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stake.link Review 2026: Liquid Staking for Chainlink

stake.link is a liquid staking protocol on Ethereum focused on the Chainlink ecosystem, letting LINK holders stake and keep a tradable receipt token. It holds about $84.6M in TVL, but DefiLlama lists no audits.

Ethereum

By the DappsAtlas editorial team · Updated Nov 4, 2026

DappsAtlas score

6.8/10

Good

Visit stake.link liquid

Our verdict on stake.link liquid

6.8/10

stake.link suits LINK holders who want staking rewards without fully locking their tokens, and who are comfortable with DeFi smart-contract risk. Its main strength is a focused product: stLINK, a liquid receipt token with a described 1:1 swap back to LINK, backed by about $84.6M in TVL. The main caveat is that DefiLlama lists no audits and fees are not published publicly, so check documentation and current rates before depositing.

Score breakdown

How stake.link liquid scores

Security: 5.5/10
Ease of use: 7.5/10
Fees: n/a
Features: 6.5/10

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 stake.link liquid?

stake.link is a liquid staking protocol built around the Chainlink ecosystem. Its homepage describes it as the leading liquid staking protocol for Chainlink, where users stake LINK, help secure the network, earn rewards and keep DeFi composability.

DefiLlama lists it under Liquid Staking on Ethereum, with about $84.6M in total value locked, a -0.7% change over seven days, and a listing date of December 2022. Its token is SDL. DefiLlama shows no audits for the entry, which readers should weigh.

Public reporting suggests the product tracks Chainlink's own staking program, with stLINK swappable to LINK at 1:1 through the app. A February 2024 news report also says LINK liquid staking was extended to Arbitrum.

How stake.link liquid works

Chainlink staking lets LINK holders lock tokens on Ethereum to back oracle feed performance, and stakers earn rewards. Locking normally means the tokens cannot be used elsewhere.

stake.link adds a liquid layer. A user deposits LINK and receives stLINK, which represents the staked position. Because stLINK is a normal token, it can in principle be held in a wallet or used in other DeFi applications while the underlying LINK keeps earning staking rewards.

Public reporting also describe an exit route: swapping stLINK back to LINK at a 1:1 rate through stake.link. How much can be swapped at once depends on the protocol's liquidity, which the project does not detail.

5 features

Key features

Liquid LINK staking

Users stake LINK and receive stLINK, a liquid token that represents the staked position and can be used elsewhere in DeFi.

1:1 stLINK swap

Public reporting state that stLINK can be swapped to LINK at stake.link at a 1:1 rate, offering a way out without a native unstake wait.

DeFi composability

The homepage says staking LINK secures the network and enables DeFi composability for the receipt token.

SDL token

stake.link has its own token, SDL, which has been offered for staking on at least one major exchange according to public reporting.

Arbitrum expansion

A February 2024 news item says stake.link added LINK liquid staking capabilities on Arbitrum.

Pros and cons

What we like

Focused niche: liquid staking specifically for LINK holders.
About $84.6M in TVL suggests meaningful adoption.
Liquid stLINK token keeps staked LINK usable in DeFi.
Described 1:1 swap from stLINK to LINK as an exit route.
Operating since December 2022 per DefiLlama listing date.

Watch out for

DefiLlama lists no audits for this entry, so security assurance has to be checked by the user.
Exposure is concentrated in a single asset ecosystem (Chainlink), so returns depend on LINK staking economics.
Holding stLINK adds smart-contract risk on top of the base Chainlink staking risk.
The 1:1 swap back to LINK depends on available liquidity and is not the same as a native unstake.
The SDL reward rate cited in public reporting (1.02%) is low and may vary, so check current rates before relying on it.

stake.link liquid fees

Fees are not published. Public sources do not state any protocol fee on staking rewards or any swap or withdrawal fee.

Users should check the stake.link app and documentation for fee details before depositing, and expect to pay normal Ethereum network gas fees on transactions.

Is stake.link liquid safe?

DefiLlama lists no audits for this entry, which does not prove none exist but means they are not confirmed publicly. Check the project's documentation for audit reports and a bug bounty before depositing.

Liquid staking carries layered risks: smart-contract bugs in stake.link, risks in the underlying Chainlink staking contracts, and the possibility that stLINK trades below LINK or that swap liquidity is limited. Public sources report no incidents. Users keep wallet custody but depend on the protocol's contracts.

6 steps

How to get started with stake.link liquid

1
Confirm you hold LINK on Ethereum and have ETH for gas fees.
2
Open the official stake.link site and read the current documentation on rates and risks.
3
Connect a self-custody wallet and check that you are on the correct site.
4
Choose the amount of LINK to stake and confirm the transaction to receive stLINK.
5
Hold stLINK to earn rewards, or look for DeFi uses of the token if you accept the extra risk.
6
When you want out, use the 1:1 swap to LINK if liquidity is available, and check the terms first.

Open stake.link liquid

Who stake.link liquid is for

Long-term LINK holders who already want to stake and would like a liquid token for DeFi use. It is less suited to people who avoid smart-contract risk or want diversified staking across several assets.

stake.link liquid FAQs

What is stake.link?

stake.link is a liquid staking protocol aimed at the Chainlink ecosystem. Users stake LINK and receive a liquid token, stLINK, which can be used in DeFi while the underlying LINK earns staking rewards.

How much is locked in stake.link?

Per public sources, DefiLlama shows about $84.6M in TVL for this listing, with a 7-day change of -0.7%. TVL figures move constantly, so check a live tracker for current numbers.

Can I withdraw LINK from stake.link instantly?

Public reporting describes an instant exit by swapping stLINK to LINK at stake.link at a 1:1 rate. Availability depends on the protocol's liquidity at the time, so check the app before relying on it.

What is the SDL token?

SDL is the stake.link token, listed on DefiLlama. A search result about SDL staking through Coinbase cites a reward of 1.02%, though this figure can change.

Which chains does stake.link support?

Public sources list Ethereum as the chain on this DefiLlama entry. A news item from February 2024 says stake.link also launched cross-chain LINK staking on Arbitrum.

Has stake.link been audited?

DefiLlama lists zero audits for this entry. Any liquid staking protocol carries smart-contract risk, so review the project's own documentation for audit reports before depositing.

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