Lido is a liquid staking solution designed for Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchains, with its most prominent implementation on Ethereum. It addresses common barriers to native staking, such as high minimum capital requirements (e.g., 32 ETH for a solo validator), technical complexity, and the illiquidity of staked assets. By using Lido, users can stake any amount of ETH and in return receive a tokenized version of their staked position, known as stETH (staked Ether), on a 1:1 basis. The core function of Lido is to provide liquidity for staked assets. While native staked ETH is locked and inaccessible, stETH is a liquid token that can be traded, used as collateral for loans, or deployed in various other decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols to earn additional yield. This process enhances capital efficiency, as users can earn staking rewards while simultaneously participating in the broader DeFi ecosystem. The stETH token balance automatically rebases daily, increasing to reflect the staking rewards earned by the protocol. Lido operates by pooling user deposits and delegating them to a set of professional and vetted node operators. This distributed approach helps to decentralize the network validation process. The protocol is governed by the Lido DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization), where holders of the LDO token can vote on key decisions, such as managing node operators and setting protocol fees. Following the Ethereum Shapella upgrade, a withdrawal mechanism was enabled, allowing users to unstake and redeem their stETH for ETH through the protocol. Beyond Ethereum, Lido has extended its liquid staking services to other PoS networks like Polygon (MATIC) and Solana (SOL). As with any DeFi protocol, users should be aware of inherent risks, including smart contract vulnerabilities and potential price deviations between the liquid staking token and its underlying asset.