Figment is a blockchain infrastructure provider that specializes in non-custodial staking services for institutional clients. The company supports multiple Proof-of-Stake networks and enables asset managers, custodians, exchanges, and other large token holders to earn rewards on their digital assets.
Figment is a blockchain infrastructure firm that provides institutional-grade staking services. Its target clients include asset managers, custodians, exchanges, foundations, wallets, and other large token holders. The company operates on a non-custodial basis, meaning clients retain control over their private keys and assets. It is one of the largest staking providers for networks such as Ethereum and Solana. [1]
The company's offerings are centered around a suite of software and services that facilitate participation in Proof-of-Stake (PoS) networks. These include staking tools with simplified user interfaces, dashboards for tracking rewards, and API integrations for platforms and funds. Figment's infrastructure is SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001 certified, and the company offers safeguards such as slashing protection to mitigate risks associated with validator performance. [2] [3]
Beyond its technical infrastructure, Figment provides advisory support to its clients. This includes guidance on technical integration, protocol selection, accounting practices, and navigating regulatory considerations. The company's stated mission is to support the adoption, growth, and long-term success of the digital asset ecosystem by increasing the usage of PoS blockchains. [4]
Figment was co-founded by Lorien Gabel, Andrew Cronk, and Matt Harrop. Key leadership roles within the company include: [3]
The Figment Staking App is a platform that enables users to stake Ethereum in a non-custodial manner, allowing them to maintain control over their assets. It provides an interface for staking directly from wallets such as MetaMask or those compatible with WalletConnect, without pooling funds with other users. The app features on-chain billing through audited smart contracts, which automates validator fee payments and reduces the need for off-chain invoicing. [12]
Key features of the app include performance dashboards for monitoring both individual validators and the overall protocol, as well as detailed rewards reporting available through in-app views or as downloadable CSV files. The platform also allows users to track any Ethereum validator address, not just those staked with Figment. The service is built on the company's SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001-compliant infrastructure. [6]
Figment provides a suite of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) that allow developers to integrate staking functionality and data reporting into their own platforms. The APIs are designed to support consistent functionality across multiple blockchain networks. They enable programmatic transaction broadcasting, validator tracking, and performance reporting through a uniform interface. [13]
The Staking API standardizes interactions for creating and managing staking transactions across various blockchains, including Ethereum, Solana, Avalanche, Cosmos, and Polkadot. The Rewards API calculates and provides detailed data on staking rewards earned by validators, giving users access to token earnings information for supported networks. These tools are intended to streamline the integration of staking services for developers. [14]
Figment Vaults are private, non-custodial smart contracts designed for institutional Ethereum staking. This solution allows clients to stake any amount of ETH, bypassing the 32 ETH increment requirement for native staking. Unlike traditional staking pools, Vaults keep client assets segregated in private contracts, ensuring that funds are not commingled with those of other institutions. [15]
Vaults include features such as automatic reward compounding, sub-accounting for tracking individual depositor balances and activity, and on-chain commission management. Institutions can customize their staking setup by selecting specific validator locations and Maximal Extractable Value (MEV) relays to meet regulatory or operational requirements. The service operates within Figment’s audited, SOC 2-certified infrastructure. [10]
Figment's restaking service allows Ethereum holders to use their staked ETH to secure multiple protocols simultaneously. This process is designed to enhance the security of other networks while providing stakers with the opportunity to earn additional rewards. The service is built on top of the EigenLayer protocol. [16]
Users can deposit ETH, delegate it to Figment's EigenLayer operator, and earn rewards from connected protocols, known as Actively Validated Services (AVSs). This approach aims to improve the capital efficiency of a single ETH stake by allowing it to support multiple networks. Figment was a launch partner and mainnet operator for EigenLayer. [8] [17]
The White Label Staking service enables organizations to launch and manage their own branded validator services without building the necessary infrastructure in-house. Figment provides a fully managed staking setup where it handles backend operations, security, and performance, while the client controls the branding, validator fees, and reward distribution. [18]
The service supports customization, allowing clients to choose validator locations, custody arrangements, and client software. It utilizes private, non-pooled validators to enhance compliance and transparency for end-users. This offering is designed for institutions that wish to offer staking services under their own brand while outsourcing the technical and operational complexities. [5]
Figment offers a staking data service that provides standardized rewards and performance information across multiple PoS blockchains, including Ethereum, Solana, Polygon, Polkadot, Avalanche, and NEAR. The service indexes and processes blockchain data to simplify the extraction and analysis of rewards and validator performance metrics, making the data accessible via APIs or batch exports. [14]
Use cases for this data include benchmarking validator performance, monitoring for slashing events, and supporting financial applications like index pricing and insurance underwriting. Figment collaborates with MarketVector to produce staking rewards reference rates and indexes, such as the MarketVector™ Figment Ethereum Staking Reward Reference Rate. These data products are customizable by factors such as market price timing, reward types, and validator subsets. [13]
Figment provides a slashing coverage service for institutional clients to safeguard against the financial penalties that can result from validator errors in PoS networks. Slashing can occur due to events like double signing or extended downtime, leading to a reduction in rewards for both validators and token holders. The coverage operates on Figment's SOC 2 and ISO 27001 certified infrastructure and addresses losses from double signing, downtime, and missed rewards. [2]
A key feature is a contractual commitment to on-chain monitoring and alerting for double-sign slashing events, which notifies clients if such an event occurs on a validator they operate. Additionally, Figment partners with Nexus Mutual to offer its Ethereum clients an option to purchase supplementary double-sign coverage, which can provide up to 100% protection against these specific slashing-related losses.
Figment participates in Liquid Collective, a decentralized protocol for liquid staking, as a node operator and integrator. The protocol allows users to stake PoS tokens while retaining liquidity through a liquid receipt token. For Ethereum, this token is LsETH, which represents ownership of the staked ETH and any accrued network rewards. [19]
The service is available to non-U.S. users who complete a Know Your Customer/Anti-Money Laundering (KYC/AML) onboarding process. Users can stake ETH via the Figment app using WalletConnect or MetaMask to mint LsETH. This token can then be used in DeFi applications or sold, providing liquidity without requiring the user to unbond the underlying staked assets. The Liquid Collective protocol includes security measures such as third-party audits and ongoing reconciliation of the LsETH supply with staked ETH balances. [7]
Validator Cohorts is a service that offers institutional clients dedicated and segregated environments for their validators. This solution provides infrastructure that is not shared with other entities, supporting scalability as a client's operations grow. The service is fully managed by Figment. [9]
Clients can tailor validator configurations to meet specific goals related to compliance, geographic diversity, or rewards optimization. Available customizations include relay settings and the choice of consensus and execution clients. Modifications can be applied by Figment's team without requiring changes to the client's API integration.
Figment's Treasury Staking service is designed for institutions and on-chain organizations, such as DAOs and DeFi protocols, to earn rewards on their treasury assets. The offering emphasizes native staking as a method to generate yield, preserve capital against inflation, and fund strategic initiatives. It highlights native staking's potential for higher rewards and lower smart contract risk compared to other yield-generating strategies. [11]
The service acknowledges the trade-off of reduced liquidity due to unbonding periods associated with native staking. Figment advises a diversified treasury management strategy that balances native staking with liquid staking, stablecoins, and other approaches to manage risk and enhance capital efficiency.
Figment's services are built on a non-custodial model, ensuring that clients always maintain control of their assets and private keys. The company's infrastructure is SOC 2 Type 2 and ISO 27001 certified, indicating adherence to standards for security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality, and privacy. Figment also maintains standards for OFAC-compliant relay usage in its operations. The company supports over 50 blockchain protocols, including recent expansions into Bitcoin Layer 2 solutions. [1]
Figment completed a $110 million Series C funding round, which established a post-money valuation of $1.4 billion. The round was led by Thoma Bravo, with participation from Counterpoint Global, Binance Labs, Mirae Asset, ParaFi Capital, Avon Ventures, Bitstamp, CMS Holdings, Two Sigma, B Capital Group, Franklin Templeton, DTCP, and StarkWare. This round brought the company's total funding to $165 million. [1]
In addition to venture funding, C1 Fund Inc., a closed-end investment company, invested in Figment through the secondary market. As of late 2024, Figment manages over $17 billion in staked digital assets for more than 1,000 institutional clients. [3]
Figment has established partnerships with various entities across the digital asset ecosystem. Key technology and protocol partners include EigenLayer for its restaking service, Liquid Collective for liquid staking, Nexus Mutual for supplementary slashing coverage, and MarketVector for the creation of staking rewards data indexes. [14] [2]
The company also collaborates with custodians, exchanges, and wallet providers. A partial list of its partners includes: