Liquid Staking Is Growing Up, and Its Underlying Model Is Changing With It

Staking has always carried a fundamental compromise where users can lock their assets in a proof-of-stake (PoS) network and earn yields, but in all of this, they end up surrendering liquidity until the unbonding period ends. 

For retail holders, that trade-off has generally been acceptable, but for DeFi-native capital ecosystems (where money needs to move, collateralize, and generate returns across multiple protocols simultaneously), this has been a persistent structural problem. And, with the total value locked in liquid staking protocols across major networks sitting well above $40 billion, the need for quality solutions has never been more imminent. 

Liquid staking seems to have solved the first puzzle of this problem (at least for Ethereum) because its model, where users deposit ETH, receive a liquid receipt token, and redeploy that token elsewhere, has become a well-understood infrastructural hook. But the question that now remains is whether the same model can be applied cleanly across the broader PoS ecosystem, and whether the yield produced is real rather than inflationary?

The Vault Layer

From the outside looking in, the next evolution past liquid staking receipt tokens seems to be the ‘vault layer,’ where structured environments can maintain capital, which is then deployed as per a defined strategy. The yield is generated from real on-chain activity, and the depositor receives a liquid position they can actually use elsewhere.

In fact, vault-based models have already attracted significant capital precisely because they solve for both halves of the problem (yield and liquidity) without requiring the user to manage the underlying strategy manually. By the end of 2026 alone, TVL locked globally in DeFi vaults is set to surpass $15 billion, clearly showing that the appetite for structured, transparent yield mechanisms is proving durable even through periods of market volatility. 

The segment has also begun attracting a more selective type of capital, with savings and yield farming accounting for over a third of all application activity. Consequently, depositors have become more discerning about where they allocate, prioritizing platforms with verifiable yield sources, transparent fee structures, and auditable on-chain mechanics over those offering opaque or inflation-backed returns.

Amidst this, Valdora Finance applies a unique vault model to the staking layer on ZIGChain. The protocol’s core product issues stZIG, a liquid receipt token that represents a staked ZIG position, allowing holders to continue accruing validator rewards while deploying stZIG across other DeFi applications simultaneously. 

The yield is tied directly to what ZIGChain validators earn, which means returns grow alongside actual network activity rather than being subsidized from a static rate.

What’s on Offer and the Road Ahead

As things stand, the platform has two live vaults, with a third in active development and a fourth in the pipeline. Furthermore, a private credit vault, offering liquid vault tokens backed by private credit with yield accruing regardless of whether the tokens are held or deployed across DeFi, marks a deliberate expansion beyond pure staking yield into the realm of structured real-world returns. 

Lastly, Valdora takes a 10% fee on all accrued rewards but never on the principal, keeping the platform’s incentives directly aligned with depositor outcomes.

Therefore, as liquid staking matures beyond Ethereum and depositors grow more selective, the protocols that will define the next cycle are the ones that can deliver real yield, liquid positions, and transparent mechanics at the same time.