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Liquid staking turns staked assets into composable tokens that can move through the Zcosystem. Instead of locking ZEC or Z tokens and losing access, liquid staking issues a receipt token (stZEC or stZ) that appreciates in value as staking rewards accrue. The receipt token is freely transferable, usable as collateral, and compatible with the ShieldedPool (MASP).

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stZEC (Post-Launch)

stZEC is a liquid staking token representing staked ZEC on Z. How it works:
  1. Bridge ZEC to Z via the Z Bridge
  2. Deposit ZEC into the stZEC staking contract
  3. Receive stZEC, which appreciates as consensus rewards accrue
stZEC uses a non-rebasing share price model. Your stZEC balance stays constant. The value per token grows. This is required for ShieldedPool (MASP) compatibility. What stZEC unlocks:

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stZEC vs. ZEC Staking

Self-CustodialstZEC
ZEC locationZcash chain (your wallet)Z chain (staking contract)
CustodySelf-custodialSmart contract
LiquidityLocked for chosen durationLiquid and tradeable
DeFi composableNoYes
Bridge requiredNoYes
Yield currencyZ token emissionsstZEC appreciation
Dual Staking eligibleYesNo

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stZ

stZ is the liquid staking token for the Z token. How it works:
  1. Deposit Z tokens into the stZ staking contract
  2. Receive stZ, which appreciates as consensus rewards accrue
The underlying Z tokens continue participating in [[Zcash Satoshi Plus (ZSP)|ZSP]] consensus (Leg 3). stZ lets holders maintain full DeFi composability while their Z tokens contribute to network security and governance. What stZ unlocks: