Sui DeFi Ecosystem: Leading Liquid Staking Projects and Their Impact

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The Sui blockchain has rapidly emerged as a powerful Layer 1 platform, leveraging its unique Move-based architecture and high-throughput consensus to foster a thriving decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem. Among the most transformative innovations in this space is liquid staking, which unlocks capital efficiency by allowing users to earn staking rewards while maintaining liquidity through derivative tokens. This article explores key liquid staking protocols—Aftermath, Haedal, and Volo—and examines their role within the broader Sui DeFi landscape, including decentralized exchanges (DEXs), lending platforms, and derivatives markets.

As of 2025, the Sui DeFi ecosystem continues to gain momentum, with total value locked (TVL) growing across multiple verticals. By enabling seamless composability between protocols, Sui empowers users to maximize yield, hedge risk, and access advanced financial instruments—all while preserving decentralization and security.

What Is Liquid Staking on Sui?

Liquid staking transforms traditionally illiquid staked assets into tradable tokens that represent ownership and accrue staking yields. On Sui, users can stake SUI tokens and receive liquid derivatives such as afSUI (Aftermath), haSUI (Haedal), and vSUI (Volo). These tokens can be freely traded or used across DeFi applications for lending, borrowing, yield farming, or collateralization—effectively turning passive staking into an active income-generating strategy.

This mechanism significantly enhances capital efficiency, making it a cornerstone of modern DeFi innovation on high-performance blockchains like Sui.

Aftermath: A Full-Stack DeFi Powerhouse

Aftermath stands out as one of the most comprehensive DeFi platforms on Sui. More than just a liquid staking protocol, it integrates spot trading, perpetual contracts, and liquidity mining into a single, fully on-chain infrastructure.

Its afSUI token enables users to maintain exposure to staked SUI while participating in other DeFi activities. The platform operates without off-chain components like sequencers or matching engines, ensuring full transparency and censorship resistance.

Key features include:

With a TVL of $49.76 million and growing user adoption across NFTFi and GameFi communities, Aftermotion is positioning itself as a central hub for cross-domain DeFi activity on Sui.

👉 Discover how next-gen DeFi platforms are redefining asset utility

Haedal: Seamless Integration Across Sui DeFi

Haedal focuses exclusively on optimizing the liquid staking experience for Sui. When users stake SUI through Haedal, they receive haSUI, a liquid token that automatically compounds staking rewards every 24 hours—boosting long-term returns without manual reinvestment.

What sets Haedal apart is its deep integration across the Sui ecosystem. haSUI is designed to work natively with DEXs, lending protocols, stablecoin systems, and NFT marketplaces. This interoperability ensures users can leverage their staked positions across multiple use cases without friction.

Currently, Haedal holds a TVL of $22.51 million, reflecting strong confidence from early adopters and institutional participants alike.

Volo: Unlocking Liquidity Without Lockups

Volo offers a flexible approach to liquid staking by eliminating lock-up periods entirely. Users who stake SUI via Volo receive vSUI, a freely transferable token that retains full liquidity and can be deployed across various DeFi protocols.

vSUI holders can earn yields not only from staking but also through participation in platforms like:

Additionally, vSUI is tradable on major DEXs such as Cetus, FlowX, Turbos, and Kriya DEX, enhancing price discovery and market depth.

With a robust TVL of $43.52 million, Volo demonstrates strong demand for non-custodial, composable staking solutions on Sui.

Decentralized Exchanges (DEXs): Fueling On-Chain Liquidity

DEXs form the backbone of any healthy DeFi ecosystem. In Sui’s case, platforms like Cetus, KriyaDEX, and Turbos Finance are driving trading volume and enabling efficient price discovery.

Cetus: The Leading DEX on Sui

Cetus operates as the dominant DEX on both Sui and Aptos, utilizing a Concentrated Liquidity Market Maker (CLMM) model inspired by Uniswap V3. This design increases capital efficiency and reduces slippage for traders.

Recent innovations include:

Cetus now boasts a TVL over $100 million, solidifying its leadership position in the ecosystem.

KriyaDEX: Institutional-Grade Trading Infrastructure

KriyaDEX combines AMM-style swaps (KriyaSwap) with advanced perpetual trading (KriyaPerps) and automated strategies (KriyaStrats). It supports cross-chain collateral and innovative login methods like Google zk-login, lowering barriers for mainstream users.

With a TVL of $34.51 million** and 24-hour trading volume reaching **$584,000, KriyaDEX is rapidly expanding its footprint among professional traders.

Turbos Finance: Zero-Slippage Perpetual Trading

As Sui’s first zero-slippage perpetual DEX, Turbos Finance delivers high-speed execution with minimal fees. Backed by Jump Crypto, it leverages CLMM to optimize liquidity provisioning and reduce impermanent loss.

Despite a lower TVL of $10.79 million**, Turbos achieves impressive 24-hour trading volumes of **$4.65 million, indicating strong trader engagement.

Lending Protocols: Enabling Capital Efficiency

Lending platforms such as NAVI, Scallop, and Suilend allow users to earn interest on deposits or borrow against collateralized assets.

These protocols collectively enhance leverage opportunities and risk management tools within the ecosystem.

Bucket Protocol: Solving USDC Fragmentation

Bucket Protocol addresses liquidity fragmentation by accepting various bridged versions of USDC and minting a unified stablecoin called BUCK. This streamlines access to stable liquidity and supports innovative use cases in LSDFi (Liquid Staking Derivatives Finance) and RWAFi (Real World Asset Finance).

Current TVL: $13.96 million

Derivatives: Advanced Tools for Sophisticated Traders

Platforms like BlueFin and Typus Finance cater to experienced traders seeking leverage and hedging tools.

👉 Explore how cutting-edge derivatives are reshaping DeFi trading strategies

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is liquid staking on Sui?
A: Liquid staking allows users to stake SUI tokens while receiving a derivative token (e.g., afSUI, haSUI, vSUI) that remains liquid and usable across DeFi apps.

Q: Which liquid staking protocol has the highest TVL on Sui?
A: As of 2025, Aftermath leads among liquid staking providers with a TVL of $49.76 million.

Q: Can I use liquid staking tokens for lending or trading?
A: Yes—tokens like haSUI and vSUI are designed to be composable across DEXs, lending platforms, and derivatives markets.

Q: How does Cetus differ from traditional AMMs?
A: Cetus uses concentrated liquidity (CLMM), allowing LPs to allocate funds within specific price ranges for higher capital efficiency.

Q: Are there risks associated with using Sui DeFi protocols?
A: As with all DeFi ecosystems, risks include smart contract vulnerabilities, impermanent loss, and market volatility. Always conduct due diligence before depositing funds.

Q: Is Sui’s DeFi ecosystem beginner-friendly?
A: While some platforms offer advanced features, many—like KriyaDEX with Google zk-login—are actively improving accessibility for new users.

The Sui DeFi ecosystem exemplifies the next evolution of blockchain-based finance—fast, composable, and user-centric. With robust liquid staking solutions, efficient DEXs, and innovative lending and derivatives platforms, Sui is well-positioned to capture long-term value in the decentralized economy.

👉 Start exploring high-yield opportunities in emerging DeFi ecosystems today