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Running a Vault

This comprehensive guide walks you through creating your own StakeWise Vault step by step.

A Vault → is a customizable smart contract that can be deployed by anyone to stake their own capital and/or offer staking to others, all in a non-custodial way.

Each Vault is isolated from others and relies on its own set of validators to produce rewards on the consensus layer. However, a Vault may participate in MEV smoothing → to avoid volatility in the execution layer earnings.

Staked ETH/GNO in any Vault can be made liquid by minting osETH/osGNO → – a liquid staking token.

Choose your settings based on your intended use case:

Use caseRecommended settings
🏠 Liquid solo staking• 0% fee • Private Vault • No Vault token • Smoothing Pool
🌐 Community staking pool• Custom capacity & fee • Public Vault • No Vault token • Smoothing Pool
🏢 Node operator service• Custom capacity & fee • Private Vault per customer • No Vault token • Smoothing Pool (compliance dependent)
💎 Service with custom LST• Custom capacity & fee • Public Vault • Enable Vault token • Smoothing Pool (compliance dependent)
🔒 Service without LST• Custom capacity & fee • Public Vault • No Vault token • Disable osToken access
IconNew to these terms?

Learn about Vault token →, Smoothing Pool →, osToken →, and Public vs Private Vaults →.

💡 Don't see your use case above? Contact the StakeWise team 📧 for personalized guidance.

Below you'll find step-by-step instructions to create your Vault and get it running.

How to create a Vault?​

Getting Started​

IconWallet Requirements

You'll need an Ethereum wallet such as Rabby Wallet ↗. The process will look very similar in other wallets.

  1. Navigate to the StakeWise App ↗ and go to the "Operate" section
  2. Click the "Create Vault" button on the "Operate your vault" page to begin the setup process

Step 1: Configure Vault Parameters​

The first step involves setting up the fundamental parameters for your Vault.

IconPermanent Settings

Most of these settings cannot be changed later. Choose carefully before proceeding.

  • 📐 Vault Capacity – Set maximum ETH capacity (default: unlimited ∞). Learn more →
  • 💎 Vault Token – Enable tradeable ERC-20 token (requires name & symbol)
  • 🔑 Private Vault – Restrict to approved wallets only
  • ⚠️ Block List – Prevent specific addresses from depositing
IconVault Fees

💰 Vault Fees can be set during creation and updated later. Learn more about fee management →

IconRequired Acknowledgment

You must check "I understand that the parameters above cannot be changed later" before proceeding.

Step 2: Block Rewards Destination​

Choose how block rewards are distributed. This is a permanent decision.

Most operators choose Smoothing Pool → for stable returns, while Vault Escrow → gives you full control but with volatile rewards.

IconRequired Acknowledgment

You must check "I understand that block rewards destination cannot be changed later" before proceeding.

Step 3: Add Branding​

Customize your Vault's appearance with name, description, and logo.

IconBranding Can Be Changed Later

Unlike Vault parameters, you can update branding anytime via your Vault interface: press Settings → Branding → Edit → Save.

Step 4: Summary​

Review all your settings before final submission. This is your last chance to verify everything is correct, such as name, type, MEV strategy, fees, and capacity.

IconRisk Acknowledgment

You must check "I understand the risks of operating the Vault and confirm my configuration choices" before proceeding.

Click "Create Vault" to submit your configuration and create the Vault.

Step 5: Transaction Confirmation​

Complete the blockchain transaction to deploy your Vault.

  1. Review Details: Verify the transaction details in your wallet
  2. Confirm: Click "Confirm" to submit the transaction
  3. Wait: Transaction confirms (~12 sec)

Once the transaction confirms, your Vault is live and operational! 🎉

Your new Vault appears:

  • ✅ Listed on the Operate page as "Your Name Vault"
  • 📅 Shows creation date: "Created [date]"
  • 🔧 Displays MEV strategy and Vault type

At the bottom of your Vault page, you'll see the "Details" section containing all the important information about your Vault.

IconNext Steps After Creation

Set up validators – Essential for Vault operation

Reach out to the StakeWise team 📧 for Vault verification (better visibility and trust with potential stakers)

Vault Administration​

Once your Vault is created, you can manage all settings through the "Settings" button in the StakeWise interface.

What You Can Control​

Update anytime:

  • 📝 Vault name
  • 📋 Description
  • 🖼️ Logo

Getting Your Vault Running​

To start accepting ETH in your Vault, your infrastructure must be properly set up. Follow the steps below to get everything running.

🚀 Setup difficulty: Moderate – requires running Ethereum nodes and basic command-line familiarity.

Setup Checklist ✅​

1. Execution Client – A fully synced execution client that supports the ETH Execution API specification ↗. Supported clients include Nethermind, Besu, Erigon, Geth, and Reth. Detailed setup instructions →.

2. Consensus Client – A fully synced consensus client that supports the ETH Beacon Node API specification ↗. Supported clients include Lighthouse, Nimbus, Prysm, Teku, and Lodestar. Detailed setup instructions →

3. MEV-Boost – Set up MEV-Boost to capture execution layer rewards. If your Vault uses the Smoothing Pool, you must use one of the StakeWise DAO-approved MEV relays. Learn about MEV strategy options → and Smoothing Pool relays →.

4. Operator Service – Specialized software that automates essential validator management tasks for your Vault, such as validator registrations, withdrawals, state updates, and fee claims. The Operator Service runs seamlessly with any node setup, supporting your preferred execution and consensus clients, MEV relay, and distributed validator technology. Complete setup guide →

5. Running Validators – You must upload the allocated validator keys to the validator client and start it. Instructions can be found on your consensus client’s page. The validators will be registered automatically via the Operator Service.

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