Blockchain Infrastructure Operations
Sigma Prime operates inside production staking and sequencing networks where operational participation materially informs our security work. Today that includes an Identified DVT Cluster role on Lido alongside Nethermind, ChainSafe, and Develp, supporting roughly $0.5B of Lido stake, and a sequencer role on Aztec representing roughly 7% of the sequencer set with governance participation. We do not run a retail staking product.
What we operate.
Current operator roles in production, with selective expansion only where the work compounds with our audit and infrastructure experience.
-
01
Lido Identified DVT Cluster operator. Sigma Prime is part of an Identified DVT Cluster inside the Lido Simple DVT Module, alongside Nethermind, ChainSafe, and Develp, supporting roughly $0.5B of Lido stake. Distributed Validator Technology splits the validator key across multiple operators using threshold cryptography — no single operator can sign on the validator behalf.
-
02
Aztec sequencer with governance voting role. Sigma Prime runs a sequencer on the Aztec privacy-preserving Layer 2, representing roughly 7% of the sequencer set, and holds a voting role in the Aztec governance system. Sequencers produce blocks and participate in the protocol coordination layer.
-
03
Selective new operator engagements. We take operator roles only inside protocols where the work compounds with our other engagements — typically major staking protocols, L2 sequencer sets, or research-grade infrastructure.
How these engagements work.
Operator work is structured as an ongoing service engagement: named responsibilities, production procedures, accountability, and service-level expectations agreed with the protocol.
When we audit staking infrastructure, Layer 2 protocols, or DeFi systems that depend on operator behavior, this operational experience sharpens the threat model. Slashing risk, key rotation, withdrawal credential management, sequencer censorship, governance coordination, and recovery planning look different when they are part of live operations instead of documentation.
Why operator work matters to security.
Operating changes the threat model
Validator and sequencer infrastructure turns abstract protocol assumptions into daily operational decisions. Keys need rotation plans, alerts need owners, incidents need escalation paths, and upgrades need coordination with other operators. That work exposes failure modes that are easy to miss when security review stays on paper.
DVT and sequencer roles fail in different ways
Distributed validator technology reduces single-operator signing risk, but it introduces coordination, threshold, network, and recovery concerns. Sequencer roles add ordering, censorship, uptime, governance, and upgrade concerns. We treat those as operational risks, not just uptime concerns.
Where this helps clients
-
Staking protocols evaluating operator design, key ceremony, slashing exposure, and incident response.
-
DVT clusters that need realistic assumptions about operator coordination and failure recovery.
-
L2 teams reviewing sequencer operations, governance participation, and production handoff.
-
Audit clients whose protocol security depends on operator behaviour after launch.
Related research and guidance.
-
lighthouse · 26 April 2021
Why You Should Switch to Lighthouse
Making a case for Lighthouse in a multi-client Ethereum future.
-
siren · 5 May 2025
How to Consolidate your validators with Siren
Instructional for Siren users that want to consolidate their validators.
-
lighthouse · 10 February 2025
Lighthouse NAT Configuration
A guide to understanding, configuring and debugging NAT configurations to maximize a Lighthouse client's performance.
Frequently asked questions.
-
Are you offering staking-as-a-service to retail or institutions?
No. We are not a retail or institutional staking provider. Our operator role is inside protocols that themselves serve stakers. If you are looking for a direct staking provider, we are happy to refer you to teams we trust.
-
What is a Distributed Validator Cluster on Lido?
The Lido Simple DVT Module groups multiple node operators into clusters that share validator key shares using Distributed Validator Technology. No single operator can sign on behalf of the validator. Sigma Prime sits inside an Identified DVT Cluster alongside Nethermind, ChainSafe, and Develp.
-
What is the Aztec sequencer role?
Aztec is a privacy-preserving Layer 2 on Ethereum. Sequencers on Aztec produce blocks and participate in protocol governance. Sigma Prime operates as one of the sequencers and holds a voting role in the Aztec governance system.
-
Why do this in addition to audits?
Operating production validator and sequencer infrastructure keeps us close to the systems we audit. The threat model for staking and blockchain infrastructure protocols is meaningfully different from the threat model on a whiteboard, and the gap is hard to close without operating live infrastructure.
-
Can we engage you to operate a node for our protocol?
We take operator roles only inside protocols where the work compounds with our other engagements. Reach out via the contact form to discuss.
Other engagements you might be considering.
-
Blockchain Protocol Audits
A blockchain protocol audit reviews the consensus, networking, execution, bridge, and sequencing layers of an L1 or L2 blockchain, not just the smart contracts that run on top.
-
Infrastructure Audits
Infrastructure audits cover the systems that build, deploy, operate, and protect blockchain software in production.
Talk to us about infrastructure operator engagements.
If you run a staking protocol, distributed validator cluster, or L2 sequencer set and want an operator perspective on your security model, get in touch.
Request a scoping call
Services
Products
Resources
Company
Social
© Copyright 2026 by Sigma Prime. All Rights Reserved.