Lido Earn launched on March 12, 2026, bringing two core products to market: EarnETH for ETH-denominated yield strategies and EarnUSD for stablecoin exposure via USDC and USDT. How the buffer actually worksFor smaller requests, specifically those below 1,000 stETH, processing typically completes within approximately one day, subject to how much liquidity the buffer holds at any given moment. AdvertisementDeposits into the Earn vaults are automatically routed into a selection of DeFi yield strategies, removing the manual work of allocating capital across protocols. Risk management and DAO backingLido’s DAO has committed between $3M and $5M in first-loss protections for the Earn vaults. Automated allocation to DeFi strategies introduces smart contract risk, protocol dependency, and potential yield volatility that straightforward stETH staking does not.