# WTF are LSTs?

### WTF are LSTs?

#### 1. First: What is staking?

On Proof-of-Stake networks, you lock your tokens to help secure the chain and, in return, earn rewards.

Simple.

![Image](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/66ec133a10652920718feea6/682c6c327af68aef1070ca3e_how-pos-works-in-crypto.png)

But there’s a catch:

* Your tokens are **locked**
* You can’t trade them
* You can’t use them in DeFi
* Unstaking may take days or weeks

So you earn yield… but your capital is frozen.

***

#### 2. Enter: Liquid Staking Tokens (LSTs)

A **Liquid Staking Token (LST)** is a token you receive when you stake your assets through a protocol.

Instead of locking your tokens and walking away, you:

1. Deposit your tokens into a staking protocol
2. The protocol stakes them for you
3. You receive a **liquid receipt token** (the LST)
4. Your LST represents your staked position + rewards

Now you can:

* Trade it
* Use it as collateral
* LP it
* Loop it
* Build on top of it

All while still earning staking yield.

***

#### 3. Why LSTs Exist

LSTs unlock **capital efficiency**.

Without LST:

> Stake → wait → earn

With LST:

> Stake → earn → deploy capital elsewhere

This is why LSTs became foundational in DeFi ecosystems.

Examples you may know:

* Lido on Ethereum
* Rocket Pool
* Jito on Solana

***

### What is [Endur](https://app.endur.fi/)?

**Endur** is a Liquid Staking protocol built on **Starknet**.\*\*

It allows users to stake STRK and/or BTC while staying liquid.

When you stake STRK/BTC via Endur:

* Your STRK/BTC is delegated to validators
* You receive an LST in return (e.g. xSTRK, xWBTC, etc.)
* That LST accrues staking rewards over time
* You remain liquid inside the Starknet ecosystem

Endur is designed for:

* Native staking participation
* Composability inside Starknet DeFi
* Sustainable validator delegation
* Long-term alignment with the ecosystem

***

### How Endur LSTs Work

#### Step 1 — Deposit STRK/BTC

You deposit STRK/BTC into the Endur vault.

#### Step 2 — Receive LST

You receive Endur’s LST in return. LSTs are tokens (e.g. xSTRK, xWBTC, etc.)

This token:

* Represents your share of the pooled stake
* Increases in value as rewards accumulate
* Can be transferred or used in DeFi

#### Step 3 — Rewards Accrue

Staking rewards flow back into the pool, increasing the backing per LST.

You don’t need to manually claim — value compounds automatically.

***

### What Makes Endur Different?

While LSTs are a known primitive, Endur focuses on:

#### 1. Starknet-native architecture

Built with Cairo contracts designed specifically for Starknet.

#### 2. Validator distribution strategy

Capital is distributed across multiple validators to reduce concentration risk.

#### 3. Withdrawal queue design

Unstaking follows Starknet’s native unbonding period, handled via a structured queue mechanism.

***

### Risks You Should Understand

LSTs are powerful — but not risk-free.

* Though Audited, Smart contract risk can still exist
* Liquidity risk (secondary market depth)