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stCELO Review 2026: Simple Liquid Staking on Celo

stCELO (StakedCelo) is a liquid staking app on Celo that gives you a tradable receipt token for staked CELO. It is small and simple, and its thin liquidity is the main caveat.

Celo

By the DappsAtlas editorial team · Updated Nov 5, 2026

DappsAtlas score

6.0/10

Mixed

Visit stCELO

Our verdict on stCELO

6.0/10

stCELO suits CELO holders who want staking rewards while keeping a tradable receipt token, and who are comfortable with a small protocol. Its strengths are a narrow purpose, public docs and two listed audits. The main caveat is size: about $1.2 million in TVL and thin trading volume for stCELO mean exits on the open market may be costly. Read the withdrawal docs and fee details before depositing, and do not stake more than you can leave exposed to smart-contract risk.

Score breakdown

How stCELO scores

Security: 6.0/10
Ease of use: 7.0/10
Fees: n/a
Features: 5.5/10

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 stCELO?

stCELO is the token behind StakedCelo, a liquid staking app built for the Celo network. The homepage describes it as a simple dApp for Celo liquid staking. DefiLlama files it under liquid staking, lists it on Celo only, and has tracked it since August 2022.

The protocol is small. DefiLlama shows total value locked of about $1.18 million, down 11.6% over the past week. Market pages for the stCELO token show a price near $0.08 and low 24-hour trading volume, which suggests a thin secondary market.

The project has no token of its own beyond the stCELO receipt token. Its documentation covers withdrawal flows, validator group voting, protocol upgrades, contracts and a FAQ. Ecosystem posts also mention stCELO as collateral in lending loops, which add risk beyond simple staking.

How stCELO works

You send CELO to the StakedCelo smart contracts and receive stCELO in return. The protocol delegates the pooled CELO to Celo validator groups, which earn staking rewards for helping secure the network. Those rewards accrue to the pool, so each stCELO becomes redeemable for more CELO over time.

Because stCELO is a normal token, you can hold it, move it or trade it while your CELO stays staked. Without a liquid staking token, staked CELO is locked and unstaking requires a waiting period. The docs describe separate withdrawal flows for converting stCELO back into CELO.

The protocol also takes part in Celo governance, with docs pages on voting for validator groups and on protocol upgrades. The docs also describe a variant called rstCELO, which the homepage does not explain.

6 features

Key features

Liquid staking receipt token

Deposit CELO and receive stCELO, a token representing your staked position and accrued rewards.

Validator group delegation

The docs describe how CELO is delegated across validator groups, so users do not need to pick a group themselves.

Validator group voting

The docs have a section on voting for validator groups, which ties the protocol into Celo governance.

Documented withdrawal process

The docs list a defined withdrawal flow for converting stCELO back into CELO.

rstCELO variant

The docs cover protocol upgrades and a comparison between stCELO and rstCELO, a related variant.

Audits and public contracts

DefiLlama lists two audits for the protocol, and contract addresses are published in the docs.

Pros and cons

What we like

Simple purpose: stake CELO and get a liquid receipt token without running a validator.
Documentation covers withdrawals, validator voting, upgrades, contract addresses and a FAQ.
Two audits are listed on DefiLlama.
Live since 2022 according to the DefiLlama listing and the earliest docs dates.
No separate protocol token to buy, so exposure is just CELO staking.

Watch out for

TVL is about $1.2 million and fell 11.6% over seven days, so the protocol is small.
Market pages show a very thin secondary market for stCELO, with 24-hour volume of a few dollars to a few thousand dollars.
Fee levels are not shown on the homepage, so users must check the docs or the app before staking.
Smart-contract risk applies, and two listed audits do not remove it.
Rewards depend on the validator groups the protocol delegates to, and the team does not publish a clear performance track record on its homepage.
It supports only Celo, so it does not suit users who want multi-chain staking.

stCELO fees

The homepage does not publish a fee schedule. Protocol fees, if any, are normally taken from staking rewards, and users would find the current figures in the docs or the app before confirming a deposit.

You also pay Celo network gas for staking, unstaking and any swap of stCELO. Trading stCELO on a secondary market adds exchange fees and slippage, which can be significant when liquidity is thin.

Is stCELO safe?

DefiLlama lists two audits for the protocol, but the homepage does not name the auditors or link the reports there. Contract addresses are published in the docs, which lets users verify what they interact with. Liquid staking still carries smart-contract risk, validator risk, and the risk that stCELO trades below the value of the CELO behind it when liquidity is thin.

The team does not publish licences or a legal entity on the homepage, and a staking protocol of this kind is not covered by deposit insurance. A disclaimer page exists in the docs, so read it. Using stCELO as collateral in lending or looping strategies adds further liquidation and counterparty risk.

6 steps

How to get started with stCELO

1
Read the docs on withdrawal flows, fees and the stCELO vs rstCELO comparison before depositing.
2
Set up a Celo-compatible wallet and fund it with CELO plus a little extra for gas.
3
Open the StakedCelo app and connect your wallet.
4
Choose an amount of CELO to stake and confirm the transaction to receive stCELO.
5
Keep the stCELO in your wallet, or use it elsewhere only after checking the risks of that venue.
6
When you want out, follow the documented withdrawal flow and allow for any waiting period.

Open stCELO

Who stCELO is for

CELO holders who want to earn staking rewards without locking tokens or running validator infrastructure, and who understand smart-contract and liquidity risk. It is less suited to users who need deep trading liquidity or support for several chains.

stCELO FAQs

What is stCELO?

StakedCelo is a liquid staking protocol on the Celo network. You deposit CELO, it is delegated to validator groups, and you receive stCELO that represents your stake plus accrued rewards.

How do I withdraw from stCELO?

The protocol's docs cover withdrawal flows, so unstaking is a defined process rather than an instant swap. Exact waiting periods are not stated on the homepage, so read the withdrawal section of the docs before staking.

Does stCELO let me vote in Celo governance?

The docs have a page on voting for validator groups and another comparing stCELO with rstCELO. The homepage does not explain how voting power is allocated, so check the docs for the current rules.

What yield does stCELO pay?

One social post from the Celo ecosystem cites an organic yield of 1.85% on staking CELO for stCELO. Yields change over time, so treat that as a snapshot and check the current rate in the app.

Is stCELO audited?

DefiLlama lists two audits for the protocol, but the homepage does not name the auditors. Audits reduce risk without removing it, and you should read the audit reports before depositing.

Does StakedCelo have its own token?

The protocol has no token of its own according to DefiLlama. stCELO is a receipt token for staked CELO, not a governance or incentive token.

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