Luganodes x Lido V3: Operating Institutional stVaults on Ethereum

Introduction

Luganodes is pleased to announce our integration with Lido V3 as a stVault node operator. Lido V3 introduces stVaults, a non-custodial primitive that lets stakers select their validator setup while retaining access to stETH liquidity. Luganodes is joining as an operator, bringing institutional-grade infrastructure to stakers who want control over how their ETH is staked without giving up the utility of a liquid staking token.

Modular, Non-Custodial Staking via stVaults

Ethereum stakers have long faced a binary choice between control and liquidity. Native staking preserved sovereignty over validators, fees, and client configurations, but locked capital away from DeFi. Liquid staking unlocked that capital through a fungible token, while abstracting away operator selection, terms, and specific infrastructure decisions. Lido V3 resolves this dilemma through stVaults.

A stVault is a self-contained smart contract that connects one staker to one node operator under explicit on-chain rules. The staker retains control of withdrawal credentials, selects the operator, and defines parameters including fees, MEV policy, client software, and sidecar modules. The operator runs validator infrastructure but cannot touch the principal. Custodial risk is removed by design, not by trust, through EIP-4788, EIP-2537, and EIP-7002.

stVaults also preserve access to stETH. A vault owner can mint stETH against their staked position in an overcollateralized manner, unlocking liquidity for DeFi, hedging, or leverage strategies without exiting their staking position. The existing Core Pool remains fully supported, so stVaults sit alongside the V2 path as an additional option rather than a replacement.

The architecture opens staking to use cases the shared-pool model could not support: delegation liquid staking with direct operator accountability, custom strategies and LRT constructions, capital-efficient leverage loops, and institutional products like ETPs and ETFs that need validator-level control without idle liquidity buffers.

Luganodes x Lido V3

Luganodes is joining Lido V3 as a node operator running validators for stVault stakers. Our institutional tooling and reporting workflows, open-source contributions to the Ethereum staking stack, and existing fixed-rate ETH staking product translate directly into what stVault participants require: audited operational rigour, transparent performance data, and the ability to support bespoke validator configurations for custodians, ETP issuers, treasuries, and protocols building on top of stETH.

Luganodes operates under ISO 27001 alignment, SOC 2 Type II certification, GDPR compliance, and institutional insurance coverage, securing over $2.5B in staked assets across 40+ PoS networks with 99.9% uptime and zero slashing events. Under the stVault model, validator performance flows directly to the vault owner rather than being mutualized across a shared pool, making that track record material to every staker who selects us as their operator.

Conclusion

Joining Lido V3 aligns with Luganodes' mission to deliver institutional-grade infrastructure on the terms that sophisticated stakers actually need. stVaults mark a shift toward modular, sovereign staking on Ethereum, and Luganodes is positioned to support that shift with the compliance posture, operational reliability, and engineering depth our clients expect.

About Lido

Lido is the largest liquid staking protocol on Ethereum and the issuer of stETH, one of the most liquid and widely integrated assets across DeFi. Its Core Pool coordinates a curated validator set through the Staking Router and issues stETH at a 1

ratio against deposited ETH, redeemable via an asynchronous withdrawal queue.

With Lido V3, the protocol extends to stVaults coordinated through VaultHub, an on-chain ledger that tracks every vault's total value and locked value and enforces minting, reserve, and fee rules. Shared services including the Accounting Oracle, Validator Exit Bus, Operators Grid, Predeposit Guarantee, and Stability Module support each vault while preserving its autonomy. Each stVault is upgrade-optional and sovereign, giving stakers an explicit exit path from governance in edge cases such as governance capture.

About Luganodes

Luganodes is a world-class, non-custodial blockchain infrastructure provider that has rapidly gained recognition in the industry for offering institutional-grade services. It was born out of the Lugano Plan B Program, an initiative driven by Tether and the City of Lugano. Luganodes maintains an exceptional 99.9% uptime with round-the-clock monitoring by SRE experts. With support for 45+ PoS networks, it ranks among the top validators on Polygon, Polkadot, Sui, and Tron. Luganodes prioritizes security and compliance, holding the distinction of being one of the first staking providers to adhere to all SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, and ISO 27001 standards as well as offering Chainproof insurance to institutional clients.

The information herein is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, business, tax, professional, financial, or investment advice. No warranties are made regarding its accuracy, correctness, completeness, or reliability. Luganodes and its affiliates disclaim all liability for any losses or damages arising from reliance on this information. Luganodes is not obligated to update or amend any content. Use of this at your own risk. For any advice, please consult a qualified professional.