Kelp DAO vs Stride
A detailed head-to-head comparison of Kelp DAO and Stride — pricing, features, and which one wins for different use cases.
Kelp DAO
Liquid restaking protocol issuing rsETH across multiple restaking layers
Kelp DAO is a liquid restaking protocol that issues rsETH, letting users restake ETH and liquid staking tokens to earn layered rewards — Ethereum staking, EigenLayer restaking, and Kelp's own incentiv…
Full review →Stride
The leading liquid staking provider for the Cosmos ecosystem
Stride is the leading liquid staking provider for the Cosmos ecosystem, letting users liquid-stake assets like ATOM, TIA (Celestia), OSMO, and many other IBC-connected tokens to receive stTokens (stAT…
Full review →Feature Comparison
| Feature | Kelp DAO | Stride |
|---|---|---|
| Liquid Token | rsETH | stATOM / stTIA + more |
| Minimum Stake | None | None |
| Reward Frequency | Continuous | Continuous |
| Defi Compatible | ✓ | ✓ |
| Node Operator Model | Managed multi-layer restaking | Cosmos validators via IBC |
| Governance Token | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi Chain | ✗ | ✓ |
| Slashing Protection | ✗ | ✗ |
| Withdrawal Enabled | ✓ | ✓ |
| Insurance Fund | ✗ | ✗ |
Kelp DAO Pricing
Kelp DAO
Free (protocol fee on rewards)
Free
- ✓Liquid restaking (rsETH)
- ✓Accepts multiple LSTs as deposits
- ✓Layered staking + restaking rewards
- ✓Multi-restaking-layer support
- ✓KEP/native rewards
Stride Pricing
Stride
Free (10% fee on rewards)
Free
- ✓Cosmos liquid staking
- ✓stATOM, stTIA, stOSMO + many
- ✓IBC-based multi-chain reach
- ✓stTokens usable in Cosmos DeFi
- ✓STRD governance token
Verdict: Which Should You Choose?
Kelp DAO is the better pick if you need accepts multiple lsts — easy to restake existing stakes. Stride wins when dominant liquid staking in the cosmos ecosystem. Both are production-ready — the right choice depends on your team's workflow and budget.