Liquid Staking Tokens Compared: stETH vs rETH vs Others
There are many liquid staking tokens for ETH. Here is an honest comparison of stETH, rETH, weETH, and others to help you choose.
Multiple liquid staking protocols issue their own tokens for staked ETH. Each has different yield, decentralisation, liquidity, and risk characteristics. Understanding the differences helps you choose the right liquid staking token for your specific use case.
stETH (Lido)
- Largest liquid staking token: $30B+ TVL, most liquid secondary market
- Rebasing token: stETH balance increases daily as rewards accrue (1 stETH always ≈ 1 ETH)
- Yield: ~3.8% APY (base ETH staking rate)
- Best use: DeFi collateral (Aave accepts stETH), secondary market liquidity
- Centralisation concern: Lido controls ~32% of all staked ETH — decentralisation risk for Ethereum
rETH (Rocket Pool)
- Decentralised validator set: anyone can run a Rocket Pool node with 8-16 ETH
- Non-rebasing: rETH price appreciates vs ETH as rewards accrue (compound accumulation)
- Yield: ~3.7% APY (slightly lower than Lido due to node operator premium)
- Best for: long-term holders who prefer decentralised infrastructure
- Lower liquidity than stETH but improving via DEX integrations
weETH (Ether.fi) and LRTs
- Liquid restaking tokens: earn ETH staking + EigenLayer restaking rewards
- Current yield: 5-8% APY — higher due to additional restaking layer
- Higher risk: additional smart contract exposure, restaking slashing risk
- weETH is the most liquid LRT, widely accepted in DeFi protocols
- Via Steyble: access all major liquid staking and restaking tokens in one interface