The team at Lido Finance has rolled out the v3 update on the Ethereum mainnet, introducing a modular infrastructure for stVaults based on stETH.

Lido V3 is live on Ethereum mainnet, introducing stVaults:

Modular staking infrastructure for builders, powered by stETH.https://t.co/A6vpfysrXp

↓ pic.twitter.com/RpQxRXtWH8

— Lido (@LidoFinance) January 30, 2026

According to the developers, this solution combines the benefits of individual staking with Lido's liquidity features and network integrations.

“Projects can customize key parameters—such as operator selection, policies, fees, reward logic, and risk ratios—while maintaining access to overall liquidity through stETH,” the statement reads.

Source: Lido.

Among the key features offered by this solution to various market participants, Lido highlighted:

  • For institutions—deployment of isolated vaults with a set of trusted validators and optional liquidity in stETH;
  • For node operators—moving beyond traditional delegated staking to create differentiated offerings with various fee structures, annual percentage rates, and operational settings;
  • For developers—a DeFi Wrapper tool to create pools with integrated yield strategies, including cyclical staking or market-neutral models;
  • For L2 protocols—turning users' locked ETH into productive assets.

All use cases for the solution are built “on a common layer through stETH,” ensuring compatibility and shared liquidity within the Ethereum decentralized finance ecosystem.

The team announced the v3 update in February 2025. Over the past months, the upgrade has undergone testing in several testnets and security audits.

It’s worth noting that in August 2025, Lido reduced its workforce by approximately 15% following a drop in its share of the ETH staking segment to 25%.