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Liquid Staking

StakeWise V2

Best for audited protocol with published methodology

Total value locked:$718m at this checkChains:2Audits recorded:2Audit report linked:YesRubric:v2.0 · verified 9 Aug 2026
Kayla PetersonKayla PetersonDeFi Research Analyst· Last verified August 9, 2026
Confidence ARubric v2.0Verified August 9, 2026
9.4
out of 10
Open account
Scorecard

How it rates

Counterparty & contract risk · 35%10.0
Cost transparency · 20%9.0
Market quality · 15%7.0
Transparency & track record · 20%10.0
Public documentation surface · 10%10.0
Pros
  • Audit report linked from a public dataset
  • Accounting methodology published
  • TVL of $718m recorded independently
Cons
  • Several indicators could not be verified from public sources at this check
How this score was built

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.

Counterparty & contract risk · 35% weight10/10 points · 10.0/10
Cost transparency · 20% weight9/10 points · 9.0/10
Market quality · 15% weight7/10 points · 7.0/10
Transparency & track record · 20% weight10/10 points · 10.0/10
Public documentation surface · 10% weight10/10 points · 10.0/10

A liquid staking protocol holding $718m across two chains, allowing stakers to choose the vault and operator that manage their deposit.

Our assessment

StakeWise holds $718m across two chains with two audits and reports linked. Its distinguishing choice is that a staker selects which vault manages their deposit rather than being pooled into one undifferentiated set of operators.

Choosing your operator is a real decision

In most liquid staking protocols, your ETH goes to a set of operators chosen by governance and you have no say. StakeWise makes the operator a user-level choice, which means a staker can favour smaller or independent operators — the practical way an individual can support validator decentralisation without running hardware.

Isolation cuts both ways

Vault separation means a slashing event in one vault does not socialise losses across everyone. It also means your outcome depends on the specific vault you chose, and choosing badly is now your responsibility rather than governance's. That is a fair trade, and it does require paying attention.

Evidence position

Two audits with reports linked, documented mechanics and reachable technical documentation put this near the top of the liquid staking table. At $718m the derivative's secondary liquidity is meaningful though well below Lido's — relevant if you expect to exit quickly rather than unstake.

Who it suits

StakeWise fits stakers who want to choose their operator and accept vault-level risk isolation. Stakers who want the deepest derivative liquidity and widest DeFi integration should use Lido.

Alternatives

How rivals compare

ServiceScoreBest for
Lido9.6audited protocol with published methodologyRead →
Stader9.5audited protocol with published methodologyRead →
Reference

Frequently asked

Does this score mean StakeWise V2 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.