Diversified Staking With MetaVaults
TL;DR: Anyone can deploy a MetaVault — a special type of Vault that delegates validator operations to other Vaults. Here's one strategy you can build today to stake smarter.
MetaVaults are a special kind of Vault. They don't run validators themselves — instead, they accept deposits and route them across underlying sub-Vaults that handle the actual validator operations.
This architecture opens the door to new staking strategies. One of them is diversified staking: you create a single MetaVault and connect it to several regular Vaults (optionally including your own). It allows you to:
Cut costs by choosing sub-Vaults with competitive fees.
Deposit, withdraw, and mint osETH from a single place — the code handles distribution across sub-Vaults, while your osETH is minted against one unified position.
Reduce single-operator exposure by spreading stake across multiple operators.
This guide walks you through every step to deploy this strategy.
Step 1: Create a Private MetaVault
In the StakeWise app, create a MetaVault with:
0% fee — you're building this for yourself.
Private access — only your wallet can deposit.
See the Create MetaVault guide for the full walkthrough.
Step 2: Add Sub-Vaults
A sub-Vault is a regular StakeWise Vault that runs validators and holds the staked ETH. StakeWise has a marketplace of Vaults you can choose from to include into your MetaVault.
Connect your chosen Vaults to the MetaVault so it knows where to route deposits:
Go to the Operate page and open your MetaVault.
Click Sub-Vaults.
Paste each regular Vault's address or select from the dropdown, then confirm.
Optional: add your own Vault to your MetaVault
You can also run your own regular Vault and add it to the mix of sub-Vaults.. Follow the Create Regular Vault guide — note that it must have at least one registered validator before it can be used as a sub-Vault.
If your own regular Vault is private, you'll need to whitelist your MetaVault in it:
Open your regular Vault on the Operate page.
Click Vault access, then Add address, and paste your MetaVault's address.
Save and confirm the transaction in your wallet.
Step 3: Whitelist Your Wallet in the MetaVault
Since your MetaVault is private, add your own wallet address to the whitelist so you can deposit.
Go to the Operate page and open your MetaVault.
Click Vault access, then Add address, and paste your wallet address.
Save and confirm the transaction in your wallet.
Step 4: Run the Operator Service
The Operator Service is open-source software developed by StakeWise that automates most Vault operations. For a MetaVault, it keeps things in sync with the sub-Vaults — forwarding deposits, harvesting rewards, and processing withdrawals.
See the Operate MetaVault guide for installation, wallet setup, and the process-meta-vaults command and its optional flags.
Step 5: Deposit ETH
Open your MetaVault from the Operate page or directly via https://app.stakewise.io/vault/mainnet/[your_vault_address], deposit ETH, and the Curator contract will automatically split your deposit across the connected sub-Vaults.
That’s it. You've now built a diversified staking strategy from scratch: a single MetaVault entry point, multiple sub-Vaults handling validators, and the Operator Service keeping everything in sync. Head to your MetaVault page to track performance, manage sub-Vaults, or adjust your setup over time.
