What insights did Misha Putiatin share about Symbiotic’s recent funding round? How does Symbiotic aim to simplify the decentralization journey for blockchain projects? What specific features does Symbiotic offer in its modular infrastructure stack? In what ways does Symbiotic differentiate itself from existing staking protocols? What lessons from past experiences influenced the development of Symbiotic? How does Putiatin envision the future of staking in the crypto landscape?
On the sidelines of TOKEN2049 Dubai, Cryptonews caught up with Misha Putiatin, co-founder of Symbiotic, a fast-rising infrastructure protocol that recently closed a $29 million funding round. The round was led by Pantera Capital, with participation from Coinbase Ventures and more than 100 angel investors, including members from teams behind Aave, Polygon, and StarkWare.
In an in-depth conversation, Putiatin broke down the startup’s vision to radically simplify the decentralization journey for emerging blockchain networks. Putiatin noted:
“We launched just a couple of months ago, and we already have 14 live networks running on Symbiotic—bridges, oracles, data availability layers, and more. We’re building the middleware and SDK to let founders focus on what differentiates their product, not waste years reinventing consensus, staking, or governance.”
A Plug-and-Play Framework for Decentralization
Symbiotic’s offering is essentially a modular stack of decentralized infrastructure—staking, delegation, slashing, voting, and shared security mechanisms—that can be tailored to any protocol.
“The decentralization journey is tedious right now. Projects have to do everything manually, talk to each validator, bootstrap incentives, and hope the network stays secure. We want to cut that down from twelve steps to one.”
According to Putiatin, Symbiotic is already working with over 40 networks preparing to launch. The value proposition: instead of building infrastructure from scratch or relying on outdated frameworks like Cosmos SDK, teams can integrate Symbiotic’s components and configure their network’s design with precision.
Symbiotic announced a $29 million fund that would launch the Universal Staking framework, extending blockchain security into broader economic coordination.#Symbiotic #Staking #BlockchainSecurityhttps://t.co/8lXScjcp88
— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) April 23, 2025
Beyond Restaking
While restaking protocols have become a hot trend, Putiatin emphasized that Symbiotic’s vision is broader.
“We’re generalizing staking,” he said. “Most protocols want to reward users and create meaningful alignment between users and protocol success. But there hasn’t been a flexible, modular system that lets you do that across multiple chains—until now.”
Symbiotic allows protocols to accept stake from multiple ecosystems—even across Ethereum, Solana, and L2s—while customizing how that stake is used, rewarded, or slashed. It also introduces safeguards that many current systems lack, such as configurable slashing committees, arbitration layers, and support for siloed risk management.
“Most failures in staking systems come from misaligned incentives or single points of failure. We’ve built Symbiotic so that each network can choose exactly how much control to retain, how decentralized they want to be, and who they accept stake from,” he added.
Built on Lessons from the Past
Putiatin’s inspiration for Symbiotic dates back to early experiments with Polkadot infrastructure.
“We’ve reanimated this idea a few times over the years,” he said. “We knew that modularity and shared security would become necessary. Once rollups, oracles, and bridges started growing rapidly, we knew it was time.”
Symbiotic began development in 2023, spending nearly a year ensuring the protocol could be both flexible and permissionless—an essential trait, Putiatin noted, if the team wanted to attract larger protocols wary of third-party control.
“We had to make something that serious protocols would feel safe using—without being dependent on us or anyone else. That’s why we focused so much on designing for permissionless adoption.”
Looking Ahead
Staking, Putiatin said, will continue to evolve as the foundational alignment mechanism in crypto.
“Every protocol wants staking now. Not just to secure the network, but to give users real participation—real alignment,” he said. “Restaking, reward flexibility, modular governance—those are the trends. That’s why we’re seeing strong demand from both large and small players.”
The post Interview: Symbiotic’s Misha Putiatin on Shared Security Infrastructure and the Future of Decentralized Staking appeared first on Cryptonews.
Interview: Symbiotic’s Misha Putiatin on Shared Security Infrastructure and the Future of Decentralized Staking
The world of blockchain and cryptocurrency is rapidly evolving, with new technologies and methodologies emerging to enhance security and efficiency. One of the innovators in this space is Misha Putiatin, co-founder of Symbiotic, a platform that is reimagining how decentralized networks can leverage shared security infrastructure. In this exclusive interview, Putiatin discusses the importance of security in decentralized systems, the concept of shared security, and what the future holds for decentralized staking.
Understanding Shared Security Infrastructure
What is shared security infrastructure, and why is it important in the blockchain space?
Shared security infrastructure refers to a model where multiple blockchain networks or applications leverage a collective security mechanism instead of building their own isolated security measures. This approach is crucial because it allows smaller or newer projects to benefit from the security established by more mature ecosystems, reducing entry barriers and fostering innovation.
Putiatin explains, "In a conventional setup, every blockchain project must invest heavily in its own security. This creates compartmentalized ecosystems where smaller networks can be vulnerable to attacks or economic threats. With shared security, we can democratize access to security resources, allowing projects to scale and collaborate more effectively."
The Role of Decentralized Staking
Can you explain how decentralized staking fits into this shared security model?
Decentralized staking is a mechanism through which users lock up their assets to support the network’s operations, like validating transactions or securing the blockchain. Putiatin emphasizes that decentralized staking can significantly reduce the risks associated with centralized validators.
"When users engage in staking, they’re not just supporting the network; they’re also directly involved in its security," he says. "In a shared security model, the stakes of various users across multiple networks can be pooled together, creating a robust security layer that is both resilient and accessible."
The Current Landscape of Staking
What are some of the current challenges in decentralized staking that your platform aims to address?
Putiatin highlights several challenges, including complexity, fragmentation, and the lack of incentives for smaller stakeholders. Many current staking solutions are intricate, requiring users to possess a high degree of technical knowledge. Fragmentation occurs as different projects adopt varying staking mechanisms, leading to a disjointed user experience.
Symbiotic aims to simplify staking processes by creating a seamless user interface and experience. "We want to make it easy and intuitive for users, regardless of their level of expertise," Putiatin states. "Additionally, we are creating incentive structures that reward users for engaging in the shared security model, thus encouraging greater participation."
The Future of Decentralized Staking
How do you envision the future of decentralized staking and shared security infrastructure?
According to Putiatin, the future holds immense potential for decentralized staking protocols to become a foundational layer for many blockchain ecosystems. He sees shared security as a transformative model that could enable interoperability among various projects, allowing them to scale without sacrificing security.
"I believe we will witness a shift where shared security becomes the norm. Smaller projects will increasingly collaborate rather than isolate themselves," Putiatin asserts. "As shared security networks grow, they will enable a more resilient environment where innovation can flourish."
Governance and Tokenomics
How does governance play a role in shared security and decentralized staking?
Governance is a critical component of any blockchain ecosystem, especially when it comes to shared security models. Putiatin emphasizes the importance of transparent and inclusive governance, where stakeholders have a voice in decision-making processes.
"We implemented a governance model that allows all participants to take part in shaping the future of our platform," he explains. "This ensures a more democratic approach where the collective interests of the community guide development, not just a select few."
In terms of tokenomics, Putiatin notes that the design is crucial in ensuring that participants are rewarded fairly. "Our tokenomics emphasize not only the incentives for staking but also penalties for malicious activity. This creates a well-rounded ecosystem that aligns the interests of all participants."
Scaling Challenges
What challenges do you anticipate as you move towards implementing shared security infrastructure?
Putiatin acknowledges that scaling shared security solutions presents challenges, particularly in ensuring that the infrastructure is robust enough to handle increasing demands while maintaining decentralization.
"We need to address how we manage trust and consensus in shared security models. As these ecosystems grow, ensuring that the underlying technology can support more users and transactions becomes paramount," he points out.
Additionally, he notes that regulatory compliance will be vital as decentralized solutions continue to gain traction in mainstream markets.
Conclusion
Misha Putiatin’s vision for shared security infrastructure and decentralized staking represents a promising evolution in the blockchain realm. By lowering barriers, enhancing security, and facilitating collaboration among projects, Symbiotic aims to create a rich ecosystem where innovation thrives. As we look to the future, it is clear that the success of decentralized networks will depend upon robust, shared frameworks that empower all participants. Through ongoing dialogue, collaboration, and technological advancement, the industry can create a resilient and secure foundation for the next generation of blockchain applications.
Sure! Here’s a summary of the interview with Misha Putiatin:
Overview of Shared Security Infrastructure
Misha Putiatin discusses the concept of shared security infrastructure in the context of decentralized staking. He highlights how this model benefits smaller projects by providing robust security without requiring them to invest heavily in their own infrastructure.
Future of Decentralized Staking
Putiatin envisions a future where decentralized staking becomes more mainstream. He believes that shared security can enhance trust among users and facilitate broader participation in staking activities.
Challenges and Opportunities
He acknowledges the challenges of educational outreach and user adoption but points out that these barriers present opportunities for innovation and growth in the sector.
Collaboration in the Ecosystem
Collaboration among different projects is emphasized as crucial for building a stronger ecosystem. By working together, projects can leverage shared resources for better security and functionality.
Conclusion
The discussion underlines an optimistic outlook on the potential of shared security infrastructure and decentralized staking, emphasizing the importance of community and collaboration in achieving a sustainable blockchain future.