From Basic Concepts to Multiple Income Streams: The Path of Staking Development
Before analyzing earning strategies, it is essential to understand the fundamentals. Proof of Stake (PoS) is a consensus mechanism on which modern blockchain networks operate. Its essence is simple: validators lock their tokens to ensure network security and receive rewards for their contribution. The size of the staked amount influences the probability of being chosen as a validator to create new blocks.
Traditional staking solves one problem — ensuring network security. However, the capital remains frozen. Liquid Staking changed the situation by allowing stakers to receive Liquid Staking Tokens (LSTs) — liquid derivatives that can be traded or used in DeFi protocols. This approach significantly expanded earning opportunities but not to the maximum.
Liquid Restaking goes further. It is an innovative mechanism that allows investors to reuse the received LSTs to participate in additional yield strategies within the DeFi ecosystem without abandoning their initial stake. Thus, restaked assets operate simultaneously in multiple directions.
How the mechanism of reusing liquid assets works
The Liquid Restaking process consists of four key stages:
1. Investing in network security. The investor locks PoS tokens to support consensus and blockchain stability. Even if the minimum is 32 ETH for native Ethereum staking, derivatives like (LSDs) remove this barrier, allowing participation with any amount.
2. Receiving a liquid representative. For their staked assets, the investor receives an LST — a token that remains liquid and can be used in various DeFi protocols.
3. Multiple capital utilization. The obtained LST is not just stored — it is reused in other earning strategies. This could include farming on DEXs, lending, or other DeFi mechanisms.
4. Income synthesis. As a result, a new token is created — Liquid Restaking Token (LRT), which accumulates both the initial staking rewards and additional income from DeFi activities.
The main advantage: the investor simultaneously ensures network security and gains flexibility to seek more favorable investment conditions. This maximizes capital efficiency, allowing earnings not only from staking but also from asset liquidity.
Comparison of three evolutionary stages: efficiency table
Parameter
Traditional Staking
Liquid Staking
Liquid Restaking
Mechanism
Locking tokens for validation
Staking with liquid derivative
Reusing LST in DeFi
Capital accessibility
Fully locked
Partially accessible via LST
Maximum activity
Liquidity
Zero; requires unstaking
Moderate; LST can be traded
High; restaked assets are constantly working
Multiple income streams
One source
One + DeFi opportunities
Two or more sources simultaneously
Risk level
Moderate (slashing, volatility)
Increased (smart contract risks)
Complex (dependence on DeFi protocols)
Capital efficiency
Low
Medium
High
Practical differences for investors
Availability without compromises: Liquid Restaking eliminates the dilemma between safety of income and liquidity. Investors can participate in network consensus and seek additional earnings simultaneously.
Entry speed: Thanks to derivatives like (LSDs), participation can be with significantly smaller amounts than the classic minimum. This democratizes access to staking and its derivatives.
Income synergy: Traditional staking provides a fixed percentage. Liquid Staking adds flexibility. Liquid Restaking combines both elements and complements them with the possibility of dynamic additional earnings through DeFi strategies.
Risk diversification: Restaked assets operate across different ecosystems, allowing risk distribution from protocol dependence, although the overall system complexity increases.
Key conclusions
Liquid Restaking represents a logical evolution of the infrastructure for earning on cryptocurrencies. While traditional staking focuses on network security, and Liquid Staking adds liquidity, Liquid Restaking combines both approaches, enabling investors to use their capital most efficiently. For those willing to manage increased risks and monitor DeFi protocol dynamics, it opens new horizons for multiple income streams.
This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.
How Liquid Restaking gives investors the opportunity to earn in the cryptocurrency ecosystem in 2025
From Basic Concepts to Multiple Income Streams: The Path of Staking Development
Before analyzing earning strategies, it is essential to understand the fundamentals. Proof of Stake (PoS) is a consensus mechanism on which modern blockchain networks operate. Its essence is simple: validators lock their tokens to ensure network security and receive rewards for their contribution. The size of the staked amount influences the probability of being chosen as a validator to create new blocks.
Traditional staking solves one problem — ensuring network security. However, the capital remains frozen. Liquid Staking changed the situation by allowing stakers to receive Liquid Staking Tokens (LSTs) — liquid derivatives that can be traded or used in DeFi protocols. This approach significantly expanded earning opportunities but not to the maximum.
Liquid Restaking goes further. It is an innovative mechanism that allows investors to reuse the received LSTs to participate in additional yield strategies within the DeFi ecosystem without abandoning their initial stake. Thus, restaked assets operate simultaneously in multiple directions.
How the mechanism of reusing liquid assets works
The Liquid Restaking process consists of four key stages:
1. Investing in network security. The investor locks PoS tokens to support consensus and blockchain stability. Even if the minimum is 32 ETH for native Ethereum staking, derivatives like (LSDs) remove this barrier, allowing participation with any amount.
2. Receiving a liquid representative. For their staked assets, the investor receives an LST — a token that remains liquid and can be used in various DeFi protocols.
3. Multiple capital utilization. The obtained LST is not just stored — it is reused in other earning strategies. This could include farming on DEXs, lending, or other DeFi mechanisms.
4. Income synthesis. As a result, a new token is created — Liquid Restaking Token (LRT), which accumulates both the initial staking rewards and additional income from DeFi activities.
The main advantage: the investor simultaneously ensures network security and gains flexibility to seek more favorable investment conditions. This maximizes capital efficiency, allowing earnings not only from staking but also from asset liquidity.
Comparison of three evolutionary stages: efficiency table
Practical differences for investors
Availability without compromises: Liquid Restaking eliminates the dilemma between safety of income and liquidity. Investors can participate in network consensus and seek additional earnings simultaneously.
Entry speed: Thanks to derivatives like (LSDs), participation can be with significantly smaller amounts than the classic minimum. This democratizes access to staking and its derivatives.
Income synergy: Traditional staking provides a fixed percentage. Liquid Staking adds flexibility. Liquid Restaking combines both elements and complements them with the possibility of dynamic additional earnings through DeFi strategies.
Risk diversification: Restaked assets operate across different ecosystems, allowing risk distribution from protocol dependence, although the overall system complexity increases.
Key conclusions
Liquid Restaking represents a logical evolution of the infrastructure for earning on cryptocurrencies. While traditional staking focuses on network security, and Liquid Staking adds liquidity, Liquid Restaking combines both approaches, enabling investors to use their capital most efficiently. For those willing to manage increased risks and monitor DeFi protocol dynamics, it opens new horizons for multiple income streams.