Stablecoin Wrapper · Review
ActivesDAI Review 2026: Savings DAI Yield on Gnosis Chain
sDAI is a savings token that passes the MakerDAO DAI Savings Rate to holders, and on Gnosis Chain it can be used in DeFi like xDAI. It suits stablecoin holders who want passive yield, with smart-contract, bridge and governance risk to weigh.
By the DappsAtlas editorial team · Updated
DappsAtlas score
6.5/10
Good
Our verdict on sDAI
6.5/10sDAI suits stablecoin holders who want to earn the MakerDAO savings rate on Gnosis Chain and keep the balance usable in DeFi. Its strength is simplicity: a single token that accrues the Dai Savings Rate. The main caveats are a variable, governance-set yield, no audits listed on DefiLlama, bridge and contract risk, and a possible shift toward sUSDS. Treat it as a savings tool, not a guaranteed return, and check the live rate before depositing.
Score breakdown
How sDAI scores
- Security
- 6.0/10
- Ease of use
- 7.0/10
- Fees
- n/a
- Features
- 5.0/10
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 sDAI?
sDAI, or Savings DAI, is a yield-bearing token that lets DAI holders earn the MakerDAO savings rate. On Gnosis Chain, DefiLlama describes it as DAI bridged to the chain that earns interest at MakerDAO, with that interest redirected to the sDAI holder.
DefiLlama lists it in the Yield category on Gnosis, with about $37.95 million in TVL, a 7.6% drop over seven days, and a listing date of October 2023. The entry shows zero audits. Public reporting mentions that Savings DAI passed $1 billion TVL in September 2023 across the wider ecosystem, but that figure is not specific to Gnosis.
The homepage could not be fetched, so this review relies on DefiLlama data and search snippets. Some results also point to a newer Sky savings product, sUSDS, as an upgrade path.
How sDAI works
MakerDAO pays a variable rate, the DAI Savings Rate, to DAI deposited in its savings module. sDAI packages that mechanism into a token. Holding the token means your share of the pool grows as interest accrues, instead of you receiving separate payouts.
On Gnosis Chain, the DefiLlama description says all the DAI bridged to the chain earns interest at MakerDAO, and the interest is redirected to the sDAI holder. The token can be used in DeFi like xDAI, the chain's native stablecoin.
The rate is not set by the token itself. It follows governance decisions, and public reporting notes the yield is programmed to fall as adoption rises. Anyone using sDAI should treat the yield as variable.
5 features
Key features
01
Passive savings yield
Interest earned on DAI at MakerDAO is redirected to the holder of sDAI, according to the DefiLlama description.
02
Yield-bearing token
sDAI is a wrapped, interest-bearing form of DAI, so the balance value grows relative to DAI instead of requiring manual claims.
03
ERC-4626 format
Public reporting describes sDAI as an ERC-4626 representation of DAI within the Maker Dai Savings Rate module, a common vault standard.
04
DeFi usability
The listing says sDAI can be used in DeFi like xDAI on Gnosis Chain, so it can serve as productive collateral or a savings balance.
05
Governance-set rate
The savings rate comes from the DAI Savings Rate, with SparkDAO named in public reporting as governing Savings DAI.
Pros and cons
What we like
- Passes the DAI Savings Rate from MakerDAO to holders without active management.
- Can be used in DeFi like xDAI on Gnosis Chain, per the DefiLlama description.
- Uses the ERC-4626 vault format, which is widely understood by integrators.
- Roughly $37.95 million in TVL on Gnosis shows meaningful use.
- Backed by a long-running DAI and MakerDAO savings mechanism rather than a new yield strategy.
Watch out for
- No audits are listed on DefiLlama for this listing, so readers must check audit status of the underlying contracts themselves.
- Yield depends on the DAI Savings Rate set through MakerDAO governance, so it can fall or change with little notice.
- Public reporting suggests the sDAI-to-sUSDS upgrade path under the Sky branding, which may reduce long-term attention on sDAI.
- Bridged assets on Gnosis Chain add bridge and cross-chain risk on top of the Maker savings mechanism.
- The homepage could not be fetched, so some product details could not be confirmed from a primary source.
- Fees are not published publicly, so the full cost of entering and exiting is unclear.
sDAI fees
Fees are not published. DefiLlama shows no fee data for sDAI, and the homepage could not be fetched.
Users would still pay network gas on Gnosis Chain and any bridge or swap costs when moving in or out. These would appear in the wallet or interface used at the time of the transaction. The yield itself is the DAI Savings Rate; any protocol cut is not stated publicly.
Is sDAI safe?
DefiLlama lists no audits for this entry. That does not mean the contracts are unaudited, only that no audit is recorded in the data used here. Readers should verify audit reports for the underlying Maker savings module and the Gnosis bridge contracts.
Main risks include smart-contract bugs, bridge risk from moving DAI to Gnosis Chain, stablecoin depeg risk, and governance changes to the savings rate. No incidents are mentioned publicly. Custody is non-custodial: you hold the token in your own wallet, but you rely on the protocols behind it.
6 steps
How to get started with sDAI
- 1
Confirm that you are comfortable with stablecoin, bridge and smart-contract risk, and check any rules that apply where you live.
- 2
Set up a Gnosis Chain-compatible wallet and add the network if needed.
- 3
Obtain DAI or xDAI and bridge or convert it using an interface that supports sDAI, checking you use the correct token contract.
- 4
Deposit into sDAI and review the live Dai Savings Rate on a dashboard, since the rate is not fixed.
- 5
Check whether sDAI is accepted in the DeFi apps you plan to use it in before relying on it as collateral.
- 6
Monitor governance updates, including any upgrade path to sUSDS, and plan how you would exit.
Who sDAI is for
sDAI is for DeFi users who already hold DAI or xDAI and want a low-effort yield on a stablecoin balance. It fits people active on Gnosis Chain who value an ERC-4626-style savings token. It is less suited to anyone who needs a fixed return, wants audited, fully documented contracts in one place, or is unwilling to accept bridge and governance risk.
sDAI FAQs
What is sDAI?
sDAI is a yield-bearing version of DAI. Per the DefiLlama description, DAI bridged to Gnosis Chain earns interest at MakerDAO, and that interest is redirected to the sDAI holder. Public reporting describes it as an ERC-4626 representation tied to the Dai Savings Rate module.
Where does sDAI yield come from?
The yield comes from the DAI Savings Rate, a rate set through MakerDAO governance. One search result notes that yields are programmed to fall as adoption increases. The current rate is not stated publicly, so check a live dashboard.
Which blockchain does sDAI run on?
DefiLlama lists Gnosis Chain for this entry. Public reporting also show sDAI on other networks such as Base, but those are not confirmed in the DefiLlama data used here.
Is sDAI risk-free?
No. It carries smart-contract risk, bridge risk, and governance risk from changes to the savings rate. DefiLlama lists no audits for this entry, and the token's price can deviate from expectations on thin markets.
Can I use sDAI in other DeFi apps?
The DefiLlama description says you can use sDAI in DeFi as you would use xDAI. Which specific protocols accept it is not listed publicly, so check each protocol before depositing.
Is sDAI being replaced by sUSDS?
A search result from an Instadapp dashboard mentions a one-click upgrade from sDAI to sUSDS under the SKY savings program. Whether and how this applies on Gnosis Chain is not established.
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How we checked
Sources
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