What is Lido DAO?

Lido DAO (LDO) is a decentralized autonomous organization that provides staking infrastructure for multiple blockchain networks, including Ethereum. Users have the opportunity to stake their Ethereum (ETH) and receive stETH (Lido staked ETH) tokens in return, which represent the user's staked ETH and potential rewards. The platform's native token, LDO, serves as the governance token for Lido DAO, allowing holders to participate in governance proposals and vote on key decisions. Lido DAO seeks to make staking more accessible to a wider range of users by pooling staked ETH from multiple users, eliminating the need for any technical expertise on behalf of users.

How does Lido DAO work?

Lido DAO functions on the Ethereum network using smart contracts to handle user deposits and distribute potential rewards. Users have the opportunity to deposit their ETH into the Lido pool and receive stETH tokens in return. These tokens can be traded on secondary markets or used on other protocols, providing users with a more liquid form of staked ETH that can be used for other purposes. The platform's native token, LDO, also serves as the governance token for Lido DAO. LDO holders can participate in governance proposals and vote on key decisions, such as board adjustments, new integrations, and platform updates.

What are the potential use cases for Lido DAO?

Lido DAO's goal is to simplify and optimize the staking process for Ethereum users. By pooling staked ETH from multiple users, it eliminates the need for technical expertise and the requirement to commit a minimum amount of 32 ETH to run a validator. This allows more people to stake their ETH and participate in the Ethereum network's consensus mechanism. Furthermore, the stETH tokens that users receive in return for their staked ETH can be traded on secondary markets or used on other protocols, providing a more liquid form of staked ETH. This opens up potential use cases in the DeFi space, where stETH tokens could be used as collateral in lending protocols or for yield farming.

What is the history of Lido DAO?

Lido DAO was established in 2020 by Konstantin Lomashuk, Vasiliy Shapovalov, and Jordan Fish. The organization was supported by a collective of financial firms and angel investors, including Semantic VC, ParaFi Capital, Libertus Capital, Bitscale Capital, StakeFish, StakingFacilities, Chorus, P2P Capital, and KR1. The platform initially supported staking for Ethereum and Polygon, but support for Solana was discontinued. As of the last update, the total circulating supply of Lido DAO tokens was 879,588,042 LDO, around 88% of the total supply. The platform has undergone several audits by third-party security firms to identify and address potential vulnerabilities.