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Setting the Fee Recipient for Lido CSM Validators

When running validators via Lido Community Staking Module (CSM), it is mandatory to set the fee recipient to the Lido Execution Layer Rewards Vault:

info

For Hoodi Testnet users:

Use 0x9b108015fe433F173696Af3Aa0CF7CDb3E104258 instead of 0x388C818CA8B9251b393131C08a736A67ccB19297 in the guides below.

Failure to do so may result in MEV stealing penalties, including:

  • A penalty equal to the stolen execution layer rewards plus a fixed fine
  • Your bond being locked until the full penalty amount is returned

This guide shows you how to correctly set the fee recipient on various platforms. It does not cover how to set up or run a validator node from scratch.

note

You can verify the fee recipient address on the Lido Deployed Contracts page.

Dappnode​

Dappnode sets the fee recipient through the Staking Brain in the Web3Signer package, either during key import or by editing existing validator keys.

Set fee recipient when importing new validator keys​

Step 1: In the side panel, go to “Stakers”, then select the Web3Signer package and click “Upload Keystores” to open the Staking Brain.

Step 2: Enable “Use same tag for every file”, and in the “Staking Protocol” dropdown, select “Lido”. This automatically sets the fee recipient to:

0x388C818CA8B9251b393131C08a736A67ccB19297

dappnode-1

Step 3: Click “Submit Keystores” to complete the import.

Change fee recipient on existing validator keys​

Step 1: In the side panel, go to “Stakers”, then select the Web3Signer package and click “Upload Keystores”.

Step 2: Review the Fee Recipient field for each validator key. If it's incorrect or missing, click the edit icon.

dappnode2

Step 3: Set the fee recipient to: 0x388C818CA8B9251b393131C08a736A67ccB19297

Step 4: Click “Submit Keystores” to apply the changes.

warning

Known issue with Nimbus on Dappnode

Several users have reported that when running Nimbus with Dappnode, the fee recipient set in the Staking Brain (Web3Signer) is not applied. Instead, the fee recipient set on the consensus layer node is used, which can result in MEV stealing, when it is not set to the Lido Execution Layer Rewards Vault.

This issue has been acknowledged by the Dappnode team but has not been confirmed as resolved.

We do not recommend running Nimbus with Dappnode for Lido CSM validators until the issue is conclusively fixed. Consider switching to another consensus client if you’re currently running Nimbus.

Eth-Docker​

If you're using Eth-Docker (typically located in ~/eth-docker), follow these steps to check or set the correct fee recipient.

Step 1: Edit the .env file​

Open the .env file in your Eth-Docker directory:

cd ~/eth-docker
nano .env

Make sure the following line is present and correctly set:

FEE_RECIPIENT=0x388C818CA8B9251b393131C08a736A67ccB19297

important

If the line already exists with a different value, update it to match the correct Lido address.

Step 2: Save and exit​

Save the file and exit your editor (in nano: press CTRL+O, ENTER, then CTRL+X).

Step 3: Apply the configuration​

Run the update command to regenerate and restart the services with the new configuration:

./ethd update
./ethd up

If the address was already correct, you can keep Eth-Docker running without restarting.

Sedge​

If you're using Sedge to manage your validator stack, follow these steps to check or set the correct fee recipient.

Step 1: Navigate to the sedge-data folder​

cd <your-sedge-folder>/sedge-data

Step 2: Edit the .env file​

nano .env

Ensure this line exists and is set correctly:

FEE_RECIPIENT=0x388C818CA8B9251b393131C08a736A67ccB19297

important

If the line already exists with a different value, update it to match the correct Lido address.

Step 3: Save and exit​

Save the file and exit your editor (in nano: press CTRL+O, ENTER, then CTRL+X).

Step 4: Restart Sedge​

If you made any changes, restart Sedge:

./sedge down
./sedge run

If the address was already correct, you can keep Sedge running without restarting.

Stereum​

If you're using Stereum to manage your Ethereum node and validators, follow these steps to verify or update the fee recipient address.

Step 1: Open your Node Page​

Access the node management interface in Stereum.

Step 2: Go to the Validator Client Settings​

In the interface, locate your validator client and click the settings icon.

stereum-1

Step 3: Locate "Default Fee Recipient"​

Find the field labeled "Default Fee Recipient".

stereum-2

Step 4: Verify or update the address​

Make sure it is set to: 0x388C818CA8B9251b393131C08a736A67ccB19297

If the address is missing or incorrect, enter the correct one.

Step 5: Confirm and restart​

Click "Confirm & Restart" to save your changes and restart the validator client.

important

Stereum sets the Lido fee recipient automatically, but you should still manually verify it is correct before restarting your node.

SSV Network​

If you're running CSM validators using SSV, make sure your Fee Recipient Address is set correctly in the SSV dApp.

Step 1: Open the SSV dApp​

Navigate to the SSV dApp and log in with the wallet that registered your validator cluster.

Step 2: Open the fee recipient settings​

Click on "Fee Address" in the top right corner of the screen.

ssv-1

Step 3: Set the correct fee recipient address​

In the "Fee Recipient Address" field, enter: 0x388C818CA8B9251b393131C08a736A67ccB19297

ssv-2

If the field is empty or shows a different address, update it and click "Update" to initiate the transaction.

caution

The fee recipient address is set per wallet, not per cluster!
If you're running validators with SSV for other protocols in parallel, you must use a separate wallet to set a different fee recipient.

Obol​

In Obol DVT setups, the fee recipient is configured by the cluster leader during cluster creation.

Fee recipient setup options​

  • Using the Obol DV Launchpad:
    If you select "Lido CSM" under withdrawal configuration, the fee recipient is automatically set to: 0x388C818CA8B9251b393131C08a736A67ccB19297 obol-1
  • Using the CLI:
    You must manually set the correct fee recipient address when creating the cluster definition file.
caution

Before finalizing the cluster creation, double-check that the fee recipient is correctly set. Once the cluster is created, you cannot change the fee recipient.
If the wrong address was set, the only solution is to exit your validators and create a new cluster with the correct fee recipient address.

Systemd​

Step 1: Open your validator client’s systemd service file.​

Typically located in /etc/systemd/system/

Step 2: Update the service file with the appropriate flag and address:​

Lighthouse​

ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/lighthouse vc \
  --suggested-fee-recipient=0x388C818CA8B9251b393131C08a736A67ccB19297 \
  [other flags...]

Prysm​

ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/validator \
  --suggested-fee-recipient=0x388C818CA8B9251b393131C08a736A67ccB19297 \
  [other flags...]

Teku​

ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/teku/bin/teku validator-client \
  --validators-proposer-default-fee-recipient=0x388C818CA8B9251b393131C08a736A67ccB19297 \
  [other flags...]

Nimbus​

ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/nimbus_validator_client \
  --suggested-fee-recipient=0x388C818CA8B9251b393131C08a736A67ccB19297 \
  [other flags...]

Lodestar​

ExecStart=/usr/bin/lodestar validator \
  --suggestedFeeRecipient=0x388C818CA8B9251b393131C08a736A67ccB19297 \
  [other flags...]

Step 3: Reload and restart the service​

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl restart <your-validator-service>

Verify Your Fee Recipient​

It’s important to verify your fee recipient configuration before your validator proposes a block, as incorrect settings may result in protocol penalties.

Check your local configuration​

Make sure the fee recipient address is set to: 0x388C818CA8B9251b393131C08a736A67ccB19297

Check this in your setup as follows:

  • Dappnode: open the Staking Brain and review the Fee Recipient field for each validator.
  • Stereum: open the UI and check the fee recipient field in the validator client settings.
  • Eth-Docker / Sedge: inspect your .env file and confirm the FEE_RECIPIENT variable is set correctly.
  • SSV: log in to app.ssv.network, click on Fee Address, and verify the address.
  • Obol: check your cluster definition file or Launchpad configuration before deploying.
  • systemd: inspect your validator service file (/etc/systemd/system/<validator-client>.service) and confirm the correct --fee-recipient or equivalent flag is set.

Check client logs​

Most validator clients log the configured fee recipient address during startup.
Check your startup logs and confirm that the fee recipient is set to the Lido Execution Layer Rewards Vault.

Seek Lido's help​

If you're running a validator client or using a custom setup not covered in this guide, and need help setting the correct fee recipient address, the Lido Community Validator Specialists (Chimera) are here to help.

Join the Lido Discord and tag:

@community-validator-support

We’ll assist you in configuring your setup correctly to avoid penalties.