Direct Staking on Linea, Powered by Chainlink CCIP

Lido -

Users can now stake their ETH directly on Linea, powered by Chainlink CCIP’s Programmable Token Transfers.

 

The Lido Direct Staking functionality is now live on Linea, marking the next step in making ETH staking more accessible, seamless, and scalable across the multi-chain ecosystem. Built using the Chainlink interoperability standard, Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP), Direct Staking on Linea allows users to stake ETH directly from the Linea network and receive wrapped staked ETH (wstETH) without needing to manually bridge assets to and from Ethereum mainnet.

This integration streamlines the user experience while expanding the availability of wstETH within the Linea DeFi ecosystem. With reduced gas costs and faster transactions, users on Linea can now stake in a single step and benefit from Lido’s liquid staking protocol, all powered by Chainlink CCIP’s Programmable Token Transfers.

For now, users can stake their ETH directly on Linea using XSwap, OpenOcean and Interport.

 

What This Unlocks: Seamless ETH Staking from Linea

The Lido protocol resides on Ethereum mainnet, where users stake ETH to receive wstETH, a liquid staking token that can be freely used across DeFi. However, for users holding ETH on Layer 2 networks like Linea, accessing wstETH has traditionally involved multi-step processes: bridging ETH to mainnet, staking via Lido, and then bridging the resulting wstETH back to the L2.

With the launch of Direct Staking on Linea, all of this is compressed into a single transaction: no manual bridging, no multi-day waits, and no need to use centralized exchanges. This significantly lowers the barrier to entry for staking and makes wstETH more natively integrated into Linea’s low-cost environment.

 

Direct Staking relies on Chainlink’s CCIP, which uniquely enables tokens - and execution logic in the form of message instructions - to be sent across chains as a single atomic transaction. 

Two key approaches to staking are now supported on Linea:

  • Liquidity Pool-Based Staking: Users stake ETH on Linea and immediately receive wstETH from a liquidity pool, using an exchange rate verified by Chainlink Data Feeds. In parallel, the ETH is sent cross-chain to Ethereum mainnet, staked via Lido, and wstETH is bridged back to Linea to replenish the pool.
  • On-Demand Staking: Users stake ETH on Linea. That ETH, along with cross-chain instructions, is transmitted via Chainlink CCIP to Ethereum mainnet. A smart contract on Ethereum stakes the ETH via Lido, mints wstETH, and sends it back to the user’s Linea wallet.

Both methods maintain compatibility with the existing Lido protocol and do not require changes to the core staking contracts or token logic. This makes the architecture secure, modular, and extensible to additional networks in the future.

 

CCIP is the only cross-chain messaging solution with level-5 cross-chain security, featuring additional layers of protection through the Risk Management Network.

CCIP’s Programmable Token Transfers make it possible to transmit both ETH and execution instructions in one unified cross-chain message - a prerequisite for delivering frictionless, single-step staking across Layer 2 networks like Linea.

In addition to CCIP, Chainlink’s platform also supports Lido Direct Staking through:

  • Chainlink Data Feeds, which provide reliable and tamper-resistant wstETH exchange rates across chains. This ensures that users receive fair value when staking through liquidity pools, with protection against price manipulation or stale data.
  • Chainlink Automation, which manages the batching and scheduling of staking operations and liquidity balancing. Automation ensures these processes run efficiently and without manual intervention, helping to reduce gas costs, maintain adequate pool liquidity, and improve the overall responsiveness of Direct Staking.

 

Expanding the wstETH Footprint on Linea

With Linea’s developer-friendly zkEVM infrastructure and strong DeFi adoption, the launch of Direct Staking expands the reach of wstETH into a thriving L2 ecosystem. Users and protocols on Linea now have native access to Lido’s liquid staking capabilities, without ever leaving the network.

Multiple dApps and DeFi frontends on Linea are integrating Direct Staking rails, making it easier than ever for users to access yield-bearing wstETH in a gas-efficient environment.

 

Learn More

For integration support or to build with Lido, reach out to contributors via the Lido Discord.