StakeWise

StakeWise is a technology company.

Active

Updated: Mar 22, 2026 ·

About

StakeWise operates a decentralized liquid staking protocol for Ethereum; users stake ETH and receive liquid derivative tokens. It provides secure, non-custodial solutions for individuals and institutions. The platform ensures trustlessness through immutable smart contracts, a diverse validator network, and Distributed Validator Technology, safeguarding assets and upholding protocol integrity.

Co-founded by Kirill Kutakov and Dmitri Tsumak, StakeWise began in 2018 to democratize Ethereum staking. Leveraging blockchain security expertise, the founders sought an accessible, liquid solution. They aimed to blend institutional security with true decentralization, fostering a flexible, capital-efficient staking experience.

StakeWise serves DeFi participants, solo stakers, and institutions, enabling daily rewards while retaining asset liquidity. The company’s vision aims to broaden access to Ethereum’s security layer, cultivating an inclusive staking environment. This empowers users to contribute to network stability, maintain asset control, and optimize staked capital utilization.

Recent News & Mentions

Mar 1, 2021FundingStakeWise - Seed

Financial History

StakeWise has raised $2.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $2.0M Seed in March 2021.

Total Raised

$2.0M

Valuation

N/A

Funding Rounds Raised

Date	Round	Lead Investors	Other Investors
Mar 1, 2021	$2.0M Seed		CrunchFund, Gumi Cryptos Capital, Pantera Capital, Do Kwon, Mona El Isa, Stani Kulechov

Financial History

StakeWise has raised $2.0M across 1 funding round.

Total Raised

$2.0M

Valuation

N/A

Deep Dive

StakeWise is a decentralized liquid-staking protocol for Ethereum that lets holders stake ETH (solo or pooled) while receiving a tradable staked token (osETH / vault tokens) to keep liquidity and compose with DeFi, and it operates as a protocol + interface + DAO with modular vaults and on‑chain governance.[3][2]

High‑Level Overview

Concise summary: StakeWise is a liquid Ethereum staking marketplace and protocol that enables users to stake any amount of ETH, receive tokenized representations of their staked ETH (notably osETH in V3), and continue using those tokens across DeFi while earning staking rewards.[3][2]- For an investment firm (not applicable): StakeWise is a product company/protocol rather than an investment firm; below is the portfolio‑company style view for StakeWise as a company/protocol.[7][3]

Portfolio‑company style view

Mission: Provide decentralized, non‑custodial liquid staking primitives that increase staking accessibility and composability while reducing centralization risk on Ethereum.[3][6]- Product it builds: A modular liquid‑staking protocol (StakeWise Protocol), a web interface to browse and use Vaults, and governance via the StakeWise DAO and SWISE token.[3]- Who it serves: ETH holders (retail and institutional), node operators/solo stakers who can open Vaults, and DeFi protocols that integrate staked‑ETH tokens.[3][4]- What problem it solves: Removes the liquidity lock of traditional staking by issuing tradable staked tokens (osETH / vault tokens), lowers the barrier to earn staking yield (no 32 ETH requirement for pooled options), and offers decentralized vaults to mitigate centralization and slashing risk.[2][6]- Growth momentum: Launched in the 2020–2021 era and iterated through V3 with vaults and osETH; the protocol has attracted meaningful deposits since launch and emphasizes an expanding Vault marketplace and DAO governance as growth levers.[4][3]

Origin Story

Founding and early timeline: StakeWise emerged in the post‑merge PoS era as a liquid staking project—public sources list launch activity around 2020–2021 and corporate registration traces to earlier years; CB Insights records a founding year of 2018 while product launch and public adoption accelerated in 2021.[1][4]- Founders / team background and Labs: The project is developed by StakeWise Labs (the core dev team) and governed through the StakeWise DAO; the team has iterated the protocol design toward a modular smart‑contract architecture (Protocol, Interface, DAO, Labs).[3]- How the idea emerged: StakeWise aimed to combine accessibility (allow staking of any amount) with DeFi composability by tokenizing staked ETH so users can earn rewards without permanently locking liquidity—this design has evolved through V1→V2→V3 to introduce Vaults and osETH for slashing‑resistant, layered staking.[2][6]- Early traction / pivotal moments: Public launches in 2021, accumulation of substantial ETH deposits since inception, and the V3 upgrade (layered Vaults + osETH) are cited as pivotal product milestones that broadened functionality and decentralization.[4][6]

Core Differentiators

Modular Vault architecture: StakeWise V3 introduces permissionless, non‑custodial Vaults that let node operators (solo or institutional) offer staking services and let users choose which Vault to delegate to, increasing decentralization and choice.[3][6]- Slashing‑resistant, layered token model: The osETH token (V3) represents staked ETH in a way designed to reduce systemic risk and enable both solo and pooled participation with protected reward accrual.[6][3]- Non‑custodial + composability: Users receive tradable ERC‑20 staked tokens they can use across DeFi, preserving liquidity while staking.[2][4]- Governance and ecosystem openness: Protocol, Interface, DAO and Labs split responsibilities—governance via SWISE and a developer‑friendly interface/API encourage a marketplace of Vaults and integrations.[3][4]- Operational risk controls: The protocol and community emphasize slashing protection, failover nodes, and validator lifecycle management to reduce validator penalties and uptime issues.[5][3]

Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

Trend ridden: StakeWise sits at the intersection of Ethereum’s Proof‑of‑Stake transition, DeFi composability, and the broader liquid‑staking market addressing the demand to earn staking yield without sacrificing liquidity.[2][3]- Why timing matters: As Ethereum matured into PoS and DeFi grew, demand rose for non‑custodial liquidity solutions—liquid staking protocols became critical infrastructure to unlock staking yield for DeFi users and to decentralize validator power.[2][4]- Market forces in their favor: Increasing ETH staking rates, DeFi integration demand for staked assets, and concerns about staking centralization create tailwinds for modular, permissionless staking marketplaces like StakeWise.[6][3]- Influence on the ecosystem: By enabling Vault creation and tokenized staking that is composable, StakeWise contributes to validator decentralization, offers new revenue streams for node operators, and supplies liquid collateral that DeFi primitives can build upon.[6][3]

Quick Take & Future Outlook

Near term: Expect continued growth of the Vault marketplace and integrations of osETH across DeFi (AMMs, lending, derivatives) as the team and DAO promote more node operators and protocol integrations.[3][6]- Key trends to watch: Wider DeFi adoption of osETH (or alternative staked tokens), competition among liquid‑staking providers on fees/security, and regulatory scrutiny of staking services will shape trajectory.[2][5]- How influence may evolve: If StakeWise continues expanding Vault participation and third‑party integrations, it can be a meaningful infrastructure layer for Ethereum staking liquidity and anti‑centralization—its success will hinge on security track record, DAO governance efficacy, and DeFi composability wins.[3][6]

Quick closing: StakeWise is a mature liquid‑staking protocol focused on modular, non‑custodial Vaults and tokenized staking (osETH) that aim to combine staking rewards with DeFi liquidity while addressing decentralization and operational risk.[3][6]

Sources used: StakeWise official docs and site (protocol/DAO details)[3][7], Nansen and Alchemy protocol guides (product and history)[2][4], CB Insights company snapshot (founding/year/funding)[1], Chorus One and Exponential guides (V3 features, operations, slashing protection)[6][5].

Sources

Frequently Asked Questions

How much funding has StakeWise raised?

StakeWise has raised $2.0M in total across 1 funding round.

Who are StakeWise's investors?

StakeWise's investors include CrunchFund, Gumi Cryptos Capital, Pantera Capital, Do Kwon, Mona El Isa, Stani Kulechov.