Understand Solana restaking, how it differs from liquid staking, and compare the three major protocols — Jito (NCN), Solayer (endoAVS), and Fragmetric (fragSOL LRT) — on TVL, yields, risks, and use cases.
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Restaking is one of the most significant DeFi primitives to hit Solana. It takes capital that's already earning staking yield and puts it to work a second time — securing additional networks, oracles, bridges, and other infrastructure without requiring new capital or new validators.
If you've been following Ethereum's restaking narrative through EigenLayer, Solana's version is now mature enough to deserve serious attention. Jito, Solayer, and Fragmetric are the three protocols leading the charge, each with a distinct architecture and risk profile.
This guide breaks down what restaking actually is, how it differs from the liquid staking you already know, and which protocol makes sense for different types of users.
At its core, restaking means taking staked assets — SOL that's already delegated to validators and earning ~7% APY — and pledging that same economic security to additional services.
Think of it like this: a validator secures the Solana network with staked SOL. Restaking lets that same SOL simultaneously secure an oracle network, a bridge, a data availability layer, or any other system that needs economic guarantees. The staked SOL doesn't move. It just does double duty.
Without restaking, every new decentralized service that needs security has to bootstrap its own validator set and convince people to lock capital specifically for that service. This is expensive, slow, and fragments security across the ecosystem.
Restaking solves this by pooling Solana's existing security. New services can tap into billions of dollars of staked SOL without competing for new capital. Restakers earn additional yield on top of their staking rewards. Services get battle-tested security from day one.
The result is a more capital-efficient ecosystem where security is shared, not siloed.
If you're using JitoSOL, mSOL, or JupSOL, you're already liquid staking. Restaking is a layer on top of that. Here's how they differ:
| Liquid Staking | Restaking | |
|---|---|---|
| What you stake | Native SOL | LSTs (JitoSOL, mSOL, etc.) or SOL |
| What you secure | Solana consensus only | Additional services (oracles, bridges, rollups) |
| Yield source | Validator staking rewards | Staking rewards + service fees |
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Open the KOL Tracker| Risk | Validator slashing, smart contract risk | All of the above + slashing from additional services |
| Liquidity | Receive LST, use in DeFi | Depends on protocol — some issue liquid restaking tokens (LRTs) |
| Complexity | Low | Medium to high |
The key insight: restaking doesn't replace liquid staking. It extends it. You can hold JitoSOL, restake it through Solayer, and earn staking yield plus restaking yield simultaneously.
Jito — the same team behind JitoSOL and Jito-Solana's MEV client — launched its restaking platform around the concept of Node Consensus Networks (NCNs).
How it works:
An NCN is any off-chain service that needs decentralized consensus. Think price oracles, keeper networks, cross-chain messaging, or transaction ordering services. Each NCN defines its own rules for what operators must do and what gets them slashed.
Restakers deposit SOL or LSTs into Jito's restaking vaults. Operators — entities running the actual NCN software — draw from this pooled security. When an NCN generates revenue (fees for oracle updates, bridge transfers, etc.), that revenue flows back to restakers proportional to their contribution.
Architecture highlights:
Current NCNs include Jito's own tip distribution network, several oracle services, and keeper networks for DeFi protocol liquidations.
TVL and yield: Jito Restaking has accumulated significant TVL since launch, benefiting from the existing JitoSOL user base. Yields vary by NCN — some offer 2-4% additional APY on top of base staking, while early-stage NCNs may offer token incentives.
Best for: Users already holding JitoSOL who want incremental yield without changing their existing setup.
Solayer takes a different architectural approach with its endogenous Actively Validated Services (endoAVS) model. While Jito focuses on external consensus networks, Solayer is designed to secure services that are native to the Solana ecosystem.
How it works:
Solayer accepts SOL and major LSTs, then delegates them to endoAVS operators. The "endogenous" distinction matters: these services run within or closely alongside Solana's own infrastructure, which creates tighter integration and potentially lower latency.
Delegators stake their assets to specific AVS operators through Solayer's delegation manager. Each AVS has its own yield profile based on the fees it generates. Solayer handles the accounting, slashing enforcement, and reward distribution.
Architecture highlights:
What makes Solayer different:
Solayer's focus on Solana-native services means it can offer deeper integration with the network's transaction processing. Some AVS operators can provide transaction quality-of-service guarantees — prioritizing transactions from restakers, for example — which creates an additional incentive beyond pure yield.
TVL and yield: Solayer has grown rapidly, partly driven by early point incentive programs. Base restaking yields plus AVS rewards can combine for meaningful returns, though exact figures depend heavily on which AVS you're delegating to.
Best for: Users who want exposure to Solana-native infrastructure services and value the liquid restaking token (sSOL) for DeFi composability.
Fragmetric positions itself as a liquid restaking token (LRT) protocol, emphasizing the composability and DeFi-readiness of its restaking positions.
How it works:
You deposit SOL or LSTs into Fragmetric and receive fragSOL, a liquid restaking token that accrues both staking and restaking yield. Fragmetric's smart contracts handle operator selection, risk management, and yield optimization across multiple restaking services.
Architecture highlights:
What makes Fragmetric different:
Where Jito and Solayer give you granular control over which NCNs or AVS operators receive your stake, Fragmetric abstracts this away. You hold fragSOL, and the protocol manages the rest. This is closer to a "set and forget" restaking experience.
Fragmetric also emphasizes risk management more explicitly. Its strategy layer evaluates operator track records, diversifies across multiple services, and maintains reserve buffers to ensure fragSOL remains liquid even during volatile periods.
TVL and yield: As the newest of the three, Fragmetric is still scaling but has shown strong growth. The combined yield from staking + diversified restaking typically ranges from 8-12% APY depending on market conditions.
Best for: Users who want restaking exposure without managing individual operator or NCN selections — and who value having a liquid, DeFi-composable token.
| Feature | Jito (NCN) | Solayer (endoAVS) | Fragmetric (fragSOL) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restaking model | Node Consensus Networks | Endogenous AVS | Liquid Restaking Token |
| Accepted assets | SOL, JitoSOL, LSTs | SOL, LSTs | SOL, LSTs |
| Liquid token | Vault receipts | sSOL | fragSOL |
| Operator selection | User chooses NCN | User chooses AVS operator | Protocol manages |
| Slashing risk | Per-NCN, user-evaluated | Per-AVS, user-evaluated | Diversified by protocol |
| DeFi composability | Limited (vault-based) | Medium (sSOL) | High (fragSOL) |
| Complexity | Medium | Medium | Low |
| Yield range | Base staking + 2-4% | Base staking + variable | 8-12% combined |
| Unique advantage | Jito ecosystem synergy | Solana-native QoS | Set-and-forget simplicity |
Restaking is not free yield. It introduces additional risk layers on top of standard staking:
Every restaking protocol adds smart contract surface area. Jito, Solayer, and Fragmetric have all undergone audits, but restaking contracts are newer and less battle-tested than simple staking programs.
When your restaked SOL secures an NCN or AVS, you're subject to that service's slashing conditions. If an operator misbehaves — submitting wrong data, going offline, acting maliciously — your restaked capital can be partially slashed.
Each protocol handles this differently:
While liquid restaking tokens (sSOL, fragSOL) can theoretically be swapped anytime, their liquidity depends on DEX pools. During market stress, these tokens can trade at a discount to their underlying value.
If you're restaking JitoSOL (which is already staked SOL), you have layered exposure: Solana validator risk, JitoSOL smart contract risk, and restaking protocol risk. A failure at any layer affects you.
Restaking delegates your security to operators who run actual software. If an operator is poorly managed, undercapitalized, or runs unreliable infrastructure, your yield suffers and slashing risk increases.
Choose Jito if:
Choose Solayer if:
Choose Fragmetric if:
Or use Sanctum to explore and compare LSTs before deciding on a restaking layer. Sanctum's LST hub lets you swap between liquid staking tokens with minimal slippage, making it easy to move between base LSTs and restaking positions.
Regardless of which protocol you choose, the basic flow is similar:
Restaking is still early on Solana compared to Ethereum's EigenLayer ecosystem, but it's maturing quickly. As more NCNs and AVS services launch, the yield opportunities and security benefits will compound.
The most important thing is to understand what you're opting into. Restaking is not a risk-free yield upgrade — it's an active decision to extend your capital's security guarantees to additional services in exchange for additional rewards. Choose your protocol based on how much complexity you want to manage, how much risk you're comfortable with, and how you plan to use your restaked position.
For most users new to restaking, starting with a small allocation through Fragmetric's managed approach makes sense. As you build understanding, you can diversify across protocols or take more targeted positions through Jito or Solayer's operator-specific delegations.
The Solana restaking ecosystem is growing fast. Getting familiar with these protocols now positions you to benefit as the category matures throughout 2026 and beyond.
Restaking lets you reuse already-staked SOL (or a liquid staking token) to help secure additional services — such as oracles, bridges, or other networks — earning extra rewards on top of base staking yield. In exchange, your stake takes on the added risk of those services.
Liquid staking stakes SOL and gives you a liquid token that earns standard validator rewards. Restaking goes a layer further: it commits your stake to securing extra protocols for additional yield, which adds reward but also adds the risk — including potential penalties — of those protocols on top of normal staking.
Yes. On top of standard staking considerations, restaking adds the risk of the additional services you secure — smart-contract bugs, misconfiguration, and any slashing or penalty rules those protocols impose. Higher layered yield comes with higher layered risk, so understand exactly what your stake is backing.
It depends on the protocol. Some restaking designs issue a liquid receipt token you can use in DeFi, while others lock the stake for the services it secures. Check whether the protocol gives you a transferable token and what the exit or cooldown terms are before committing.
For other layered-yield strategies beyond restaking, see our Solana structured products and vaults guide.
Start small and use an established protocol: stake or deposit a liquid staking token, choose which services to restake toward, and confirm the reward and risk terms. Treat it as an advanced strategy — only commit capital whose risk you understand, and keep the bulk of your stake in plain staking if you want minimal exposure.
Yes — restaking builds directly on top of liquid staking, so it helps to be comfortable with the basics first. Our guide to staking SOL step by step covers delegation and liquid staking tokens from scratch, and if you want a deeper look at one of the three protocols compared above, our dedicated Solayer restaking guide covering sSOL, sUSD, and InfiniSVM goes further into its architecture.