Liquid Restaking · Review
ActiveNodeDAO Review 2026: Ethereum Liquid Staking With DVT
NodeDAO is an Ethereum liquid staking and restaking protocol that issues nETH and rnETH and supports distributed validator technology. It holds roughly 35 million USD in TVL, but fees and operator details are not published on its homepage.
By the DappsAtlas editorial team · Updated
DappsAtlas score
6.8/10
Good
Our verdict on NodeDAO
6.8/10NodeDAO suits Ethereum holders who want liquid staking or restaking with DVT and who are comfortable with a mid-sized protocol. Its strengths are the nETH and rnETH range, DVT support and two listed audits. The main caveats are that fees, operator names and governance details are not published, and that liquid staking and restaking add smart-contract risk. Read the audit reports and check live fees in the app before staking.
Score breakdown
How NodeDAO scores
- Security
- 6.5/10
- Ease of use
- 7.5/10
- Fees
- n/a
- Features
- 7.0/10
Scores run from 0 to 10 and are based only on facts we could verify. Where information was missing we mark the score n/a rather than guess.
What is NodeDAO?
NodeDAO is a liquid staking and restaking protocol on Ethereum. It describes itself as a DAO made up of several established institutions that provide staking services. Users stake ETH and receive nETH, or restake and receive rnETH.
The protocol has been listed since May 2023 and holds about 35 million USD in TVL, up 3.7% over seven days. It lists no native token. Beyond ETH, the homepage promotes BTC staking through oBTC and ZKC staking.
Its pitch centres on distributed validator technology and a revenue-sharing model for validator service providers. The homepage says anyone can join the node operator network after a successful trial, which would make it permissionless. How far that has progressed is not stated.
How NodeDAO works
Staking ETH directly on Ethereum needs validators, and an ordinary user can find that hard to run. With NodeDAO you connect a wallet and stake ETH. The protocol routes it to validators run by node operators and gives you nETH in return.
nETH is a liquid staking token. It accrues Ethereum proof-of-stake rewards and can be used in DeFi or on layer-2 networks while the underlying ETH stays staked. The homepage lists an APR for nETH and rnETH that includes DVT, though the live figures are not in the page text.
rnETH is the restaking variant. The homepage says it earns extra returns from DeFi and layer-2 use and gives holders both NodePoints and EigenLayer Points. DVT splits validator duties across several operators, which is meant to reduce reliance on a single machine or party. NodeDAO also describes a revenue-sharing model for operators and an oBTC product for Bitcoin.
7 features
Key features
01
nETH liquid staking
Stake ETH and receive nETH, a liquid token that accrues Ethereum proof-of-stake rewards and can move into DeFi.
02
rnETH restaking
rnETH is the restaking token. The homepage says holders get both NodePoints and EigenLayer Points.
03
DVT integration
Distributed validator technology is applied to nETH and rnETH, which the homepage says improves safety and profitability.
04
oBTC Bitcoin staking
BTC can be converted into oBTC on an EVM chain and placed in yield pools, with oyBTC also mentioned.
05
Revenue-sharing operators
Validator service providers share revenue, and the homepage says anyone can join the node operator network after a trial period.
06
Custom staking pools
Users can build their own branded staking pool and run an operator through the DVT offering.
07
ZKC staking
The homepage also lists ZKC staking alongside ETH and BTC staking, though it gives no further detail.
Pros and cons
What we like
- Offers both liquid staking (nETH) and restaking (rnETH) in one protocol.
- Applies DVT to reduce reliance on a single validator operator.
- Two audits are listed from Beosin and MetaTrust, with reports linked.
- Roughly 35 million USD in TVL and a listing history since May 2023.
- Restakers are promised both NodePoints and EigenLayer Points.
- Revenue-sharing model lets several operators take part.
Watch out for
- No governance or utility token is listed, so it is unclear how the DAO's decisions are made or how holders take part.
- Only two audits are listed, and the audit reports are linked as PDFs with no dates stated in the page text.
- Liquid staking adds smart-contract risk on top of Ethereum staking risk, and restaking adds further layers.
- Operator names, fee splits and team details are not published on the homepage.
- The permissionless operator model is described as following a successful trial, so how open it currently is remains unclear.
- TVL of about 35 million USD is small next to the largest liquid staking protocols, which usually means less liquidity for nETH and rnETH.
NodeDAO fees
NodeDAO does not publish a fee schedule in its homepage. The homepage does describe a revenue-sharing model for validator service providers, but not the percentages.
Users would normally see any protocol commission, network gas costs and swap slippage in the staking app and on the contract pages before confirming. Check these before staking, since liquid staking protocols typically take a share of staking rewards.
Is NodeDAO safe?
The homepage lists two audits, by Beosin and MetaTrust, and links the reports. It also says the protocol has been stress-tested for more than two years. Audit dates and the scope of findings are not stated in the page text, so read the reports directly.
Staking carries smart-contract risk, validator slashing risk and the chance that nETH trades below the value of its underlying ETH. Restaking through rnETH adds more dependencies. Operator identities, a team and an incident history are not published on the homepage. Check the current contract addresses on the official site before you interact.
6 steps
How to get started with NodeDAO
- 1
Get ETH in a self-custody wallet that works with Ethereum and keep some extra ETH for gas.
- 2
Open the NodeDAO site and read the audit reports and contract addresses listed there.
- 3
Connect your wallet and choose ETH staking for nETH, or restaking for rnETH.
- 4
Confirm the staking transaction and check the APR and any fees shown in the app.
- 5
Look for nETH or rnETH in your wallet to confirm it arrived.
- 6
Decide whether to hold the token or use it in DeFi, and read the risks of each venue first.
Who NodeDAO is for
NodeDAO is for Ethereum holders who want staking rewards without running a validator and who plan to use a liquid token in DeFi. It also suits users interested in restaking points and in DVT-based setups. Cautious holders may prefer larger protocols with more published detail.
NodeDAO FAQs
What is NodeDAO?
NodeDAO is a liquid staking protocol on Ethereum. Users stake ETH and receive nETH, a liquid token that represents the stake and its rewards, and can then use that token in DeFi.
What is nETH and how is it different from rnETH?
nETH is the liquid staking token minted when you stake ETH through NodeDAO. It earns Ethereum proof-of-stake rewards and can be used in DeFi and layer-2 apps. rnETH is the restaking version, aimed at earning extra returns and points.
Does NodeDAO support restaking?
The homepage says users receive both NodePoints and EigenLayer Points when restaking rnETH. It does not give details on how those points convert to rewards, so check the app before relying on them.
Can I stake Bitcoin with NodeDAO?
The homepage also lists BTC staking, where BTC is converted into oBTC on an EVM chain and used in yield pools. Which chains support it is not stated in its homepage, and the protocol is tracked only on Ethereum.
Has NodeDAO been audited?
Two audits are listed, by Beosin and MetaTrust, and both are linked as PDF reports. An audit lowers the chance of contract bugs but does not remove it.
Does NodeDAO have a governance token?
No. The listing shows no native token, so the tokens you hold are nETH, rnETH and oBTC.
Compare
NodeDAO alternatives
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Same category
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Uniswap V3 is a non-custodial decentralized exchange protocol for token swaps and concentrated liquidity provision across 40+ chains.
DeFi Saver is a non-custodial tool for managing and automating leveraged lending positions across major DeFi protocols on Ethereum and layer-2 networks.
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How we checked
Sources
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