If you’ve been staking SOL, you already know the deal — you lock it up, secure the network, and earn a steady yield. Pretty good, right?
But what if your SOL could work twice as hard without you giving up control? That’s where Solayer comes in. It’s a restaking and liquid restaking protocol built just for Solana, and it lets you take your staked SOL (or certain liquid staking tokens like mSOL, jitoSOL, or stSOL) and put them to work securing other blockchain services — earning you extra rewards on top of your normal staking yield.
Restaking in Plain English
Restaking is basically telling your SOL:
"Hey, I know you’re already helping secure Solana… but how about you also back up these other systems while you’re at it?"
Those “other systems” are called Actively Validated Services (AVSs). They can be anything from data networks and bridges to special Solana-native dApps that need lightning-fast transaction priority. The more AVSs your stake secures, the more reward streams you can tap into.
Two Flavors of AVS
@Solayer splits these services into two groups:
EndoAVS (Endogenous AVS): These are Solana-native apps. By backing them, you help give them priority blockspace — meaning their transactions get processed faster and more reliably. Perfect for trading apps, gaming, or payments where speed is everything.
ExoAVS (Exogenous AVS): These are external or modular systems outside Solana (like rollup sequencers, cross-chain oracles, or bridges). This feature is still rolling out, but it’ll let your SOL help secure networks far beyond Solana.
Meet sSOL — Your Restaked Token
When you deposit into Solayer, you don’t just lock away your tokens and forget about them. You get sSOL in return — a liquid restaking token that represents your position. With sSOL you can:
Keep earning your regular staking rewards.
Collect extra incentives from the AVSs you support.
Use it in Solana DeFi for lending, trading, or farming.
So your SOL isn’t just resting — it’s out there, working in two (or more) places at once.
And Then There’s sUSD
Solayer also created sUSD, a USD-pegged stablecoin that earns yield by itself — around 4–5% APY from short-term U.S. Treasury bills. It’s not just a “park and forget” stablecoin either. Soon, you’ll be able to use sUSD in restaking too, stacking its native yield with AVS rewards.
How It Works — Step by Step
1. Deposit SOL or LSTs (like mSOL, jitoSOL, stSOL).
2. Get sSOL in return.
3. Choose AVSs you want to secure and delegate to them.
4. Earn both staking rewards and AVS rewards.
5. Withdraw whenever you want — each AVS has its own short unbonding period (often just a couple of days).
Behind the scenes, Solayer’s infrastructure is built for speed — with hardware-optimized validators and a high-performance engine (InfiniSVM) that’s designed for massive throughput.
Safety First
Solayer’s contracts have been audited by OtterSec and Halborn, and the team commits to regular reviews. Still, like any DeFi protocol, there are risks: smart contract bugs, unreliable AVSs, or liquidity issues in the DeFi markets where sSOL and sUSD trade.
Why You Might Care
If you’re already staking SOL, Solayer gives you a way to multiply your earning potential without locking up your capital. For developers, it’s a new path to tap into Solana’s economic security. For the ecosystem, it’s a way to extend Solana’s influence to other chains and systems.
It’s a bigger-picture shift: staking is no longer just about one chain — it’s about shared security across the blockchain universe.
Bottom line:
Solayer turns your staked SOL into an active, multi-tasking asset. You keep your base yield, pick up extra rewards from AVSs, and still have a token (sSOL) you can use anywhere in DeFi. Just remember — with higher rewards comes higher responsibility to check the risks, read the AVS terms, and keep an eye on your positions
