Best Solana Liquid Staking Platforms (2026 Guide)

When you have spare SOL sitting around, staking is a great option for earning yield on your holdings, and there are two options to consider.

Native staking SOL typically earns 5-8% APY while locking up your SOL for the stake period, meaning liquidity is lost for the duration of staking.

Liquid staking, on the other hand, earns the same base APY without the loss of liquidity. You get instant access to your capital without waiting through multi-day unbonding periods and gain the ability to further yield earnings by deploying retained liquidity to DeFi protocols.

Essentially, liquid staking is where you can have your cake (staking yields) and eat it too!

→ The Ultimate Guide to Solana Liquid Staking 2025

Many SOL holders stake through their wallet, but if you want to stake to a liquid staking token (LST), your best bet is to find a dedicated platform to stake and unstake your SOL to an LST. Some platforms, like Sanctum, provide universal access to any LST with instant liquidity, while others focus on a single staking option.

In this blog, we compare the top platforms to help you find the right fit to stake your SOL.

The 5 best platforms for liquid staking your SOL:

• Sanctum: Universal LST support, Infinity liquidity pool, industry-leading yields.
• Jupiter: Multi-LST staking routed through DEX liquidity.
• Phantom: Simple wallet-native staking with higher fees.
• Jito: Single-token liquid staking with jitoSOL.
• Marinade: Decentralized staking via mSOL across 400+ validators.

Solana staking means delegating your SOL tokens to validators or liquid staking protocols to help secure the network while earning yield, typically 6-8% APY. Unstaking refers to getting your SOL back.

Liquid staking is often a better option over native staking because it offers both higher yields and timely access to your staked funds. When you stake through Liquid Staking protocols like Sanctum, Jito, or Marinade, you receive a tradeable LST that represents your staked position. These tokens swap instantly back to SOL through liquidity pools, eliminating the traditional 2-3 day unbonding period.

We tested these platforms on what matters when staking and unstaking:

Unstaking Speed: Can you get your SOL back instantly, or are you waiting for liquidity pools to fill?

LST Support: Does the platform lock you into one LST, or can you access multiple options?

Fee Transparency: What does instant unstaking actually cost?

APY Competitiveness: Raw yield numbers and net yield after fees show what hits your wallet.

User Experience: How many steps to stake? How many clicks to unstake?

The best platforms support many LSTs, allow instant unstaking, have low fees, and are easy for users to interact with.

Quick Overview

Sanctum is the universal liquidity layer for Solana staking. It offers instant stake and unstake for any LST through its Infinity liquidity pool. Sanctum aggregates liquidity across 200+ tokens. You get flexibility to stake with any provider while maintaining instant exit liquidity. Whether you're staking to INF (Sanctum's own high-performing LST with industry-leading yield), JupSOL, gtSOL, dfdvSOL, mpSOL, or any other LST, Sanctum ensures you can unstake instantly with minimal fees and best-in-class pricing.

Best For

SOL holders who want maximum staking flexibility, instant liquidity for any LST, and competitive yields without protocol lock-in.

Pros

• Infinity aggregated liquidity: Sanctum is the only platform providing instant unstaking for ALL major Solana LSTs. You can both stake and unstake all major LSTs right on Sanctum’s platform.
• INF liquid staking token: Sanctum's own LST delivering with the backing of Sanctum's liquidity infrastructure. Strong default option alongside access to all other LSTs. Learn more about INF in our complete guide.
• Universal staking interface: Stake to 1,400+ different LST protocols from one platform. Test different providers, switch between them, diversify across multiple LSTs, and unstake directly in Sanctum. No need to juggle different interfaces.
• Best pricing through aggregation: Sanctum pools liquidity across all LSTs rather than maintaining separate pools per token. You get better execution on unstakes compared to single-protocol liquidity pools.
• Optimized routing: Sanctum automatically selects the cheapest route to stake or unstake your SOL. Selecting between Sanctum’s own liquidity pool or Jupiter depending on which has the best fees at a given time.
• Rate comparison: See APY across different LST options before staking for informed decisions
• Zero protocol lock-in: Other providers like Jito and Marinade only support their own LST. Sanctum lets you access the entire Solana liquid staking ecosystem.
• Transparent fee structure: Clear 0.1-0.3% fee for instant unstaking through Infinity liquidity pool. No hidden spreads or surprise slippage.
• Non-custodial throughout: Your keys, your SOL. Sanctum never takes custody of your assets.

Cons

• Small aggregation fee for instant liquidity (0.1-0.3%), though this is typically offset by better pricing from aggregated liquidity.
• More LST options means slight learning curve compared to single-LST platforms, though the interface simplifies the complexity.
• Partner LSTs have lower fees than non-partner LSTs meaning large non-partner LSTs like jitoSOL and mSOL can be more expensive to unstake on Sanctum.

Pricing

Free to stake, 0.1-0.3% fee for instant unstaking through the Infinity liquidity pool.

Unique Advantage

Most staking platforms operate with fragmented liquidity. Jito has a pool for jitoSOL, Marinade has a pool for mSOL. This fragmentation can create unpredictable pricing and potential liquidity crunches in volatile or unexpected market conditions.

Sanctum's Infinity liquidity pool solves this by aggregating liquidity across all LSTs. When you unstake any supported LST, you tap into combined reserves from the entire Solana staking ecosystem. This creates better pricing, more reliable instant unstaking, and true flexibility to use any LST provider. Sanctum also checks other providers to find the best price. If Jupiter has a better price, Sanctum will route there instead!

This infrastructure advantage compounds over time. As new LST protocols launch, they integrate with Sanctum's Infinity liquidity pool.

Quick Overview

Jupiter is Solana's leading decentralized exchange. It offers integrated staking features alongside its core trading functionality. Jupiter lets you stake to multiple LST protocols while trading between tokens. Convenient for active traders who want staking and swapping in one interface. Jupiter aggregates staking options and routes to the best liquidity sources to enable instant unstaking across multiple LSTs.

Best For

Active traders who frequently swap tokens and want integrated staking without switching between platforms.

Pros

• Trading + staking integration: Stake your SOL, swap tokens, and manage liquidity positions all from one interface without platform hopping
• Multi-LST staking access: Stake to multiple liquid staking protocols, comparing rates and features before choosing
• Rate comparison: See APY across different LST options before staking for informed decisions
• Familiar for traders: If you're already using Jupiter for swaps, adding staking to your workflow is simple
• Aggregated routing: Jupiter's aggregates liquidity pools and routes to the most efficient one. This can be Sanctum’s liquidity, token issuer liquidity pools, or other liquidity pools.

Cons

• Liquidity depends on DEX pool depth for each individual LST
• Optimized for trading first, with staking as a convenient add-on feature
• No unique liquidity technology beyond standard DEX routing, so you're reliant on existing liquidity pool depth

Pricing

Standard DEX fees apply (typically 0.3% for swaps used in unstaking)

Unique Advantage

Jupiter's strength is its seamless integration of staking into an already powerful trading platform. If you're already swapping tokens daily, you can quickly stake your idle SOL without leaving the platform. Jupiter's staking interface shows multiple LST options with current APYs. This makes it easy to put your SOL to work between trades.

Quick Overview

Phantom is Solana's most popular wallet with integrated staking, supporting native and liquid SOL staking. Staking occurs directly from Phantom’s main interface without the need to navigate to external platforms. Phantom supports multiple LST options and offers straightforward native staking with validator selection. However, this convenience comes at a cost. Phantom uses Jupiter behind the scenes but takes an additional fee making it more expensive than alternatives.

Best For

Casual stakers who want the convenience of wallet-integrated staking and don’t care about advanced options or extra fees.

Pros

• Wallet-integrated convenience: Stake and unstake without leaving your primary Solana wallet, keeping everything in one familiar interface
• Multiple LST support: Access to several liquid staking options, including major protocols, giving you more choice than single-LST platforms
• Beginner-friendly interface: Simplified staking flow designed for users new to Solana DeFi
• Mobile + desktop support: Manage staking positions across devices
• Trusted brand: Most widely used Solana wallet with a strong security track record

Cons

• Limited liquidity optimization compared to dedicated platforms like Sanctum or Jupiter
• Wallet-first design means less sophisticated features for active stakers managing large positions or frequently rebalancing
• Less transparency around unstaking fees and routing compared to purpose-built staking platforms
• Extra fees on swaps since it uses Jupiter to power swaps.

Pricing

Free to stake, fees vary based on LST protocol, liquidity routing, and swaps

Unique Advantage

Phantom is the most popular Solana wallet. With great convience but higher fees.

Quick Overview

Jito is a liquid staking protocol offering jitoSOL, one of Solana's largest LSTs. Jito focuses exclusively on its single LST with instant unstaking through its dedicated liquidity pool.

Best For

Users who are looking to stake specifically to jitoSOL and don't need access to other LST protocols.

Pros

• Strong DeFi integration: jitoSOL is widely accepted as collateral across Solana DeFi
• Strong yields: Currently 5.96% over the last 10 epochs
• Simple experience: Straightforward interface focused on one token
• Cheap unstaking of JitoSOL: Jito’s liquidity pool is often the cheapest route to get liquidity for you staked jitoSOL given their large liquidity of their token

Cons

• Single LST only: No access to other liquid staking protocols like Marinade, Sanctum's INF, or specialized LSTs
• Locked to one protocol: Want to try a different LST? Must unstake from Jito and use a different platform
• No liquidity aggregation: Reliant on Jito's single pool rather than aggregated liquidity across protocols

Pricing

Free to stake, commission built into APY. Instant unstaking fees vary based on liquidity pool state.

Quick Overview

Marinade Finance offers mSOL as their LST. Marinade stakes your SOL across 400+ validators, providing strong decentralization. Marinade focuses exclusively on mSOL with instant unstaking through their dedicated liquidity pool.

Best For

Users who prioritize validator decentralization and are comfortable committing to mSOL as their staking token.

Pros

• Strong validator decentralization: Stakes across 400+ validators, reducing centralization risks
• Solid yields: mSOL has a yield of 6.66% over the last 10 epochs, beating Jito but following behind INF.
• Cheap unstaking of mSOL: Marinade’s own liquidity pool is often the cheapest route to get liquidity for you staked mSOL given their large liquidity of their token

Cons

• Single LST only: No access to other liquid staking protocols like Jito, Sanctum's INF, or emerging specialized LSTs
• Must exit to switch: Switching to a different LST requires unstaking and moving to another platform
• No liquidity aggregation: Dependent on Marinade's single liquidity pool

Pricing

Free to stake, commission built into APY. Instant unstaking fees vary based on mSOL liquidity pool state.

Upgrade your Solana staking strategy with Sanctum → Stake with instant liquidity today

The Solana staking landscape has evolved beyond choosing the "best" single LST, though we do think the best staking strategy is INF. Flexibility across all LSTs creates the most opportunity for users, and Sanctum is the only platform built to solve the liquidity problem universally.

Single-LST platforms like Jito and Marinade ask you to commit to their specific protocol. Multi-LST platforms like Jupiter and Phantom offer more choice but rely on fragmented liquidity. On these platforms, each LST has its own separate pool or DEX depth creating inconsistent unstaking experiences.

Sanctum's Infinity liquidity pool aggregates liquidity across the entire ecosystem and picks the best route to execute trades. You access the combined liquidity of all major LSTs ensuring reliable instant unstaking regardless of which protocol you stake with.

Sanctum delivers industry leading yields through INF while giving you access to every other Solana LST. Via Sanctum, you can stake to JupSOL, bbSOL, BNSOL, or any emerging protocol with Sanctum's Infinity liquidity pool providing instant exit liquidity for all of them.

Solana staking is delegating SOL to validators or liquid staking protocols to earn yield while securing the network. This typically generates 6-8% APY. Native staking locks your SOL with validators for 2-3 days when you want it back. Liquid staking gives you tradeable LST tokens that swap instantly to SOL. Your SOL goes to work securing Solana's blockchain, and you earn rewards for contributing to network security.

Native staking through wallets requires a 2-3 day unbonding period. You can't access your SOL during that time. Liquid staking tokens enable instant unstaking by swapping your LST back to SOL through liquidity pools, completing in seconds rather than days. Sanctum's Infinity liquidity pool provides the most reliable instant unstaking across all LSTs by aggregating liquidity ecosystem-wide.

Yes, but only with liquid staking tokens, not native staking. Platforms like Sanctum enable instant unstaking by letting you swap your LST back to SOL through liquidity pools. Sanctum offers the most comprehensive instant unstaking by supporting all major Solana LSTs through its Infinity liquidity pool, while single-LST platforms only provide instant liquidity for their specific token.

Native staking delegates SOL directly to validators, locking your tokens for 2-3 days when you want to unstake but offering marginally higher yields with no protocol fees. Liquid staking gives you a tradeable LST token representing your staked position, enabling instant unstaking through liquidity pools at the cost of small fees and slightly lower net yields. Liquid staking can be superior for anyone who values flexibility and instant access to capital alongside competitive returns.

Sanctum's Infinity liquidity pool offers the deepest liquidity by aggregating across all Solana LSTs. It aggregates across all Solana LSTs rather than maintaining separate pools per protocol. Single-LST platforms like Jito or Marinade only offer liquidity for their specific token. Jupiter routes through standard DEX pools that vary by token popularity. Sanctum's aggregated approach means you get consistent instant unstaking performance regardless of which LST you hold.

Most quality liquid staking protocols offer competitive 6-8% APY, with differences typically in the 0.1-0.5% range rather than dramatic variations. Sanctum's INF delivers industry leading yields with the current best yield out of the largest 20 LSTs at time of writing.

Sanctum makes switching between LSTs seamless. You can unstake any LST instantly through the Infinity liquidity pool and stake to any other protocol in under a minute. Jupiter also supports multiple LSTs but routes through DEX liquidity that varies by token. Single-LST platforms like Jito and Marinade require you to completely exit their ecosystem, wait for liquidity, and then join a different platform to access alternative protocols.

Instant unstaking costs vary by platform and method. Sanctum charges a transparent 0.1-0.3% fee for instant unstaking through the Infinity liquidity pool with minimal additional slippage due to aggregated liquidity. Jupiter applies standard DEX fees around 0.3% plus potential slippage depending on pool depth. Single-LST platforms build fees into their APY structure, with instant unstaking costs varying based on their specific liquidity pool state at the time of your transaction.