Leading Solana staking protocol Marinade Finance has achieved SOC 2 Type 2 compliance certification after months of rigorous auditing, becoming one of the first companies in the staking ecosystem to reach this gold standard of security certification. This milestone not only verifies its excellence in operations and institutional preparedness but also paves the way for Marinade to become the exclusive staking provider for the upcoming U.S. Solana exchange-traded fund. Marinade has become one of the first protocols in the staking ecosystem to achieve this goal and shared details on X. The platform stated that compliance with the information security standard Service Organization Control Type 2 was achieved after several months of comprehensive auditing conducted by BDO. The audit focused on the security controls, access management systems, and staking infrastructure of Marinade Finance ( MNDE ). It also included a review of the protocol's validator operations, data confidentiality, and privacy protection. Crypto-friendly bank Custodia Bank obtained SOC 2 Type 2 certification in January 2025. SOC 2 Type 2 is a cybersecurity compliance standard established by the American Institute of CPAs. It is a compliance standard that goes beyond Type 1 certification's examination of an organization's security controls at a specific point in time. Marinade Finance earlier this year received Type I compliance certification. As for SOC 2 Type 2, the audit aims to assess an organization's operational effectiveness around relevant controls over a longer period. The main consideration is a timeframe of 6-12 months. Marinade's Chief Compliance Officer Hadley Stern stated, "As a liquid staking protocol, achieving SOC 2 Type 2 requires us to demonstrate superior operational capabilities in infrastructure that is far more complex than centralized platforms. This certification proves that blockchain protocols can meet the highest institutional security standards without compromising decentralization." In this case, obtaining SOC 2 Type 2 certification positions Marinade as a potentially excellent platform for institutional clients. The main takeaway is "operational security and compliance readiness." Certification is crucial for various organizational milestones, including institutional partnerships and regulatory approval processes. Marinade stated that obtaining SOC 2 Type 2 "paves the way for the protocol to become the primary staking platform for the highly anticipated spot Solana exchange-traded fund." "This compliance achievement is particularly important as Marinade becomes the exclusive staking provider for the upcoming U.S. Solana ETF application through our Marinade Select institutional platform. ETF providers need to demonstrate outstanding operational security and regulatory readiness—exactly what SOC 2 Type 2 compliance offers," the platform wrote. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ( SEC ) is reviewing several Solana ETF applications, and experts have recently pointed out a high likelihood of approval in the coming months. Companies choosing Marinade as a staking solution include Zodia Custody, BitGo, and Canary Capital.