· BuiltOnBulk · BulkSOL · 6 min read
Solana Liquid Staking Guide 2026: JitoSOL vs mSOL vs bSOL vs BulkSOL
Solana has four major liquid staking tokens in 2026. Each earns base staking yield, but they differ on MEV strategy, DeFi integration depth, liquidity, and additional yield sources. BulkSOL is the only LST with exchange trading fee revenue.
Liquid staking on Solana means holding a token that earns staking yield while remaining usable in DeFi. You swap SOL for an LST, the LST accrues value as your SOL earns staking rewards, and you can use the LST as collateral, in liquidity pools, or as a yield-bearing asset.
In 2026, there are four meaningful options. This guide compares all of them.
What Is Liquid Staking?
Standard Solana staking locks your SOL with a validator for a staking epoch (~2–3 days per epoch). You earn staking rewards but cannot use the SOL while it is staked. Unstaking takes at least one epoch.
Liquid staking solves this by issuing you an LST in exchange for your SOL. The LST:
- Accrues staking rewards continuously (its value vs SOL increases over time)
- Can be transferred, sold, or used in DeFi at any time
- Can be redeemed for SOL (with possible unstaking queue time)
The LST/SOL exchange rate increases over time as rewards accumulate. Holding 1 BulkSOL today will be worth more SOL in one year than it is today.
The Four Major Solana LSTs
JitoSOL (Jito Labs)
What it is: The largest Solana LST by TVL, operated by Jito Labs. Jito is the dominant MEV infrastructure provider on Solana — their block engine processes the majority of Solana MEV. JitoSOL stakers capture a share of this MEV revenue on top of base staking yield.
Yield sources:
- Base Solana staking (~7% APY)
- MEV tip revenue from Jito’s block engine (~1–2% additional APY)
Total APY (May 2026): ~8–9% APY
DeFi integrations: Extremely deep. Accepted as collateral on Marginfi, Kamino, Drift, Orca, Raydium, and dozens of other Solana protocols. The most liquid LST on Solana.
Risk profile: Low. Jito Labs has a multi-year track record. JitoSOL has the deepest secondary liquidity of any Solana LST. Smart contract audits are public.
Best for: Solana DeFi power users who want the safest, most integrable LST with near-universal protocol acceptance.
mSOL (Marinade Finance)
What it is: Marinade Finance is one of the oldest Solana liquid staking protocols. mSOL uses a delegated stake pool approach, distributing stake across a large validator set based on performance metrics. This promotes Solana validator decentralization.
Yield sources:
- Base Solana staking (~7% APY)
- MEV from validators in the Marinade pool
Total APY (May 2026): ~7.5–8.5% APY
DeFi integrations: Wide. Accepted on Kamino, Marginfi, and most major Solana lending protocols. Less universal than JitoSOL but strong coverage.
Risk profile: Low-Medium. Established protocol with multiple years of operation. Slightly lower liquidity than JitoSOL.
Best for: Users who prioritize validator decentralization and want a reliable, established LST with strong DeFi support.
bSOL (BlazeStake)
What it is: BlazeStake is a stake pool that delegates to high-performance validators. It also participates in Solana’s stake program for additional rewards.
Yield sources:
- Base Solana staking (~7% APY)
- BlazeStake stake program rewards
Total APY (May 2026): ~8–8.5% APY
DeFi integrations: Moderate. Accepted on some major Solana protocols but narrower coverage than JitoSOL or mSOL.
Risk profile: Medium. Smaller TVL than JitoSOL or mSOL, which means less secondary market liquidity.
Best for: Users seeking reliable yield with an established protocol and moderate DeFi access.
BulkSOL (BULK Exchange)
What it is: BULK Exchange’s native liquid staking token, launched October 29, 2025 on Sanctum. BulkSOL holders stake with BULK validators, who run both the Solana validator and the bulk-agave execution client. The key differentiator: 12.5% of all BULK Exchange trading fees distribute to BulkSOL holders.
Yield sources:
- Base Solana staking (~7% APY)
- MEV tips from Solana block production (~1.5–2.5% additional APY)
- 12.5% of all BULK Exchange trading fees (activates at mainnet ~June 1, 2026)
- Aura points (BULK token pre-TGE allocation — value unquantifiable in APY terms)
Total APY pre-mainnet (May 2026): ~8.5–9.5% APY (streams 1–2 only)
Total APY post-mainnet projection ($100M daily BULK volume, $20M TVL): ~15–16.5% APY (streams 1–3)
DeFi integrations: Growing. Exponent Finance (lending/yield), Loopscale (SOL borrowing against BulkSOL), Titan Exchange (swaps), Sanctum (listed as LST).
Risk profile: Higher than alternatives. BULK Exchange is a newer protocol (mainnet June 2026). Smart contract risk is elevated for pre/early-mainnet software. Lower secondary market liquidity creates exit risk on large positions.
Best for: Users with higher risk tolerance who want exposure to BULK Exchange’s growth, the exchange fee revenue stream, and the pre-TGE Aura points allocation.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | JitoSOL | mSOL | bSOL | BulkSOL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current APY | ~8–9% | ~7.5–8.5% | ~8–8.5% | ~8.5–9.5% |
| Post-mainnet APY potential | ~8–9% | ~7.5–8.5% | ~8–8.5% | ~15–16.5%* |
| Exchange fee revenue | No | No | No | Yes (12.5%) |
| Airdrop exposure | No | No | No | Yes (Aura points) |
| DeFi integrations | Very deep | Deep | Moderate | Growing |
| Secondary liquidity | Very high | High | Medium | Low-Medium |
| Protocol track record | 2+ years | 3+ years | 2+ years | ~7 months |
| Smart contract risk | Low | Low | Low-Medium | Medium-High |
| Mainnet required for full yield | No | No | No | Yes |
*Projection at $100M daily BULK volume and $20M BulkSOL TVL. Actual yield depends on realized volume.
How to Choose
If your priority is safety and liquidity: JitoSOL. Deepest market, widest DeFi access, lowest risk, strong yield from MEV.
If your priority is decentralization: mSOL. Marinade distributes stake across 100+ validators based on performance, supporting a more distributed Solana validator set.
If your priority is maximum yield upside (and you accept higher risk): BulkSOL. The exchange fee stream and Aura points are not available from any other LST. The risk is real — BULK Exchange is a newer protocol — but the upside is asymmetric if BULK Exchange captures significant trading volume.
A blended approach: Hold most of your staking position in JitoSOL (safe, liquid, DeFi-usable) and allocate a portion to BulkSOL for the upside exposure without concentration risk.
How to Get Each LST
| LST | Primary Acquisition |
|---|---|
| JitoSOL | Jito.network or any Solana DEX aggregator |
| mSOL | Marinade.finance |
| bSOL | Stake.solblaze.org |
| BulkSOL | Titan Exchange via early.bulk.trade, or Sanctum |
All four can be swapped via Jupiter Aggregator once you hold SOL.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I lose money holding a Solana LST? Yes. All LSTs carry smart contract risk — a protocol exploit could result in loss of funds. Additionally, if you hold BulkSOL and sell at low liquidity, you may receive less SOL than the accrued value implies. Staking rewards do not protect against smart contract failure.
Do I need to lock up my SOL with an LST? No. LSTs are tradeable immediately. You can swap BulkSOL → SOL at any time on Titan or Sanctum, though large amounts may face slippage in thin markets.
Are Solana staking rewards taxable? In most jurisdictions, staking rewards are taxable as income when received. LST appreciation may also be taxable as capital gains when you sell. Consult a tax professional in your jurisdiction.
Related Reading
- What is BulkSOL?
- BulkSOL Yield: The Four Streams
- BulkSOL vs JitoSOL: Detailed Comparison
- BulkSOL Ecosystem Strategy: Exponent + Loopscale
- BULK Exchange Validators
APY figures are estimates based on network conditions in May 2026. Actual yield varies. Last updated May 28, 2026.
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