began on May 4, with Curated Node Operators starting the onboarding and validator migration process according to the Testnet Migration Schedule.
The first Lido Hoodi validator consolidation was successfully completed on May 13: validator 1066461 was consolidated into validator 1384555, transferring its effective balance and duties alongside 63 other Lido testnet validators.
This marked the beginning of large-scale testing for one of the most significant upgrades in the history of Lido Core, helping prepare the biggest protocol module for a smooth transition to CMv2, which will align it with Ethereum's validator roadmap.
Node Operator Type Assessment Framework
Lido DAO approved the Node Operator Type Assessment Framework for Curated Module v2 (CMv2), a major evolution in how the protocol recognizes and treats different operators.
Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all model, the framework introduces a more nuanced approach that recognizes contributions to the protocol security, infrastructure resilience and governance alignment, and support for Ethereum public goods and decentralization
The framework introduces six distinct Node Operator types, enabling the Lido DAO to balance performance, decentralization, and risk more dynamically through tailored parameters. This should foster a more resilient, diverse, and sustainable Lido validator set over the long term.
For an overview of the newly-introduced types and their value for the protocol and Ethereum ecosystem, check out the Twitter Article.
Node Operator Community
Lido Poolside: Tokenholder Update
May community call with Lido Labs leadership covered a broad range of topics that shapes the future of the protocol, including the state of the staking market, the protocol Q1 financials and a re-assessment of 2026 targets, Kelp DAO rsETH incident impact on the market and the Lido protocol specifically, a deep dive into protocol security features, and next steps for the DAO. In addition, contributors previewed a new product that should create new revenue sources.
Watch the full 65-minute recording on YouTube or catch the main highlights in the recap.
Next Lido Poolside: June 25
The next Lido Poolside community call will take place on Thursday, June 25. Lido contributors will share updates on the next chapter of the Lido Staking Modules and welcome guests from Cantina and Stereum Labs.
Find out more details and add this call to your calendar below:
stVaults Product Showcase
The new stVaults Products Overview is now live — a single hub to discover all products built on stVaults: from public staking vaults to modular institutional solutions: lido.fi/stvaults-products-overview
Powered by stVaults
Cactus Custody, the institutional digital asset custody platform of BIT, now supports Lido V3 stVaults through Cactus Link, its DeFi connector.
Founded in 2019, Cactus Custody secures digital assets across more than 60 blockchain ecosystems and serves over 400 institutional clients, including asset managers, investment funds, exchanges, OTC desks, payment providers, mining pools, and institutional DeFi participants.
With this integration, Cactus Custody clients can create and manage stVaults directly from their existing custody account.
The integration also builds on Cactus Custody's existing support for stETH and wstETH, enabling institutions to seamlessly combine Lido liquid staking tokens, stVault operations and other DeFi opportunities accessible through Cactus Link. Learn more in the blog:
Operational Updates
Validator Ejector 2.1.0 Pre-release
A new pre-release is ready for evaluation on the Hoodi testnet only.
A new Validator Ejector 2.1.0 pre-release is available for evaluation on the Hoodi testnet. Key resources:
Key improvements include:
- Faster cold starts via validator batch requests
- Enhanced configuration diagnostics and error reporting
- New
EJECTOR_SCOPEfor multi-module and multi-operator configurations
- Multi-endpoint support (comma-separated Execution and Consensus Layer endpoints)
- Improved exit logging with
stakingModuleIdtracking
Recommendations for Node Operators:
- Node Operators running infrastructure on Hoodi are encouraged to begin testing the release. Early feedback from the community helps identify issues, validate new functionality, and ensure a smooth transition ahead of the eventual mainnet rollout.
- Please notice that
STAKING_MODULE_ID,OPERATOR_ID, andOPERATOR_IDENTIFIERShave been deprecated and will be removed in a future release. Please migrate to the newEJECTOR_SCOPEenvironment variable.
Anchor SSV Client Use
Following a two-month performance evaluation on the Hoodi testnet, the Anchor SSV client, built by Sigma Prime, is now available for use on mainnet alongside the existing SSV Labs Go client.
The addition of a second SSV client is an important step toward improving SSV client layer diversity and resilience, which directly strengthens the fault tolerance of the Lido validator set across the Curated and Simple DVT Modules.
Recommendations for Node Operators:
- Curated Module Node Operators should first validate Anchor within their own Hoodi testing environments before deploying it on mainnet and coordinate the change with the Lido NOM team in advance.
- Simple DVT Operators should notify their cluster thread and align the transition with SDVT coordinators before making the switch.
Proposal for Updating Lido SNOPs
Ahead of the introduction of CMv2, Lido contributors have proposed updates to both Standard Node Operator Protocols (SNOPs) to reflect the operational realities of the newly introduced module. These updates are intended to ensure that operator expectations, procedures, and responsibilities remain clear, while supporting a smooth and consistent transition to the new module.
Block Proposals v4
Proposed changes include:
- Extending the scope to cover Node Operators participating through the new CMv2
- Updating validator definitions to account for 0x02 validators and high-balance validator consolidations
- Clarification of operator responsibilities around block proposals during the migration period from the legacy Curated Module to the CMv2
The full draft can be found here.
Validator Exits v4
Proposed changes include:
- Extending the scope to cover Node Operators participating through CMv2
- Updating exit procedures to reflect 0x02 validator mechanics and higher effective validator balances
- Clarifying how validator consolidations interact with exit prioritization and triggerable withdrawal flows
- Updating the consequence framework to align with CMv2’s bonding and penalty mechanisms
The full drafts can be found here.
The proposal that include these changes is now live on Snapshot. Curated Node Operators and LDO tokenholders are invited to review the framework and signal support before voting closes on June 22.
Validator and Node Operator Metrics Q1 2026 Update
The Q1 2026 VaNOM report is now live, providing an in-depth view of Lido validator set composition, infrastructure evolution, and decentralization progress across the protocol.
Validator set decentralization continued to strengthen throughout the quarter, driven by the rapid growth of permissionless staking through the CSM, while resilience and client diversity across all protocol modules also improved. Key highlights include:
- Nearly 1 million ETH operated by Simple DVT Module and CSM operators, representing 4.68% of all Lido validators and 1.44% of all staked ETH.
- Stake distribution within the Curated Module remains near-even across 36 Curated Node Operators, with a Gini coefficient at 0.0008 (where 0 represents perfect equality).
- Continued improvements in Execution Layer and Consensus Layer client diversity further reduced concentration risk across the validator set.
Together, these trends reflect ongoing progress toward a more distributed, resilient, and decentralized Lido validator ecosystem, contributing to the Ethereum network health.