Solana staking protocol Marinade achieves SOC 2 Type 2 compliance

Marinade Finance, a leading Solana staking protocol, has achieved SOC 2 Type 2 compliance after months of rigorous auditing, becoming one of the first in the staking ecosystem to meet this gold-standard security certification.

This milestone not only validates its operational excellence and institutional readiness but also clears the way for Marinade to serve as the exclusive staking provider for upcoming U.S. Solana exchange-traded funds.

Marinade, which has become one of the first protocols in the staking ecosystem to achieve this, shared the details on X.

The platform said compliance with the information security standard Service Organization Control Type 2 comes after months of a comprehensive audit by BDO. 

Audits focused on Marinade Finance’s (MNDE) security controls, access management systems and staking infrastructure. It also involved an examination of the protocol’s validator operations, data confidentiality and privacy protections.

Crypto-friendly bank Custodia Bank achieved SOC 2 Type 2 certification in January 2025.

Why is this important?

The SOC 2 Type 2 is a cybersecurity compliance standard developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. It’s a compliance standard that goes beyond the checks on an organization’s security controls at a specific time provided for by Type 1 certification.

Marinade Finance achieved Type I compliance earlier this year.

As for SOC 2 Type 2, the audit seeks to evaluate the given organization’s operational effectiveness around the controls in question over an extended period. Mainly, this takes into account a period of 6-12 months.

“Achieving SOC 2 Type 2 as a liquid staking protocol required us to demonstrate operational excellence across a much more complex infrastructure than centralized platforms,” said Hadley Stern, chief compliance officer at Marinade. “This certification proves that blockchain protocols can meet the highest institutional security standards without compromising on decentralization.”

In this case, achieving SOC 2 Type 2 certification puts Marinade on the map as a potentially great platform for institutional clients. The main take is the “operational security and compliance readiness”.

Certification is great for various organizational milestones, including institutional partnerships and regulatory approval processes.

Marinade eyes new Solana staking market

According to Marinade, getting SOC 2 Type 2 “clears the path” for the protocol to become the main staking platform for the highly anticipated spot Solana exchange-traded funds. 

“This compliance achievement is particularly significant as Marinade serves as the exclusive staking provider for the upcoming U.S. Solana ETF applications through our Marinade Select institutional platform. ETF providers require demonstrated operational security and regulatory readiness — exactly what SOC 2 Type 2 compliance provides,” the platform wrote.

Several Solana ETF applications are before the SEC, with experts recently noting high chances of approval in coming months. Firms that have picked Marinade for staking solutions include Zodia Custody, BitGo and Canary Capital.