On this page (7 sections)
Who should skip this?
Skip Marinade if you need slash-minimised native staking with a validator you picked, you wanted JitoSOL's MEV-inclusive yield, or you do not have a Solana wallet. mSOL is a token, not a bank deposit. Liquid staking adds smart-contract risk on top of validator risk.
- You do not have a Solana wallet or spare SOL for fees
- You want to pick a single validator yourself and accept the lockup
- You already decided you want JitoSOL rather than mSOL
Should you liquid-stake SOL with Marinade?
Yes, if you want staking rewards and you also want a token you can use in Kamino, Raydium or other Solana DeFi. Native staking locks SOL with a validator; mSOL stays transferable. That convenience is the product, and it is also the extra risk.
Choose JitoSOL instead when you specifically want MEV tips in the LST yield and you accept Jito's validator set. Choose native staking when you do not want another smart-contract on the stack. Marinade vs Jito is a real comparison, not a branding argument.
What is mSOL and how does Marinade work?
You deposit SOL; Marinade stakes across a validator set and mints mSOL. Rewards increase the mSOL:SOL rate rather than paying a separate coupon you must claim. Official app: marinade.finance (checked August 2026). Verify the URL; LST mint-address mix-ups are a common Solana scam pattern.
Instant unstake swaps your mSOL for SOL through a DEX route (via Jupiter): Marinade charges no fee, but you pay the market spread and price impact (Marinade's own liquidity-pool route charges 0.03–1.5%). Delayed unstake waits for Solana's stake deactivation — about one epoch (~2 days), or until the second epoch if you start in the last four hours of an epoch — and costs 0.2% for mSOL. If you might need SOL this afternoon, check the instant-unstake price before you deposit, or keep a SOL buffer outside Marinade.
| Marinade (mSOL) | JitoSOL | Native stake | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yield source | Staking rewards | Staking + MEV tips | Staking to your validator |
| Liquidity | mSOL is a token | JitoSOL is a token | Locked until undelegate |
| Extra risk | Marinade contracts + LST DeFi | Jito contracts + LST DeFi | Validator / lockup |
| Skip when | You wanted MEV-boosted LST | You wanted Marinade's set | You need a liquid token |
How do you stake and unstake?
Deposit only SOL you can leave in an LST. Using mSOL as collateral on Kamino is a second decision with liquidation risk — it is not part of 'staking'.
- 01
Connect a Solana wallet
Phantom, Backpack or Solflare at marinade.finance. Keep SOL for transaction fees.
- 02
Deposit SOL
Enter an amount, confirm, receive mSOL. The wallet should show the official mSOL mint — compare with Marinade's docs if unsure.
- 03
Hold or use in DeFi
Holding mSOL is enough to accrue the rate. Supplying mSOL as collateral is optional and can be liquidated. Do not loop until you understand the lending market.
- 04
Unstake
Instant unstake (a swap: no Marinade fee, but market spread and price impact) if you need SOL now. Delayed unstake (about one epoch, 0.2% fee for mSOL) if you can wait.
The verdict: should you use Marinade?
Yes, as a default Solana LST if you want liquidity and you accept protocol risk. No, if native staking matches your patience, or if you have already chosen Jito for MEV-inclusive yield. Do not pick Marinade because a dashboard showed a higher APY this morning — LST rates move, and DeFi use of mSOL is a separate risk layer.
Read Marinade vs Jito before moving size. For SOL perps, that is Velocity (formerly Drift, relaunched after an April 2026 exploit) or Hyperliquid, not an LST.
Sources
Primary documentation and data this guide relies on. Links checked .
- What is mSOL? — Marinade documentation. mSOL exchange-rate accrual, instant vs delayed unstake, epoch length
- Fees and Pricing — Marinade documentation. Exit costs and timing: 0.2% delayed unstake, no reward fee
- Marinade Instant Unstake — Marinade documentation. How instant unstake works for mSOL (DEX swap via Jupiter)
- Contracts & Tokens Addresses — Marinade documentation. Checking the official mSOL mint before depositing
- Risks — Marinade documentation. Smart-contract, validator and de-peg risks of holding mSOL
- Stake Auction Market (SAM) — Marinade documentation. How Marinade selects the validator set that stakes deposited SOL
- Marinade Liquid Staking — DeFiLlama. Live Marinade TVL to check instead of relying on screenshots
Frequently asked questions
mSOL vs JitoSOL?
Both are Solana liquid staking tokens. mSOL earns staking rewards through Marinade's validator set. Jito's tip distribution pays MEV tips to stakers of Jito-Solana validators generally, not only to JitoSOL holders, and Marinade picks validators through a yield auction; in September 2026 mSOL's yield was at or above JitoSOL's (DeFiLlama). Compare current rates, validator sets and DeFi integrations — see our Marinade vs Jito comparison.
Is mSOL safe?
Marinade has operated since 2021. Risks remain: smart-contract bugs, validator performance, and extra risk if you use mSOL in lending or LPs. There is no deposit insurance.
Why is instant unstake charged a fee?
Instant unstake is a swap: someone else's liquidity lets you exit without waiting for stake deactivation, so you pay the market spread and price impact (and 0.03–1.5% if you use Marinade's liquidity-pool route) rather than a Marinade fee. Delayed unstake is not free either — it costs 0.2% for mSOL — and takes about one epoch.
Does mSOL rebase?
Marinade uses an appreciating exchange rate: mSOL balances in your wallet typically stay constant while each mSOL becomes worth more SOL over time. Check the live rate in the app, not a screenshot.