New vault architecture introduces standardized rails for DeFi and CEX strategies, anchored by stETH as the flagship asset.

Mellow today announces the launch of Core Vaults, a next-generation vault architecture designed to give institutions and curators a programmable surface for building and deploying onchain structured products.

Opportunities to generate yield across DeFi protocols and centralized exchanges are plentiful, but the landscape is highly fragmented and difficult for institutions to navigate. Core Vaults bring them together into a single framework with standardized strategy design, embedded risk controls, and plug-and-play integrations across protocols and exchanges. At launch, the system is anchored with Lido's stETH, the most widely used staking token on Ethereum, as the flagship asset.

Institutional-grade infrastructure

Core Vaults address one of the most persistent challenges facing professional allocators: the need for clarity, control and compliance in an environment that is often messy.

• Granular controls – per-vault limits, asset whitelists, and permissions verified by independent actors
• Programmable flexibility – curators can run delta-neutral, leveraged, restaking, or liquidity provision strategies across DeFi and centralized venues
• Frictionless integration – protocols and exchanges connect out of the box without custom adapters or additional engineering.
• Custodial settlement rails – integrations with Copper ClearLoop and Binance Ceffu keep assets under secure custody while enabling CEX execution
• Embedded risk management – AML and KYC modules, two-tier oracle safety, and audit-backed contracts are included from the outset
• Built for decentralization – a progressive roadmap toward permissionless oracles, autonomous execution, and trust-minimized curator roles
• Instant access for trusted actors – signature queues enable one-transaction deposits and withdrawals for fast-moving opportunities

Proof in practice: the Lido stRATEGY Vault

One of the first strategies built on Core Vaults is the Lido stRATEGY Vault available through the Earn tab on https://stake.lido.fi/earn.

Users can deposit ETH, WETH or wstETH and receive strETH in return, representing their share of the vault. Capital is then programmatically allocated across established DeFi venues such as Aave, Ethena, Uniswap and others. Rewards accrue in the background and are supplemented by Mellow Points.

In effect, the stRATEGY Vault shows how Core Vaults can be used in practice. Instead of managing multiple dashboards and manual integrations, depositors interact once and access a diversified, risk-isolated strategy built on Ethereum's largest liquid staking token.

Why it matters

The launch of Core Vaults comes at a moment when institutional inflows into Ethereum are accelerating. Spot ETH ETFs in the United States have drawn billions in recent months, while MiCA in Europe and stablecoin regulation on the horizon are creating clearer rules of the road.

Institutions are seeking structured access and defined risk, not a patchwork of venues. Core Vaults consolidate this landscape bringing fragmented yield opportunities into a single trustless framework. Protocols connect without custom adapters or added engineering. The vault design abstracts execution, reducing integration timelines to near-zero.

For institutions, they provide auditability and trustless custody. For curators and protocol teams, they unlock a broader design space where curators can plug in protocols without writing a single line of code. And for end-users, they deliver accessible, user-friendly routes to strategies powered by stETH and other assets.

About Mellow

Mellow is a modular infrastructure protocol for building onchain structured products. Founded in 2021, Mellow enables asset managers, curators, and protocols to design and operate vaults with full control over strategy, risk, and fees. The platform supports both DeFi and centralized exchange integrations, with features such as risk isolation, compliance tooling, and plug-and-play connectivity. Backed by leading investors, Mellow has evolved from early work in automated liquidity management to become a leading provider of institutional-grade vault infrastructure.

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