Staked ether, or stETH, is a cryptocurrency token that represents an equivalent amount of ether (ETH) that has been staked. The concept of stETH is designed to solve the liquidity problem associated with staking ETH, where staked ETH becomes locked and illiquid until certain network upgrades occur. When users stake their ETH through Lido, they receive an equivalent amount of stETH tokens in return. These tokens are pegged 1:1 with the value of ETH and can be freely traded, sold, or used in DeFi protocols, providing liquidity to the staker. Moreover, stETH holders are entitled to staking rewards, which are automatically re-staked, increasing the amount of stETH tokens in the holder's wallet over time.
As Ethereum continues to develop under its PoS model, stETH has seen significant growth in adoption. The token has been embraced by DeFi platforms, allowing users to leverage their stETH holdings for additional yield generation, such as lending or providing liquidity in decentralized exchanges (DEXs). Additionally, stETH has gained a reputation for providing a stable and secure way to earn staking rewards without needing to lock up ETH for long periods. Its position in the market has been further solidified by Lido’s dominance in the Ethereum staking space, with the protocol holding a substantial portion of all staked ETH.
Above are only for introduction, not intended as investment advice.