Is Stader Safe?
Risk Grade: B- (29/100)
Stader is rated as moderate risk — some novel mechanisms, generally well-understood.
Moderate risk — well-audited liquid staking with standard mechanics, balanced by permissioned operator set and multi-chain complexity.
Stader is a multi-chain liquid staking platform with $323M TVL, offering ETHx on Ethereum and LSTs on BNB Chain, Polygon, and Hedera. Its B grade reflects standard liquid staking patterns with no novel mechanisms, backed by multiple audits from Sigma Prime, Halborn, and PeckShield, though the permissioned operator set and multi-chain complexity add moderate risk.
TVL
$325M
Mechanisms
5
Interactions
4
Value Grade
C-
Key Risks for Stader Users
ETHx relies on oracle price feeds when used as collateral in other DeFi protocols. If these feeds lag during volatile markets, positions backed by ETHx could be incorrectly liquidated.
Stader uses a permissioned set of node operators rather than allowing anyone to run validators, which means the team controls validator selection.
During market stress, many users trying to unstake simultaneously could create redemption queue delays, potentially causing ETHx to trade below its fair value temporarily.
Top Risk Factors
- •ETHx exchange rate depends on oracle feeds for accurate pricing; a stale or manipulated oracle could cause incorrect liquidations when ETHx is used as collateral in external lending protocols.
- •Multi-chain deployment across Ethereum, BNB Chain, Polygon, and Hedera increases attack surface, as each chain integration introduces bridge dependencies and chain-specific risks.
- •Permissioned node operator set means Stader currently controls which validators run ETHx-backed nodes, creating centralization risk in validator selection.
Risk Score Breakdown
Stader's highest risk area is Vitality Risk (8/10). Here's how each dimension contributes to the overall 29/100 score:
Read the Full Stader Risk Report
This protocol has 2 collapse scenarios. 1 high-severity interaction risks identified. See the full mechanism classification, interaction matrix, and deep-dive recommendations.
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