Lido V3 & Obol: Multi-Operator Distributed Validators on Lido stVaults
Product Overview
Obol is launching the Ethereum Client Team Vault, a multi-operator, DVT-powered stVault built on Lido V3. It’s operated by four of Ethereum’s most trusted infrastructure organizations: Sigma Prime, ChainSafe, Develp, and Nethermind. Each team builds crucial client software that secures the network.
The Ethereum Client Team Vault is designed for ETH-aligned stakers, DAO treasuries, and capital allocators who want to stake in a way that is:
- Secure and trusted: The vault is operated by Ethereum’s client teams using Obol Distributed Validators.
- Ethereum-aligned: The vault supports client diversity and decentralization as core principles.
- Low risk: The vault is a vanilla stVault, with no exposure to looping or exotic DeFi strategies.
Initial Approach & Limitations
The Ethereum Client Team Vault solves limitations in pooled staking. Existing pooled staking architectures did not allow users to express preferences for client diversity or multi-operator security models. Additionally, there was no mechanism to create a curated, operator-specific vault where rewards and responsibilities are tied to a defined set of operators. Obol’s product solves this by offering a curated, multi-operator DVT stVault that is credibly decentralized by design.
Sigma Prime, ChainSafe, Develp, and Nethermind are part of the core infrastructure teams that build and maintain Ethereum’s client software. Users can stake with the Ethereum Client Team Vault and signal support to the organizations that secure the network. In doing so, they also benefit from their deep operational expertise and alignment with Ethereum’s long-term mission.
Why Lido V3 & stVaults?
Building on top of Lido V3 stVaults gives Obol access to one of the most trusted brands in Ethereum staking and battle-tested onchain infrastructure. By leveraging Lido's proven smart contract architecture, Obol doesn't need to build complex deposit flows, new smart contracts, or standalone frontends. Instead, we can focus on what we do best.
This partnership lets both organizations play to their strengths: Lido provides the trusted staking infrastructure and tooling, while Obol and the client teams focus on what happens under the hood, delivering best in class uptime, better performance, and running a decentralized, client-diverse DV cluster.
This means Obol can give the community a way to signal that they care about client diversity, decentralization, and the core benefits of DVT.
Integration & Security Approach
Obol runs multi-operator Distributed Validator (DV) clusters, where validator keys are created using a Distributed Key Generation (DKG) ceremony and key shares are distributed across multiple independent node operators. No single operator can act unilaterally with validator keys.
Each node operator runs a diverse infrastructure stack (unique EL/CL clients) to minimize correlated failures and downtime. This ensures high resilience, diversity, and fault tolerance.
The Ethereum Client Team Vault launches with a vanilla, conservative configuration. No leverage, no looping, no complex DeFi strategies. This design choice prioritizes brand integrity and risk management over maximizing APR. Validator performance and operator quality are the focus rather than strategy complexity. The Ethereum Client Team Vault is the most secure and trusted option for stakers who believe infrastructure quality matters more than chasing the highest yield.
Expected Outcome
The Ethereum Client Team Vault lets users support Ethereum's most trusted infrastructure builders and advance client diversity and decentralization with a low-risk, conservative approach to staking.
By choosing operator credibility and security over yield maximization, the Ethereum Client Team Vault establishes a new standard for trust and infrastructure quality in the Lido V3 ecosystem.