Liquid Restaking · Alternatives
The best Kernel Protocol alternatives in 2026
Kernel Protocol was an Ethereum liquid restaking protocol minting ksETH, krETH and kUSD; it has been sunset and treasury assets returned to holders. If Kernel Protocol is not the right fit, these 12 reviewed Liquid Restaking options are the closest matches, ranked by DappsAtlas score. Read our full Kernel Protocol review
At a glance
Kernel Protocol vs the alternatives
| dApp | Score | TVL | Chains |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not rated yet | $36.5K | 1 | |
| Score 7.5 out of 10 | $5.69B | 1 | |
| Score 7.0 out of 10 | $99.9M | 13 | |
| Score 5.5 out of 10 | $838M | 1 | |
| Score 7.2 out of 10 | $440M | 1 | |
| Score 7.3 out of 10 | $35.9M | 1 | |
| Score 7.3 out of 10 | $21.7M | 5 | |
| Etherfi | Score 7.4 out of 10 | — | 1 |
| Score 7.2 out of 10 | $48.4M | 1 | |
| Score 7.2 out of 10 | $24.1M | 1 | |
| Score 7.0 out of 10 | $25.3M | 1 | |
| Score 7.0 out of 10 | $22.0M | 1 | |
| Score 7.0 out of 10 | $9.00M | 2 |
Ranked
Top Kernel Protocol alternatives
- 1
EigenCloud
Liquid Restaking · Ethereum
EigenCloud, from Eigen Labs, pairs the EigenLayer restaking base (about $6.2B TVL on Ethereum) with open AI products for compute, verifiable agents and research. The pitch is clear, but the performance claims come from the project itself.
ScoreScore 7.5 out of 10TVL $5.69B−1.9% - 2
Renzo
Liquid Restaking · Ethereum, Linea, Arbitrum +10
Renzo is a liquid restaking protocol on EigenLayer that has grown into a wider platform for staking, strategy vaults and enterprise yield products. It holds about $109 million in TVL across 13 chains, but fees and some product details are not published publicly reviewed.
ScoreScore 7.0 out of 10TVL $99.9M−2.0% - 3
Kelp
Liquid Restaking · Ethereum
Kelp is an Ethereum liquid restaking protocol that issues rsETH. Its April 2026 bridge exploit of roughly $290M is the main risk factor for anyone considering it.
ScoreScore 5.5 out of 10TVL $838M−4.6% - 4
Coinbase Wrapped Staked ETH
Liquid Restaking · Ethereum
Coinbase Wrapped Staked ETH (cbETH) is an ERC-20 token that represents ETH staked through Coinbase, so holders keep earning staking rewards while using the token on Ethereum. The main trade-off is trusting a centralized exchange as the staking operator.
ScoreScore 7.2 out of 10TVL $440M−1.7% - 5
Mantle Restaking
Liquid Restaking · Ethereum
Mantle Restaking, branded as mETH Protocol, is an Ethereum liquid staking and restaking protocol built by Mantle. It holds about $39 million in TVL, and its main selling point is a faster redemption route backed by Aave.
ScoreScore 7.3 out of 10TVL $35.9M+0.1% - 6
Mellow Restaking
Liquid Restaking · Ethereum, BNB Chain, Fraxtal +2
Mellow Restaking is the DefiLlama-listed arm of Mellow Protocol, which builds configurable onchain vaults for yield and restaking. It holds about $23.5M in TVL and now markets itself mainly as institutional earn infrastructure.
ScoreScore 7.3 out of 10TVL $21.7M−2.3% - 7
Etherfi
Liquid Restaking · Ethereum
Ether.fi began as a liquid restaking protocol on Ethereum and now positions itself as a DeFi neobank with a Visa-linked Cash card. The appeal is spending and earning from one account; the trade-off is layered crypto risk.
ScoreScore 7.4 out of 10TVL — - 8
STKESOL by SOL Strategies
Liquid Restaking · Solana
STKESOL is a Solana liquid staking token from Nasdaq-listed SOL Strategies, with about $51.6M in TVL and stake spread across many validators. Its backing by a public company is the main draw, while thin published fee detail and a short history are the main caveats.
ScoreScore 7.2 out of 10TVL $48.4M−8.8% - 9
xALGO Liquid Staking
Liquid Restaking · Algorand
xALGO is Folks Finance's interest-bearing liquid staking token for Algorand, letting ALGO holders earn staking rewards while keeping a tradable token. It has about $25.7M in TVL and is built into the wider Folks Finance lending and swap tools.
ScoreScore 7.2 out of 10TVL $24.1M−1.9% - 10
Swell Liquid Restaking
Liquid Restaking · Ethereum
Swell's liquid restaking product issues rswETH, an ERC-20 token that lets ETH holders restake through EigenLayer-style protocols without locking their funds. It runs on Ethereum with about $27.9 million in TVL.
ScoreScore 7.0 out of 10TVL $25.3M−7.3% - 11
Puffer Stake
Liquid Restaking · Ethereum
Puffer Stake is an Ethereum-native liquid restaking protocol that issues pufETH for staked ETH. It has institutional partnerships and a security-focused pitch, but it carries restaking risks and public sources list no audits.
ScoreScore 7.0 out of 10TVL $22.0M−13.0% - 12
Solayer Restaking
Liquid Restaking · Solana, Base
Solayer started as a restaking protocol on Solana, where sSOL lets staked SOL secure other apps, and has grown into a hardware-accelerated SVM chain with a perp DEX, a Visa card and a yield stablecoin. The staking product is straightforward, but the project's wide scope and modest TVL are the main caveats.
ScoreScore 7.0 out of 10TVL $9.00M−9.1%