Sanctum Staking Review 2026: INF APY, Fees & Risks

Overview

Sanctum Staking Review 2026

Category: Solana Liquid Staking + LST Liquidity Protocol

Live Infinity snapshot — verified September 16, 2026

Sanctum is broader than a single-validator staking platform. Its ecosystem provides Solana liquid staking infrastructure, LST creation, LST swaps/liquidity, Infinity (INF), and staking and liquidity infrastructure. This profile primarily covers INF / Sanctum Infinity because INF is Sanctum's main user-facing yield-bearing liquid staking strategy.

Quick Facts

Network	Solana
Primary User Product	Infinity / INF
Type	Liquid staking + LST liquidity strategy
Stake / Deposit	SOL and supported Solana LSTs
Receive	INF
Custody	Non-custodial on-chain protocol
Current Infinity APY	Approximately 5.9% APY (variable)
Last Epoch APY	Approximately 5.7% APY
Performance Fee	5% of INF yield/APY (Infinity V2)
Minimum Deposit	No fixed minimum publicly specified

What Is INF?

INF is not simply one validator's liquid staking token. Sanctum describes Infinity as a shared pool holding multiple Solana liquid staking tokens together with SOL liquidity. INF therefore works like an "LST of LSTs." The underlying portfolio earns:

Solana staking rewards
Validator/block rewards
MEV-related rewards
Trading/swap fees generated by Infinity liquidity

This makes the source of INF yield different from a simple native SOL delegation.

Infinity V2

Infinity V2 launched in March 2026. The upgrade introduced:

More actively optimized LST allocation
Automated epoch-level rebalancing
Smoother yield distribution
Updated liquidity economics
A 5% performance fee on INF yield

Sanctum says the V2 portfolio aims to hold higher-performing Solana LSTs while maintaining SOL liquidity for swaps and redemptions. Historical outperformance (approximately 6.3% average APY over the first weeks after V2 launch) should not be interpreted as a guarantee of future APY.

APY & Yield

Sanctum's live Infinity page currently displays approximately 5.9% APY. The rate changes because INF earnings depend on both staking performance and trading activity. During periods of higher LST swap activity, Infinity can collect more trading fees. During periods of lower Solana staking rewards or market activity, INF yield can decline. The live official INF APY should be displayed where technically possible; if live API data is unavailable, the last verified rate plus date should be shown.

Fees

Current confirmed INF V2 fee:

Performance fee: 5% of generated INF APY/yield

For swaps and withdrawals, Sanctum uses route-dependent and sometimes dynamically adjusted fees. Official documentation references different fees depending on Infinity liquidity withdrawal, LST type, partner vs non-partner LST, Router path, and Reserve Pool usage. Therefore: Swap/exit fee: route-dependent — shown in the current transaction quote.

Liquidity

Infinity is designed to provide liquidity between SOL, INF, and many Solana liquid staking tokens. Unlike conventional native staking, a user does not necessarily need to wait for a full validator unstaking cycle to exit INF. Available liquidity can route the transaction through Sanctum's Infinity, Router or Reserve infrastructure. However, instant liquidity is not the same as guaranteed 1:1 redemption. The user can still face route fees, price impact, liquidity conditions, and Solana network fees.

Sanctum's Broader LST Ecosystem

Sanctum infrastructure supports many Solana LSTs. Standard Sanctum-created LSTs can use a default economic model that includes a 5% epoch/yield fee and a 0.1% withdrawal fee, according to current Sanctum LST documentation. These standard LST fees should not be automatically applied to INF. INF V2 has its own economics, including its separate 5% performance fee. Different Sanctum-powered LSTs may also have product-specific terms.

Sanctum Reserve

The Sanctum Reserve provides backstop SOL liquidity for stake accounts and LST exits when normal routing is insufficient. Reserve fees are dynamic and depend on how much SOL remains in the Reserve. It is a last-resort liquidity mechanism and current fees can vary substantially — not free instant unstaking.

Risks

INF introduces several layers beyond native SOL staking:

SOL price volatility
Validator risk
Smart-contract risk
LST portfolio risk
Underlying liquid staking token risk
Liquidity risk
Route/swap price impact
DeFi composability risk
Protocol/governance risk
Variable trading-fee income

Because INF owns a basket of LSTs, its performance and risk structure differ from holding one simple native SOL stake account.

Pros & Cons

Pros

INF provides diversified exposure to multiple Solana LSTs in one token
Liquid — can generally swap through Sanctum routes without waiting for full validator unstaking
Infinity V2 with automated epoch-level rebalancing
Earns yield from both staking and LST/SOL trading activity
Non-custodial on-chain protocol
DeFi compatible — INF can be used across Solana DeFi

Cons

APY is variable — changes with validator returns, network economics, and trading activity
5% performance fee on generated yield under Infinity V2
Swap/exit fees are route-dependent and dynamic
INF is a basket of LSTs — different risk profile from a single native stake
Smart-contract risk from underlying LSTs and Infinity protocol
Liquidity not guaranteed 1:1 — subject to route fees, price impact, and conditions
Historical APY is not a guarantee of future performance

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sanctum INF?

INF is the token representing Sanctum Infinity, a pool containing SOL liquidity and multiple Solana liquid staking tokens. It works like an "LST of LSTs."

What is the current INF APY?

At Bitnxt's September 16, 2026 verification, Sanctum's live Infinity interface displayed approximately 5.9% APY. The rate is variable and changes with validator returns, Solana network economics, portfolio allocation and trading-fee activity.

Where does INF yield come from?

INF earns yield from the staking economics of the LSTs it holds plus fees generated from LST/SOL trading and liquidity activity. This makes the source of INF yield different from a simple native SOL delegation.

Does Sanctum charge a fee?

Infinity V2 currently charges a 5% performance fee on generated yield. Swap and exit costs are route-dependent and shown in the current transaction quote.

Is INF the same as native SOL staking?

No. Native staking delegates SOL directly to a validator. INF is a liquid portfolio containing multiple LSTs and SOL liquidity, earning both staking and trading-fee yield.

Does INF have a lock-up?

INF is designed to remain liquid and can generally be swapped through Sanctum-supported routes, but execution depends on available liquidity and the selected route.

Is 5.9% APY guaranteed?

No. Sanctum APY changes with validator returns, Solana network economics, portfolio allocation and trading-fee activity. Historical performance (e.g. ~6.3% average after V2 launch) is not a guarantee of future APY.

Before You Continue

Sanctum

Key Facts