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Getting Started with Marinade#

Marinade is a non-custodial staking protocol on Solana that lets you earn staking rewards while keeping your SOL liquid and productive.

What You'll Need#

Requirement Details
SOL tokens Any amount (0.01 SOL minimum + fees)
Solana wallet Phantom, Solflare, Backpack, or Ledger
5 minutes Time to complete your first stake

Supported Wallets

What is Marinade?#

Marinade solves the key challenges of Solana staking:

Challenge Marinade Solution
Locked liquidity Receive mSOL - use it while earning rewards
Single validator risk Stake distributed across 100+ validators
Validator research Automatic selection via SAM algorithm
Missed rewards PSR protection guarantees expected yields
Protocol fees 0% - you keep all rewards

Choose Your Path#

  • I want to stake SOL

    Start earning ~7-8% APY in minutes with our step-by-step guide.

    Quickstart Guide

  • I need to set up a wallet

    Learn how to set up Phantom, Solflare, or a hardware wallet.

    Wallet Setup

  • I'm a developer

    Integrate Marinade using our TypeScript SDK and REST APIs.

    Developer Docs

  • I'm a validator

    Join SAM and receive stake from Marinade's delegation.

    Validator Docs

Two Ways to Stake#

Liquid Staking (mSOL)#

Stake SOL and receive mSOL - a liquid token you can use across DeFi.

graph LR
    A[Deposit SOL] --> B[Receive mSOL]
    B --> C[Use in DeFi]
    B --> D[Hold & Earn]
    C --> E[Lending]
    C --> F[Liquidity Pools]
    C --> G[Collateral]

Best for: Users who want DeFi flexibility and instant liquidity.

Native Staking#

Stake SOL directly with full custody of your stake accounts.

graph LR
    A[Deposit SOL] --> B[Stake Accounts Created]
    B --> C[Marinade Delegates]
    C --> D[Earn Rewards]
    D --> E[Unstake Anytime]

Best for: Users who prefer direct ownership without smart contract exposure.

Feature Comparison#

Feature Liquid Staking Native Staking
What you receive mSOL token Stake accounts
DeFi usable Yes - 50+ protocols No
Smart contract risk Yes (audited) No
Custody Non-custodial Full custody
Instant unstake Yes (~0.1-0.3% fee) Yes (~0.1-0.3% fee)
Delayed unstake ~1-2 epochs, free ~1 epoch, free
APY ~7-8% ~7-8%
PSR protection Yes Yes

Quick Start (30 seconds)#

  1. Go to app.marinade.finance
  2. Connect your wallet
  3. Enter SOL amount
  4. Click "Stake"
  5. Done - you're earning rewards!

Detailed Quickstart Guide

Frequently Asked Questions#

Is Marinade safe?

Yes. Marinade has been audited by Neodyme, Kudelski Security, and Ackee Blockchain. For native staking, you retain full custody - your SOL never leaves your control.

What's the minimum stake amount?

There's no enforced minimum, but you need enough SOL to cover transaction fees (~0.01 SOL recommended minimum).

How much can I earn?

Current Solana staking yields are ~7-8% APY. Marinade charges 0% protocol fee, so you keep all rewards.

Can I unstake anytime?

Yes. Use instant unstake (small fee) for immediate SOL, or delayed unstake (free) which takes ~1-2 epochs (~2-4 days).

Next Steps#

Step Description
1 Quickstart - Stake your first SOL
2 Staking Options - Compare liquid vs native
3 DeFi Guide - Use mSOL in DeFi
4 Core Concepts - Understand epochs & validators