Upgrades
Kelp Core Smart Contracts Upgrade - January 2026
Goal: Kelp protocol is implementing a set of changes primarily aimed at increasing the security of the protocol, along with some new features:
Added Aave V3 integration to enable earning interest on idle ETH that’s ready for user withdrawals, but has not been withdrawn yet.
Added the functionality necessary for per-address 24-hour transfer hold and recovery in the rsETH token contract so we can quickly freeze and sweep funds from compromised or hacker addresses to custody, while keeping key partners like major DeFi protocols, exchanges and market makers permanently exempt. This lets us respond to exploits without pausing the entire token, reducing user disruption and keeping fund protection transparent on chain.
Added a new role for internal asset transfers between different contracts in the core protocol (ASSET_TRANSFER_ROLE).
Added a new role specifically for pausing the core protocol contracts individually (PAUSER_ROLE), as well as the pauseAll functionality to pause the entire protocol at once in case of an emergency.
Refactored daily minting limits for rsETH, as well as fee mint limits in LRTOracle to be aligned with each other and reset at a set time for better UX.
Removed legacy code, including legacy EigenLayer withdrawals support.
Added the ability to set the custom instant withdrawal fee recipient.
Minor code quality and documentation improvements throughout the codebase.
Importantly, no supporting changes from partners or UI are required.
Code changes:
LRTConfig: https://www.diffchecker.com/nY3d7rCk/
LRTConfigRoleChecker: https://www.diffchecker.com/qpZxCmjf/
LRTConverter: https://www.diffchecker.com/WfCGMvUM/
LRTDepositPool: https://www.diffchecker.com/B3pGhs2a/
LRTOracle: https://www.diffchecker.com/5dpUHWhc/
LRTUnstakingVault: https://www.diffchecker.com/uueiX3y8/
LRTWithdrawalManager: https://www.diffchecker.com/lhVMHR4F/
NodeDelegator: https://www.diffchecker.com/RWMJh5wV/
Network: ETH Mainnet
Audit Report: https://kerneldao.com/kelp/audits/smartcontracts/Bailsec_rsETH_december_2025.pdf Timelock: Applicable, 10-day delay Date of upgrade: 22nd Jan'26
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Kelp Core Smart Contracts Upgrade - December 2025
Goal: Kelp protocol is implementing a set of changes primarily aimed at increasing the security of the protocol, along with some new features:
Withdrawal intents and max whitelisted allowance for stETH unstaking requests.
Maximum cap in terms of rsETH minted by users per day.
Maximum cap in terms of rsETH minted as fee per day.
Safer rsETH price updates: If a price update is within bounds, it's permissionless, otherwise the protocol gets paused and the team can promptly react to help fix any possible issues before unpausing the protocol.
New feature: Instant withdrawals can be enabled and users will be able to withdraw their assets instantly with a fee. There is also a queued withdrawals buffer in place in order to not disrupt the standard withdrawal process.
Minor code quality and documentation improvements.
Importantly, no supporting changes from partners or UI are required.
Code changes:
LRTConfig: https://www.diffchecker.com/KbgBWg2R/
LRTConverter: https://www.diffchecker.com/z0uwgrk6/
LRTDepositPool: https://www.diffchecker.com/AqwEOhm5/
LRTOracle: https://www.diffchecker.com/FACh5QJf/
LRTUnstakingVault: https://www.diffchecker.com/MvgC1VAC/
LRTWithdrawalManager: https://www.diffchecker.com/HJh7xe3N/
NodeDelegator: https://www.diffchecker.com/a0L3c4B5/
UnstakeStETH: https://www.diffchecker.com/4b1ytTNf/
FeeReceiver: https://www.diffchecker.com/yePLkHDA/
Network: ETH Mainnet
Audit Report: https://kerneldao.com/kelp/audits/smartcontracts/Bailsec_rsETH_november.pdf
Timelock: Applicable, 10-day delay
Date of upgrade: 20th Dec'25
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