Liquid staking protocols provide you the benefits of passive income through staking while still allowing you to retain the liquidity of your assets. Traditionally speaking, your stake funds are locked and can not be used for anything throughout the duration of that lock up period. Through liquid staking your liquidity is returned to you via what’s called a derivative token, hence the name liquid staking derivatives. This liquidity allows you to continue earning your passive income while providing the flexibility to explore other DeFi opportunities using that derivative token.