Introduction

Marinade Finance was launched in 2021 and it’s a significant non-custodial liquid staking protocol on the Solana blockchain. It allows users to stake their SOL tokens and get mSOL, a liquid staking derivative that reflects the SOL staked and rewards accumulated. This strategy allows users to get staking incentives while maintaining liquidity without locking up their tokens.

Key Features

• Auto-delegation to 100+ validators: Your stake is split across a diverse set of reliable nodes. No need to research validators or optimize manually, Marinade handles that for you.
• Instant liquidity: You can swap your mSOL for regular SOL instantly, whether via Marinade or a DEX.
• Compounding rewards: As your SOL earns staking income, the value of your mSOL quietly goes up.
• Governance via MNDE: Holders of the Marinade DAO token get a voice in shaping the protocol’s future.
• DeFi integration: mSOL is usable in major Solana-based protocols like Jito, Ondo Finance, and more, making it one of the most composable assets in the ecosystem.

How Marinade Works

• Connect your wallet – Phantom, Solflare, or any Solana-compatible wallet.
• Stake your SOL – You’ll receive mSOL immediately you stake your SOL.
• Put mSOL to work – Trade it, lend it, LP with it; whatever fits your strategy.
• Unstake anytime – Swap mSOL back to SOL via Marinade or DEXs like Orca or Jupiter, anytime you feel like.

Why It Matters for Solana Users

For most SOL holders, capital efficiency has always been a pain point: stake and you lose flexibility; unstake and you miss out on yield. Marinade solves that tension. It’s a smart bridge between staking and DeFi.

And there's a bigger picture. By spreading SOL across a wide set of validators, Marinade actively improves decentralization on the Solana network. It’s not just passive yield; it’s yield that strengthens the chain.

How to Use It

• Visit the Marinade Finance site

• Connect Phantom, Solflare, or any Solana-compatible wallet

• Deposit SOL to mint mSOL.
• Use mSOL in DeFi protocols, provide liquidity, or hold for compounding rewards.
• To exit, swap mSOL back to SOL instantly via Marinade or DEXs.

Fees

By default, Marinade takes a 6% cut from staking rewards—not your principal. Occasionally, they run promotions with reduced fees, especially during ecosystem pushes. This fee is deducted from the rewards earned through staking and not from the initial amount deposited.

Key Milestones