Ethereum’s Liquid Staking Leader Lido DAO Unveils $60M Expansion Plan to Become Multi-Faceted Financial Services Provider
In a significant strategic shift announced on December 20, 2025, Lido DAO—the decentralized autonomous organization behind Ethereum's dominant liquid staking protocol—has proposed an ambitious $60 million budget initiative aimed at diversifying its ecosystem by 2026. Dubbed GOOSE-3, this proposal marks a pivotal evolution for Lido, transitioning from a single-product staking platform into a comprehensive financial services provider within the Ethereum ecosystem. The plan outlines substantial investments in new revenue streams, including institutional-focused stVaults and consumer-oriented Lido Earn products, signaling a bold expansion beyond its core liquid staking service. This move reflects the growing maturity of decentralized finance (DeFi) on Ethereum, as leading protocols seek to capture broader market opportunities and reduce reliance on a single product line. The proposed diversification could enhance Lido's revenue stability, attract institutional capital, and strengthen its competitive positioning amid increasing regulatory scrutiny and market competition in the liquid staking sector. For Ethereum stakeholders, this expansion may increase utility and yield opportunities for staked ETH, while potentially driving greater adoption of Lido's services across both retail and institutional segments. The success of this $60 million initiative could set a precedent for other DeFi protocols considering similar ecosystem expansions, further solidifying Ethereum's role as the foundational layer for innovative financial services in the cryptocurrency space.
Lido DAO Proposes $60M Expansion Beyond Liquid Staking
Lido DAO, the decentralized organization behind Ethereum's leading liquid staking protocol, has unveiled an ambitious $60 million budget proposal to diversify its ecosystem by 2026. The plan, dubbed GOOSE-3, seeks to transform Lido from a single-product staking platform into a multi-faceted financial services provider.
The proposal outlines new revenue streams including stVaults for institutional participants and Lido Earn products. Despite projected treasury drawdowns to $112.6 million in 2026 from $118.7 million, Core operations remain profitable with an $8.1 million surplus. Conservative estimates suggest new products could contribute an additional $4.7 million annually.
This strategic pivot aims to future-proof the protocol against market volatility while capitalizing on growing institutional demand for decentralized finance infrastructure. The budget requires approval from LDO token holders, marking a crucial governance decision for the ethereum staking giant.
Robinhood Accelerates Tokenized Stock Expansion with 500+ Listings on Arbitrum
Robinhood Markets Inc. has executed its largest single-day deployment of tokenized equities, launching over 500 stock tokens on Arbitrum's layer-2 network. The December 17 surge brings Robinhood's cumulative on-chain stock offerings to nearly 2,000 tokens, signaling institutional commitment to blockchain-based traditional assets.
Blockchain analytics reveal the strategic nature of these deployments—executed via smart contract interactions rather than conventional transfers. The Robinhood Deployer account initiated all transactions within a compressed 38-hour window, with zero ETH movement indicating systematic infrastructure scaling.
Market participation shows broadening appeal, with Leveraged ETF LABU, footwear maker DECK, and Kraft Heinz (KHC) emerging as top holdings. Assets under management for these tokenized instruments demonstrate steady accumulation since their June inception, though specific AUM figures remain undisclosed.
The initiative bridges conventional brokerage services with DeFi capabilities, granting verifiable on-chain ownership while enabling integration with decentralized exchanges. This development marks a substantive leap in traditional finance's blockchain migration, offering investors frictionless access to equity markets through crypto-native infrastructure.
Ethereum Developers Unveil Post-Glamsterdam 2026 Upgrade 'Hegota'
Ethereum's next major upgrade, dubbed 'Hegota,' merges the Execution-Layer Bogota and Consensus-Layer Heze into a cohesive overhaul targeting network efficiency. Slated for 2026, the update promises advanced Verkle Trees, optimized state handling, and execution-layer enhancements.
Key Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) focus on gas repricing and execution optimizations, though some remain deferred for benchmarking. Vitalik Buterin's proposal for a gas futures market could reshape fee predictability, allowing users to hedge against volatility.
The All CORE Devs call on December 18, 2025, solidified timelines while navigating holiday delays. Lead Researcher Tim Beiko confirmed procedural adjustments for the upgrade's rollout.
Ethereum Gas Limit Upgrade Shifts Market Focus as DeepSnitch AI Presale Surges 92%
Ethereum developers are advancing a significant throughput upgrade, with proposals to raise the gas limit from 60 million to 80 million in January 2026. This follows the scheduled Jan. 7 blob parameter hard fork, marking another milestone in Ethereum's scalability roadmap. The adjustment directly impacts block capacity for transactions and smart contracts, prompting traders to reevaluate early-stage projects poised to benefit from lower fees and faster execution.
DeepSnitch AI emerges as December 2025's standout crypto presale, having rallied 92% after raising $829K. The AI-powered platform tracks institutional and whale wallet movements, offering users visibility into capital rotations. Meanwhile, Ethereum's measured approach to network upgrades—requiring client-side optimizations before gas limit increases—reinforces its commitment to decentralization stability as a settlement layer.
