Strategies

Strategies optimize LP token yields by leveraging the veToken balances held by Liquid Lockers. When you stake LP tokens through Stake DAO strategies, your position benefits from boosted rewards without needing to lock any governance tokens yourself.

How Strategies Work

Each pool from supported protocols with an active gauge can have a corresponding strategy on Stake DAO. These strategies use the veToken balance owned by the Liquid Locker to boost rewards for all depositors.

When you deposit LP tokens into a strategy:

1. Your LP tokens are directed to the underlying protocol's liquidity gauge
2. The strategy applies boost from the Liquid Locker's veToken balance
3. You earn boosted rewards proportional to your deposit

Instant Rewards (No Streaming)

Stake DAO uses an integral-based accounting system that credits rewards directly to users the moment a harvest occurs. This means:

• No waiting period: Rewards are claimable as soon as a harvest happens
• Real-time accrual: Your share of rewards is calculated based on your balance at harvest time
• Gas-efficient: Multiple users benefit from a single harvest transaction

Depositing

You can deposit LP tokens with or without an additional deposit to the underlying protocol gauge:

• With gauge deposit: Standard deposit flow
• Without gauge deposit: Saves gas costs. The next user who deposits to the gauge receives a small portion of your balance as compensation for the additional transaction

Claiming Rewards

After depositing, you can:

• Claim rewards directly to your wallet—instantly available after any harvest
• Re-compound rewards into the Liquid Locker to maintain full boost

There's no need to wait for streaming periods to end. Once a harvest occurs, your proportional share is immediately credited and claimable.

Harvesting

Strategies require periodic harvesting to convert accumulated protocol rewards into distributable tokens. Anyone can trigger a harvest—the system is permissionless. When a harvest executes:

1. Rewards are pulled from the underlying gauge
2. Performance fees are deducted (see fee structure)
3. Net rewards are instantly credited to all depositors based on their share
4. Users can claim immediately—no streaming, no delays

Deploying New Strategies

If a pool has a gauge but no corresponding Stake DAO strategy exists, anyone can deploy one through the strategy deploy interface.

Summary

See the staking guide for step-by-step instructions.