Mellow Unveils Core Vaults: A New Modular Framework for Institutional Onchain Strategies

[PRESS RELEASE – New York, USA, November 6th, 2025]

Mellow introduces a novel vault architecture aimed at providing standardized frameworks for decentralized finance (DeFi) and centralized exchange (CEX) strategies, prominently featuring stETH as its primary asset.

Mellow announces the debut of Core Vaults, a state-of-the-art vault architecture intended to offer institutions a programmable interface for the creation and management of on-chain structured products.

There are abundant opportunities for yield generation across various DeFi protocols and centralized exchanges, yet the environment is often complicated for institutions to traverse. Core Vaults unify these options within a single design framework that ensures standardization, integrated risk management, and seamless interoperability across platforms. At launch, the system utilizes Lido’s stETH as its anchor asset, marking it as the most prevalent staking token on Ethereum.

“Structured products will become the common language of institutional DeFi. Core Vaults equip allocators and developers with a sophisticated toolset – modular, transparent, and adaptable to fluctuating market conditions.” – Nick S., founder of Mellow.

Institutional-Grade Infrastructure

Core Vaults tackle the significant challenges institutional investors face, primarily the necessity for clarity, control, and adherence to compliance in a landscape that can be unpredictable. Here are some key features:

Granular controls – allows for per-vault restrictions, approved asset listings, and validations by independent authorities.
Programmable flexibility – enables curators to implement delta-neutral, leveraged, restaking, or liquidity provision strategies across diverse DeFi and centralized platforms.
Frictionless integration – connects protocols and exchanges directly without the need for custom adapters or extra engineering efforts.
Custodial settlement options – collaborations with Copper ClearLoop and Binance Ceffu secure assets while facilitating CEX transactions.
Integrated risk management – features AML and KYC practices, dual-oracle safety measures, and audit-sanctioned contracts right from the beginning.
Decentralization-ready – a progressive plan for the eventual adoption of permissionless oracles, self-governing transactions, and trust-minimized curator positions.
Rapid access for vetted participants – signature queues facilitate swift deposits and withdrawals for high-speed opportunities.

Practical Application: Lido stRATEGY Vault

One of the initial strategies leveraging Core Vaults is the Lido stRATEGY Vault, accessible via the Earn section on Lido’s website.

Users can invest ETH, WETH, or wstETH and receive strETH, a representation of their investment within the vault. The capital is then systematically allocated to established DeFi platforms such as Aave, Ethena, and Uniswap. Rewards are accrued automatically and supplemented by Mellow Points.

The stRATEGY Vault demonstrates the practical utility of Core Vaults. Instead of managing multiple interfaces and manual processes, depositors engage with a single platform for a diverse, risk-isolated strategy centered on Ethereum’s most liquid staking token.

“Lido Protocol’s stETH forms the backbone of much of DeFi, and the stRATEGY Vault capitalizes on that foundation. Powered by Mellow’s Core Vaults, it provides users an efficient means to explore a variety of strategies based on stETH in one location.” – Jakov Buratović, Master of DeFi, Lido Ecosystem Foundation.

Importance of Core Vaults

The introduction of Core Vaults comes at a pivotal time when institutional investments in Ethereum are on the rise. Recent spot ETH ETFs in the United States have attracted significant capital, while the forthcoming MiCA legislation in Europe and stablecoin regulations approach are establishing clearer operational guidelines.

Institutions are looking for structured exposure with defined risks, rather than a disparate array of platforms. Core Vaults amalgamate varying yield prospects into a single, trustless framework that connects protocols without custom integrations. This design minimizes execution complexities and accelerates integration timelines.

For institutions, they offer guaranteed audit trails and secure custody. For curators and development teams, they unlock new opportunities in design without necessitating code creation. Ultimately, they present accessible, user-friendly pathways for end users to strategies powered by stETH and other assets.

About Mellow

Mellow has developed a modular protocol for crafting on-chain structured products since its inception in 2021, enabling asset managers, curators, and protocols to construct and manage vaults with full oversight over strategy, risk, and fees. The platform supports both DeFi and centralized exchange integrations, featuring risk isolation, compliance tools, and easy connectivity. Backed by top-tier investors, Mellow has progressed from early initiatives in automated liquidity management to become a key provider of institutional-level vault infrastructure.

For more information, visit:

About Lido

Lido is an open-source middleware solution for liquid staking that allows users to engage in the network validation process and earn rewards. With the goal of making staking more accessible, Lido enables users to connect with node operators and stake their crypto without the need for the complex upkeep of hardware. Lido users can also interact seamlessly with various third-party DeFi applications that support liquid staking tokens. For additional details, visit Lido’s website.

Lido on X: LidoX
Lido on LinkedIn: LidoLinkedIn