- Lido integrates Chainlink’s interoperability standard to power transfers of wrapped staked ether (wstETH).
- Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) is now the official cross-chain infrastructure for wstETH.
- wstETH will adopt CCIP gradually across supported chains.
Lido, a leading liquid staking protocol on Ethereum, announced a strategic partnership with Chainlink to adopt CCIP as the official infrastructure securing cross-chain transfers of Lido’s wrapped staked Ether (wstETH).
The integration follows approval from the Lido DAO community through a snapshot vote, empowering the ecosystem to move forward with the partnership.
Key details of the Lido and Chainlink partnership
Under the agreement, Lido will use Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Token (CCT) standard to power wstETH transfers.
This means future cross-chain operations for wstETH will route through CCIP, replacing native bridges and third-party providers. Chainlink plans a phased rollout across 16 chains supported by Lido, including Arbitrum, Base and Linea.
Early deployments are also planned for emerging networks such as Plasma, Monad, Ink and 0G.
Key benefits and strategic impact
Adopting CCIP unlocks several advantages for wstETH holders and DeFi builders.
CCIP builds on Chainlink’s decentralized oracle network, which secures more than $100 billion in DeFi total value locked. For wstETH, the CCT standard enables self-service token deployment, DAO-owned contracts and programmable features.
The forward-looking design supports permissionless onboarding to most leading blockchains, while layered security increases protection for cross-chain flows.
Previous Chainlink integrations with Lido, including data feeds and other services, have already helped stETH/wstETH adoption across protocols such as Aave. This step expands those capabilities further.
Jakov Buratovic, Master of DeFi at Lido, commented on the integration:
“For stakers, the ability to move assets quickly across the ecosystem is essential for seizing opportunities, rebalancing liquidity and efficiently managing staked ETH. By adopting Chainlink CCIP as the official cross-chain standard for wstETH, we provide users and builders with a standardized and secure way to move wstETH between chains,” said Buratovic.
The partnership positions Lido to be more competitive in emerging markets and to broaden wstETH utility across DeFi.
Johann Eid, Chief Commercial Officer at Chainlink Labs, expressed a similar view:
“This integration will significantly expand access to wstETH across DeFi, with cross-chain flows protected by Chainlink’s defense-in-depth architecture.”
Price outlook for Lido DAO
Lido DAO’s governance token (LDO) climbed roughly 5% in the past 24 hours following the announcement.
LDO grants holders voting power over protocol decisions such as validator onboarding and protocol upgrades.
At the time of writing, LDO traded near $0.76—higher than earlier in the day but still down for the week and month. The token has rebounded more than 133% from its all-time low of $0.3278 recorded on October 11, 2025.
If bullish momentum persists amid a broader DeFi recovery, LDO could retest the $1.00 level.