Staking Protocol Lido Winds Down Operations on Layer-2 Network Polygon

Staking protocol Lido is winding down operations on the layer-2 network Polygon due to limited user adoption, a strategic focus on Ethereum and evolving

Staking protocol Lido is winding down operations on the layer-2 network Polygon due to limited user adoption, a strategic focus on Ethereum and evolving ecosystem dynamics.

Lido Finance’s team said in a Dec. 16 blog post that the decision was made after a request by Lido DAO token holders. During an “extensive DAO forum discussion,” 99% of the community voted in favor of the proposal to discontinue Lido’s Polygon operations, the team added.

Lido Faced Significant Challenges On Polygon

Lido’s team said in the blog post that Lido on Polygon “faced significant challenges in achieving its intended impact.” In addition to the limited adoption and evolving ecosystem dynamics, other factors that contributed to this difficulty include “insufficient rewards” and “resource-intensive maintenance requirements.”

There has also been an increased focus on zkEVM solutions, which has led to a reduced demand for liquid staking solutions on Polygon’s Proof of Stake chain. This, according to the team, has affected “Lido on Polygon’s potential as a foundational DeFi building block.”

Competing liquid staking solutions have also been developed within the Polygon ecosystem, which Lido’s team says has “proved smaller than initially anticipated.”

Users Have 6 Months To Withdraw Their Assets Using Lido’s Polygon User Interface

Lido staking on Polygon was discontinued on Dec. 16. As a result, no new stakes will be accepted through the user interface. There will now be a transition period between Dec. 16, 2024 and June 16, 2025 for users to withdraw their assets through the Lido on Polygon front end, according to the blog post.

The protocol will be temporarily paused between Jan. 15 and Jan. 22, with withdrawals disabled during this period. Operations will resume after this temporary pause, with support for the frontend concluding on June 16, 2025. After this date, withdrawals will only be possible through explorer tools.