Create a Lido stVault
Create a Lido stVault
Target audience: Node operators and capital allocators looking to deploy stVaults with maximum capital efficiency and institutional-grade security.
Who This Kit Is For
Node operators who are:
Being asked to deploy, and operate an stVault for a fund, DAO, protocol, or other allocator
Building that vault on top of a multi-operator Obol DV rather than a single operator / single client setup
Capital allocators who:
Need to understand why a DV-backed stVault can support more favorable risk assessments and reserve ratios
Want a clear checklist for vetting operators and understanding what strong DV cluster operations look like
Why Obol DVs Are the Best Way to Deploy an stVault
Lido V3's stVault design unlocks new levels of capital efficiency for node operators and institutional stakers. Obol Distributed Validators are the most capital-efficient way to run a vault on Lido V3.
One of Lido V3's key innovations is the Reserve Ratio (RR), which determines how much ETH must be kept as a reserve buffer relative to minted stETH. Lido is proposing a 2% Reserve Ratio tier for verified multi-operator DV vaults, allowing up to 98% stETH minting capacity. This is the most favorable tier. By comparison, the next-highest default tier for identified operators proposes a 5% RR with only 95% minting capacity.
Obol Distributed Validators unlock the highest minting capacity available on Lido V3.
Key Benefits
Unlock the highest capital efficiency Multi-operator DV vaults qualify for the 2% Reserve Ratio tier, offering 98% stETH minting capacity, the most capital-efficient configuration on Lido V3.
Distribute responsibility across multiple operators Reduce reliance on any single infrastructure provider, company, or jurisdiction. Multi-operator setups distribute private key shares across many entities.
Maximize client and implementation diversity Run multiple consensus and execution client combinations inside the same vault, strengthening the vault's resilience and reducing correlation risks.
Superior liveness and fault tolerance Obol's fault-tolerant infrastructure means your validators keep performing even if individual operators experience downtime or failures.
Enterprise-grade security Leverage best-in-class security that institutional stakers and asset managers require for managing significant stake.
📚 How This Integration Kit Is Organized
For Node Operators – Implementation Guide
A practical guide to designing, deploying, and operating an stVault using Obol DVs, including:
What to collect from the vault owner
How to design your DV cluster (operators, clients, geos)
How to rehearse on testnet and prepare for mainnet launch
How this integrates into the Lido V3 stVault flow
For Capital Allocators – Design & Risk Overview
A higher-level walkthrough of:
What you are optimizing for (safety, yield, minting capacity, counterparty risk)
Why multi-operator DVs are different from "just another node operator"
How Obol's Cluster-as-a-Service offering can help guide your decisions
What to ask from your operators or from Obol directly
Support & Services for stVault Builders
How to:
Get in touch with the Obol team for guidance and design help
Leverage Obol's Cluster-as-a-Service offering to get set up
🔗 Quick Links
Default risk assessment framework — Explore how Tiers within Identified Node Operators effect the reserve ratio of the vault
DV Cluster identification and assessment — See the identification requirements for each node operator in a cluster in order to qualify for improved Tiering
stVaults Doc Center — View Lido's comprehensive guides which detail how to create any product powered by stVaults
Future Extensions
As Lido's DeFi wrapper and more advanced strategies roll out, we will extend this kit with:
End-to-end reference architectures that combine stVaults, wrappers, and multi-operator DV clusters
Config and deployment examples taken from real-world vaults
Case studies, including the "Ethereum client team vault", once it is live
For now, this page gives you the map. The linked sections show you how to actually build and run the vaults behind it.
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