Summary
As part of the revamped Lido Earn, specifically the “meta” Earn ETH vault, which now includes the Mellow DVV vault as one of its sub-vaults, this proposal seeks:
- Tokenholder support to direct third-party DVT incentive flows, excluding node operator-related rewards, corresponding to the Decentralized Validator Vault (DVV) towards the Lido Earn ecosystem. Node Operator incentives from DVT would continue to be allocated per the parameters outlined in the Jan 2026 Snapshot.
- To improve the operational efficiency of handling incentives from Distributed Validator Technology (DVT) & Auxiliary Proposer Mechanism (APM) providers, with post-Node Operator split DVT incentives being routed to the Current Meta Treasury multisig and post-Node Operator split APM incentives being routed to the Liquidity Observation Lab (LoL) multisig.
Background
The Decentralized Validator Vault, implemented by Mellow, was launched in August 2024 as a focal point for user stake and DVT (Distributed Validator Technology) provider incentives. Its primary goals were to:
- Accelerate adoption of DVT-based validators (Obol and SSV Network) through the Simple DVT Module (SDVTM) and Community Staking Module (CSM);
- Drive net-new ETH deposits into the Lido protocol;
- Provide stakers access to Obol and SSV Network incentive programs they could not otherwise directly access.
Deposits of ETH or WETH are staked via Lido and channeled to DVT-supporting modules. Users receive DVstETH tokens representing their vault share, plus Obol contributions and SSV Incentivized Mainnet Program (IMP) rewards. Steakhouse Financial serves as curator, managing withdrawal processing.
Last year, Lido contributors introduced the APM framework to establish an operational framework around an emerging class of proposer-layer innovations and sidecars. In May 2025, the Lido DAO proposal to establish the APM Committee was introduced to provide structured governance over these mechanisms. While this committee is tasked with evaluating and approving the usage of APMs, there needs to be a pragmatic solution for the coordination of incentives distributed by these teams from the DAO.
Rationale
The launch of Lido Earn ETH marks a product evolution that materially changes the DVV’s role, as Earn provides a unified interface for stakers to access curated reward strategies. With Earn ETH now live, the DVV’s function as a standalone incentive coordination mechanism becomes redundant in a more scalable and composable Earn architecture.
Redirecting DVT incentive flows toward Lido Earn creates the opportunity to:
- Consolidate staker-facing reward strategies in a single product surface
- Avoid continued operational complexity and governance overhead of coordinating a vault whose primary incentive programs are winding down naturally
With Earn ETH now live, the DVV’s standalone role as an incentive coordination mechanism is effectively absorbed into a more scalable architecture. Redirecting the DVV’s share of DVT incentives to the Current Meta Treasury multisig consolidates staker-facing incentives under a unified operational process. This reduces governance overhead while ensuring DVT-derived rewards continue to benefit Earn participants without interruption.
In particular, APM-derived incentives differ materially from DVT incentives: they are more variable, execution-layer–driven, and often require faster iteration and market-aware deployment.
The Growth Committee is well-positioned to oversee these flows due to its mandate to drive stETH adoption, liquidity depth, and ecosystem expansion. Routing APM incentives to the Liquidity Observation Lab (LoL) multisig complements this by providing an execution environment tailored to liquidity-focused strategies. The LoL multisig enables:
- More agile and data-driven deployment of incentives;
- Closer alignment with market conditions;
- Separation from broader treasury strategies, reducing coordination overhead and enabling faster iteration.
Proposal
While the Node Operator portion of DVT related incentives will continue to follow the split methodology outlined in the Jan 2026 Snapshot, it is proposed that the share of incentives to the Distributed Validator Vault is redirected to the Lido Earn Current Meta Treasury multisig 0xcCf2daba8Bb04a232a2fDA0D01010D4EF6C69B85 where incentives will continue to support Lido Earn related initiatives, namely the Lido Earn ETH vault.
For APM-related incentives, it is proposed that future incentives are directed to the Liquidity Observation Lab multisig 0x87D93d9B2C672bf9c9642d853a8682546a5012B5 with the intention to continue supporting liquidity focused strategies that contribute to the overall health of the stETH ecosystem.
Next Steps
It is suggested that the community reviews this proposal and provides feedback over the next week. If it seems there is alignment, the proposal is suggested to be considered for inclusion within the next Snapshot vote window in early April.