Bifrost 2025: vETH 3.0 & SLPx 2.0 Launch to Standardize Multi-Chain Liquid Staking

As cryptocurrency staking expands beyond single blockchains, it faces critical challenges: fragmented liquidity, limited composability, and capital inefficiency. Bifrost addresses these head-on with the launch of vETH 3.0 and its foundational SLPx 2.0 protocol, establishing a new standard for unified, multi-chain liquid staking.

Introducing vETH 3.0: The Native Multi-Chain LST

vETH 3.0 transforms Bifrost’s Ethereum Liquid Staking Derivative (LST) into a fully cross-chain, yield-bearing asset. Key enhancements include:

Native Multi-Chain Liquidity: Stake ETH once and use vETH seamlessly across Ethereum, Base, Arbitrum, Optimism, and Polkadot—no manual bridging required.

DeFi-Native Design: Full ERC-4626 compliance ensures plug-and-play integration with major lending protocols, DEXs, and yield aggregators.

Enhanced Security: Validator operations are secured via Distributed Validator Technology (DVT) through the SSV Network.

This upgrade is more than a product update; it’s a functional blueprint for interoperable staking, powered entirely by the next-generation SLPx 2.0 architecture.

The Engine: SLPx 2.0 Protocol

SLPx is Bifrost’s core liquidity protocol. While SLPx 1.0 established cross-chain capability, SLPx 2.0 was engineered to solve structural limitations through two core innovations: the ERC-4626 Vault Standard and an Async Pool Architecture. This creates a superior infrastructure built on five pillars:

Instant Minting & Redemption: Users receive vTokens immediately upon staking.

Near-Zero Cross-Chain Fees: Batched settlements drastically reduce transaction costs.

Native DeFi Composability: ERC-4626 makes vTokens plug-and-play financial primitives.

Scalable Liquidity Management: Unified chain-level pools enable rapid expansion to new networks.

Optimal User Experience: A focus on eventual consistency ensures faster, cheaper, and more robust interactions at scale.

Bifrost’s 2025: A Year of Delivery and Growth

The launch of vETH 3.0 capped a transformative year defined by execution (“DELIVERY”) across three key areas:

1. Sustainable Tokenomics with bbBNC

Bifrost introduced a pivotal economic shift with bbBNC. This model directs 100% of protocol profits to BNC buybacks, with 90% distributed directly to bbBNC holders, creating real alignment between community and protocol success. Over $8.07M in annual revenue signaled a move into sustainable profitability.

2. Broad-Based vToken Expansion

All major liquid staking tokens under Bifrost saw significant growth, confirming strong multi-chain demand:

vDOT: Supply grew over 157%, solidifying its lead as Polkadot’s most liquid staking asset.

vBNC: Growth accelerated alongside the bbBNC launch.

vASTR: Supply doubled from 50M to 100M.

vMANTA: Increased by ~175% following its v2.0 upgrade.

3. Ecosystem & Security Foundation

Deepened Collaborations: Initiatives like the DeFi Singularity campaign drove over $4M in cross-chain TVL.

Community Growth: Successful campaigns like Liquid Wave engaged tens of thousands of users.

Security First: Critical technical upgrades and a $500K Immunefi bug bounty program fortified the protocol’s foundation.

The Road Ahead

Bifrost’s vision extends beyond the launch. The roadmap includes deeper integration with HyperBridge, support for direct migration from other major LSTs (like stETH), and exploring staking yield solutions for stablecoins and real-world assets.

Conclusion

vETH 3.0 and SLPx 2.0 represent a foundational shift in liquid staking infrastructure. By solving the core trilemma of fragmentation, cost, and compatibility, Bifrost is building the essential, standardized layer for the next era of cross-chain finance—benefiting ETH stakers, DeFi developers, and the broader multi-chain ecosystem alike.

All data is current as of December 30, 2025.