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To convert stETH back into native ETH through Lido’s official Ethereum route, you submit a withdrawal request, receive an unstETH NFT, wait for Lido’s oracle to finalize the request, and then claim the reserved ETH. It is an asynchronous request-and-claim process—not an instant unstake button.
The request locks your stETH in Lido’s withdrawal queue. After finalization, you use the request ID and checkpoint hint data to claim ETH. You pay Ethereum gas for the request and the claim, and the waiting period depends on queue position, available ETH, and oracle processing.
What “unstaking” stETH through Lido actually does
stETH is a liquid staking token, so holding it is not the same as holding a directly withdrawable validator balance. Lido’s in-protocol withdrawal mechanism converts a specified amount of stETH into native ETH through three separate stages:
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- Request: you authorize stETH and submit a withdrawal request.
- Finalization: Lido processes requests in queue order after the protocol has enough ETH and the accounting-oracle conditions are met.
- Claim: you claim the reserved ETH using the request ID and the required checkpoint hints.
The request is represented by an ERC-721 token called an unstETH NFT. It is not a receipt for immediately available ETH. It is the transferable claim position for the queued withdrawal. The NFT remains outstanding while the request is pending and is burned when the withdrawal is claimed.
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A secondary-market sale or swap of stETH is a different way to obtain liquidity. It may settle faster, but it is a market transaction rather than a Lido withdrawal and exposes you to price execution, slippage, liquidity, custody, and platform risks.
Requirements and limits before you begin
Wallet and network
Use an Ethereum-compatible wallet that controls the stETH you want to withdraw. This guide concerns Lido’s primary in-protocol route on Ethereum. Confirm that your wallet and the interface you are using are connected to Ethereum before signing anything.
Token type
The standard request flow uses stETH. Lido also documents a request method for wstETH. If your balance is wstETH, use the documented wstETH-compatible request path rather than assuming a standard stETH approval will work.
Authorization
The withdrawal contract must be authorized to use the amount being requested. Depending on the interface and wallet, authorization can be an ERC-20 approval transaction or an ERC-2612 permit signature. An approval consumes gas; a permit can authorize the transfer by signature when supported, although the eventual request still requires an on-chain transaction.
Request-size bounds
Lido’s current contract documentation specifies a minimum request size of 100 wei and a maximum of 1000 ETH or stETH per request. These are contract-level bounds. A front-end may display different practical limits or validation rules, so check the amount shown by the current interface. Split a larger withdrawal into multiple requests.
| Parameter | Documented value | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum request | 100 wei | The contract-level lower bound for one request. |
| Maximum request | 1000 ETH/stETH | The contract-level upper bound for one request; larger withdrawals must be divided. |
| Gas | Variable | You pay Ethereum transaction fees for authorization when required, the withdrawal request, and the claim transaction or transactions. |
ETH for transaction fees
Keep enough native ETH in the wallet to pay Ethereum gas. stETH cannot pay the gas for the transactions that move it into the queue or claim ETH. The exact fee depends on network conditions and the transaction’s gas usage; Lido’s contract documentation does not provide one fixed gas price.
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Step 1: Prepare stETH and authorize the withdrawal
- Connect the wallet. Open the current Lido withdrawal interface and connect the wallet that holds stETH or supported wstETH. Check the account and network displayed by the wallet before proceeding.
- Choose the token and amount. Enter the amount to request. The amount must be at least 100 wei and no more than 1000 ETH/stETH for that individual request under the documented contract limits.
- Review the authorization method. If the interface requests an approval, inspect the spender and amount before signing. If it offers an ERC-2612 permit, review the permit details and expiration presented by the wallet. Authorize only the amount and contract you intend to use.
- Wait for authorization confirmation. An approval is a separate on-chain transaction. Do not submit the withdrawal request until the interface recognizes the authorization, unless the interface explicitly combines the actions in one supported transaction.
Authorization does not start the withdrawal by itself. It only permits the withdrawal queue contract to take the selected stETH when you submit the actual request.
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Step 2: Submit the withdrawal request
- Review the request summary. Confirm the token, amount, wallet that will own the unstETH NFT, and the transaction network. The owner is important because the NFT is the claim position.
- Sign the request transaction. The transaction sends the authorized stETH into Lido’s withdrawal queue. The queue locks that stETH while the request is processed.
- Save the transaction hash and request ID. The interface or transaction details should expose the withdrawal request identifier. Keep it with the wallet address and transaction hash; you need the request ID to check status and claim later.
- Confirm the NFT mint. A successful request mints an unstETH ERC-721 NFT to the specified owner. The NFT represents this particular withdrawal request, including its amount, owner, timestamp, and processing state.
Submitting the request is the point at which the stETH is locked. It is not yet native ETH, and the request is not immediately claimable.
What the unstETH NFT means
The unstETH NFT is a transferable on-chain position, not a collectible with an independent yield stream. It identifies the queued withdrawal and records the right to claim once the request is finalized.
Ownership and transfer
You may transfer the NFT before claiming. Because the claim right follows the NFT, its current owner can claim the finalized withdrawal. A transfer changes who controls the claim position; it does not accelerate finalization, alter the queue order, or change the amount determined by the protocol.
Why you should protect it
Do not burn, sell, or transfer the NFT unless you understand that control of it determines who can claim the ETH. Keep the token ID, request ID, and wallet records together. If the NFT is held by another address, the original stETH holder cannot claim through the old wallet unless the NFT is returned.
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Lido processes withdrawal requests through a first-in, first-out queue. Lido’s accounting-oracle specification describes this design as a way “to ensure the requests are processed in the order they are received.” Your request’s queue position, the amount of ETH available to fulfill withdrawals, oracle processing, and the time required for ETH to become available all affect when it can be finalized.
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Finalization is separate from claiming
A request can be finalized while still unclaimed. Finalization reserves the ETH and changes the request state; it does not automatically send ETH to your wallet. You must perform a separate claim transaction.
Rewards stop accruing to the queued request
Once stETH is locked in the withdrawal queue, rewards earned after that point do not accrue to that queued request. Those rewards are effectively distributed among the remaining stETH holders. Do not assume that leaving a request pending increases its eventual ETH amount through ongoing stETH rewards.
No guaranteed universal wait time
There is no honest fixed number of minutes or hours that applies to every withdrawal. Queue conditions and ETH availability change. Lido publishes a Withdrawals API that estimates timing for the current queue or for a specific request. Treat that estimate as volatile and check it close to the time you submit or plan around the withdrawal.
Step 4: Check the request status
Use the withdrawal request ID to query the contract’s getWithdrawalStatus() function or the equivalent status view in the interface. The request record includes the stETH amount, corresponding shares, owner, timestamp, finalization status, and claim status.
The state you need before claiming is:
isFinalizedistrue.isClaimedisfalse.
If the request is not finalized, there is no claim transaction that can legitimately release the ETH yet. If it is finalized but not claimed, the claim step remains to be completed by the NFT’s current owner or the supported recipient arrangement.
Step 5: Obtain checkpoint hints and claim native ETH
Lido’s claim functions require checkpoint hint data. The hints identify the relevant oracle checkpoint for the request, so obtain them from the current withdrawal tooling or the documented contract integration before signing the claim.
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Claim one request
- Provide the request ID and its checkpoint hint data to the single-request claim flow.
- Call
claimWithdrawal()through the supported interface or contract integration. - Review the recipient and transaction details, then sign the Ethereum transaction.
- Wait for confirmation and verify that native ETH arrived at the intended recipient.
Claim several requests together
- Identify multiple finalized, unclaimed request IDs controlled by the same current owner.
- Obtain the required checkpoint hints for each request.
- Use
claimWithdrawals()to submit a batch claim when the interface supports it. - Confirm the transaction and check the resulting ETH balance and request states.
When a claim succeeds, Lido transfers the reserved native ETH to the recipient and burns the withdrawal NFT. The ETH is no longer represented by stETH or by an unstETH position.
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The final amount is determined at finalization, not necessarily at the moment you submit the request. In the normal case it reflects the locked amount under the applicable share rate. The documented finalization rate cannot be higher than the rate at request creation.
A significant protocol loss could result in a lower ETH amount than expected. The request is therefore not a promise that a later, more favorable exchange rate will increase the payout. The amount shown after finalization is the amount reserved for the claim.
Because rewards earned after locking do not accrue to the queued request, waiting longer does not add post-request staking rewards to that specific withdrawal.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can a Lido withdrawal request be canceled or edited?
No. Lido’s integration guide states: “Once requested, withdrawal cannot be canceled.” There is no supported cancel or edit operation that returns the stETH to the wallet while the request is pending.
If your plans change, the practical on-chain option is to transfer the unstETH NFT. The recipient then owns the claim position and can claim after finalization. Transferring the NFT does not undo the request and does not change its place in the FIFO queue.
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Why a request may appear stuck
The request is still pending
Pending status means the oracle has not finalized it yet. Check the request ID and the current Withdrawals API estimate. A longer wait can result from queue depth, ETH availability, or oracle timing; it is not evidence that the request failed.
The request is finalized but ETH has not arrived
Finalization and claiming are separate. Submit a claim transaction with valid checkpoint hints. Verify that the wallet submitting the claim controls the unstETH NFT and that the intended recipient is correct.
The claim transaction is rejected
- Confirm that the request is finalized and not already claimed.
- Check that the request ID and checkpoint hints correspond to the same request.
- Confirm that the NFT’s current owner is the wallet attempting the claim.
- Keep enough native ETH available for gas and retry only after reviewing the transaction details.
The amount exceeds the per-request maximum
Divide a withdrawal larger than 1000 ETH/stETH into separate requests. Each request receives its own NFT and request ID, and each progresses through the queue according to the protocol’s processing rules.
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Locate the address that currently owns the unstETH NFT. That owner controls the claim position. A previous owner cannot claim merely because it originally submitted the request.
Withdrawal through Lido versus selling or swapping stETH
Both routes can result in ETH exposure, but they are not interchangeable. The in-protocol route is a redemption process with a queue. A market sale or swap is an immediate execution decision at the available market price.
| Consideration | Lido in-protocol withdrawal | Secondary-market sale or swap |
|---|---|---|
| What you receive | Native ETH after request finalization and claim. | Whatever asset the market transaction specifies, often ETH or a stablecoin. |
| Settlement speed | Asynchronous; depends on queue position, ETH availability, and oracle finalization. | Usually settles when the market transaction confirms, subject to liquidity and platform operation. |
| Pricing basis | Protocol-defined redemption mechanics and the applicable finalization rate. | Market price at execution, which may differ from the redemption value. |
| Price risk | Protocol-finalization risk, including the possibility of a lower amount after a significant protocol loss. | Slippage, spread, volatility, and insufficient market liquidity. |
| On-chain actions | Authorization when needed, withdrawal request, and later claim; each can require gas. | Approval and swap or sale transactions, plus any platform-specific steps and fees. |
| Custody and control | Your wallet controls the request NFT unless you transfer it. | Depends on whether you trade through a self-custody contract or a custodial platform. |
| Best fit | You specifically want native ETH through Lido’s redemption path and can wait. | You prioritize market liquidity and accept execution and counterparty considerations. |
Do not describe a swap as “unstaking through Lido.” It exits stETH through a market and leaves the Lido withdrawal queue untouched.
Operational checklist
- Connect an Ethereum-compatible wallet holding stETH or supported wstETH.
- Confirm the network, token, amount, owner address, and recipient before signing.
- Check the documented 100 wei minimum and 1000 ETH/stETH maximum per request.
- Keep native ETH available for authorization, request, and claim gas.
- Save the transaction hash, request ID, and unstETH NFT token ID.
- Understand that stETH is locked after submission and that queued rewards do not accrue to that request.
- Monitor finalization rather than assuming a fixed completion time.
- Claim only after the request is finalized and unclaimed, using matching checkpoint hints.
- Protect the unstETH NFT; whoever owns it controls the claim position.
- Remember that a submitted request cannot be canceled or edited.
Bottom line
Lido unstaking is a two-transaction lifecycle separated by an uncertain wait: submit stETH to the withdrawal queue, then claim native ETH after oracle finalization. The unstETH NFT tracks the position, the request cannot be canceled, and the final amount is set at finalization. If you need immediate liquidity instead, a secondary-market sale or swap is a separate route with market-price and execution risks.
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