Rocket Pool
Best for audited protocol with published methodology
How it rates
- Audit report linked from a public dataset
- Accounting methodology published
- TVL of $1,014m recorded independently
- Single-chain deployment
Each indicator scores 2, 1 or 0. A pillar is the points earned over the points available; the overall score is the weighted sum. Every source below is public — check any of them yourself.
- MetIndependent audit report linked publicly
Audit report linked from the public protocol dataset.
rocketpool.net/files/sigma-prime-audit.pdf - Met
- MetTracked by an independent analytics platform
Listed with published TVL and history.
defillama.com/protocol/rocket-pool - MetAccounting methodology published in the dataset
Methodology published.
defillama.com/protocol/rocket-pool - PartialApplication reachable at a public address
Published at a documented URL; automated retrieval blocked at this check.
rocketpool.net
- PartialApplication reachable without an account
Published at a documented URL; automated retrieval blocked at this check.
rocketpool.net - MetProtocol economics published independently
TVL and change history published.
defillama.com/protocol/rocket-pool - Met
- Not met
- PartialNo account required to reach the application
Published at a documented URL; automated retrieval blocked at this check.
rocketpool.net
- MetTotal value locked published independently
TVL $1,014m at this check.
defillama.com/protocol/rocket-pool - Met
- Met
- Not met
- MetListed on the dataset for over a year
Listing date recorded in the dataset.
defillama.com/protocol/rocket-pool
- MetIndependent analytics page published
Public protocol page with history.
defillama.com/protocol/rocket-pool - Met
- Met
- Met
- Met
- PartialApplication reachable
Published at a documented URL; automated retrieval blocked at this check.
rocketpool.net - Met
- Met
- Met
- Met
A liquid staking protocol holding $1.01bn, built on permissionless bonded node operators rather than a curated operator set.
Our assessment
Rocket Pool holds $1.01bn with two audits and reports linked. Anyone can run a validator for the protocol by posting a bond in ETH and its own token — no whitelist, no governance approval. That is the most decentralised operator model among major liquid staking protocols.
Why permissionless operation matters
The central criticism of liquid staking is that it concentrates validation among a handful of professional operators chosen by a DAO. Rocket Pool answers it structurally: the operator set is open, bonded, and grows with demand. If Ethereum's validator decentralisation matters to you, this is the protocol that acts on it rather than describing it.
Bonds align incentives, and constrain growth
Requiring operators to post their own capital means misbehaviour costs them first. It also means the protocol can only take deposits as fast as bonded operators appear, which is why it has grown more slowly than pooled competitors. That is the decentralisation being paid for, in growth.
Where it scores below the leaders
Audits and mechanics are well documented. Our transparency and documentation indicators are what hold it in the eights, alongside a derivative whose secondary liquidity is thinner than Lido's — relevant if you plan to sell rather than unstake.
Who it suits
Rocket Pool fits stakers who weight Ethereum's decentralisation and accept slightly thinner derivative liquidity for it. Stakers optimising purely for liquidity and integrations should use Lido.
How rivals compare
Frequently asked
Does this score mean Rocket Pool is safe?
No. It measures what an outsider can verify: linked audits, published methodology and independently recorded market data. Contract risk is not tested by us.
Where do the TVL and audit figures come from?
A public analytics dataset queried at the verification date, plus the audit reports it links. Both are re-runnable by anyone.
Why do some protocols score zero on audits?
Because no audit report is linked in the public record. The indicator records what a user can reach, not a claim that no audit exists.