Staking Scales Where Custody Lives

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Why wallet-native participation is becoming the default model for network security

By Artemiy Parshakov, VP of Institutions at P2P.org

Staking has evolved in parallel with the broader maturation of digital asset infrastructure. Early participation models relied on dedicated dashboards and purpose-built interfaces, reflecting a period of rapid experimentation and innovation. These tools played an important role in establishing validator participation and encouraging early engagement across emerging networks.

As the market has developed, staking has increasingly aligned with everyday asset management practices. The question is no longer centered on access or capability, but on integration. Where does staking naturally fit within how digital assets are stored, secured, and managed? The answer is becoming increasingly consistent across networks and user segments.

Staking scales where custody lives.

Participation Follows Established Workflows

Capital tends to follow familiar operational paths. In crypto, this means participation naturally gravitates toward the environments where assets are already held and protected. Rather than existing as a separate activity, staking is increasingly embedded directly into custody workflows.

This alignment is especially evident among institutions, platforms, and long-term holders. For these participants, staking represents an ongoing component of portfolio management rather than a discrete interaction. Participation decisions are evaluated through the lens of security models, governance requirements, and operational consistency. When staking fits cleanly within those frameworks, engagement becomes easier to sustain over time.

Wallet-level integration reinforces this behavior. When staking is accessible directly where assets are held, participation feels familiar and intuitive. Signing flows align with existing custody practices. Security assumptions remain consistent. Over time, staking becomes a routine extension of asset management rather than a specialized process, supporting broader and more stable participation across networks.

Wallet-Native Integration Raises Ecosystem Standards

Embedding staking into custody workflows also reinforces ecosystem-wide standards. Once participation becomes part of the wallet experience, validator performance is experienced as an integral component of asset usage. Uptime, signing reliability, and operational discipline are directly connected to user outcomes.

This convergence benefits all participants. Networks gain more predictable and resilient engagement. Validators operate within clearer expectations around continuity and professionalism. Wallet providers integrate staking with confidence, supported by infrastructure that aligns with the security guarantees users already trust.

Wallet-native staking typically emerges when these elements are aligned. It reflects a stage of maturity where protocol design, infrastructure readiness, and user workflows complement one another. In this environment, participation scales organically as usage grows.

From Feature to Familiarity

Recent wallet-level staking integrations across live networks highlight this trajectory. Participation is increasingly embedded into environments users already rely on for custody and security. The emphasis is on continuity and operational fit, allowing staking to function as a natural part of asset ownership.

As this model becomes more widespread, staking increasingly resembles standard asset management. Yield generation integrates directly into custody rather than existing as a separate layer. Networks designed with this approach in mind tend to see participation deepen naturally as adoption expands.

The result is durable engagement built on familiarity and consistency. Participation becomes easier to maintain and more closely aligned with long-term holding behavior.

Infrastructure as a User Experience

As staking moves closer to custody, infrastructure quality becomes a more visible component of the user experience. Validator operations are no longer abstract. They are experienced directly through everyday workflows. Reliability, transparency, and operational discipline become central to how participants evaluate staking participation.

This shift reinforces infrastructure as a foundational layer of trust. As more capital engages through wallet-native flows, expectations around consistency and long-term operational standards continue to rise. Infrastructure is no longer theoretical. It is experienced directly through participation.

Where This Is Headed

The direction is clear. Staking will continue to integrate more closely with wallet-level workflows, aligning with how assets are stored, secured, and managed. Over time, the distinction between using a network and participating in its security will continue to narrow.

Maturity in this environment is defined by seamless integration rather than complexity. Networks that recognize this alignment are well positioned to support sustained engagement and long-term resilience.

For participants assessing how staking fits into their own operations, the takeaway is straightforward. Participation is most effective when it aligns with custody and established workflows. As staking becomes a core component of asset management, infrastructure decisions move from tactical to strategic. This makes it an appropriate moment for institutions and platforms to review staking approaches built for wallet-native participation, long-term operational consistency, and the standards expected by institutional capital.

About the Author

As Vice President of Institutions at P2P.org, Artemiy drives strategic partnerships, institutional growth, and product development for the world’s leading non-custodial staking providers. With over $10 billion in staked assets under management, P2P.org is at the forefront of blockchain infrastructure, empowering institutions to maximize the potential of staking and decentralized finance.

A regular speaker at industry-leading events, including DevCon, ETHDenver, Staking Summit, Paris Blockchain Week, Artemiy brings insights into staking, DeFi, preconfirmations, and emerging trends that benefit both institutions and the broader blockchain ecosystem.

*This article was paid for. Cryptonomist did not write the article or test the platform.