Ethereum staking is consistently popular among investors, but recently, platforms incorporating MEV-based strategies have appeared, taking staking to a new level. From the perspective of an Ethereum investor, I personally staked 1.5 ETH on ZENMEV. In this post, I’d like to share my actual experience—from connecting my wallet and confirming rewards to unstaking—along with a brief overview of what ZENMEV offers.

ZENMEV Platform Overview
ZENMEV is a next-generation staking service that leverages MEV (Maximal Extractable Value) strategies to deliver additional returns. While typical Ethereum staking involves collecting a fixed block reward and some transaction fees, ZENMEV uses AI algorithms to detect hidden MEV opportunities within each block and share those earnings with its users. The AI bot monitors block data in real time to automatically capture arbitrage and other profitable trades, distributing those proceeds to the entire staking pool right away. Thanks to this, you can benefit from advanced MEV strategies without having to manage your own MEV bot—merely deposit your assets and earn.
Another notable feature is the zETH token structure. When you deposit ETH into ZENMEV, you receive an equal amount of zETH tokens, which represent your share in the staking pool. You can swap zETH for ETH at a 1:1 ratio anytime, which means you can recover not just your original deposit but also the earnings accrued during the staking period. Consequently, you can check your zETH balance, along with the real-time accruing interest, at any time via the dashboard.

Staking Process: Wallet Connection and Deposit


From my experience, ZENMEV’s staking procedure was straightforward and user-friendly. Once I visited the official website and clicked “Connect Wallet,” MetaMask integration went through almost instantly. After selecting Ethereum and confirming that I wanted to deposit 1.5 ETH, MetaMask prompted me for transaction approval. After it was confirmed in a block, 1.5 ETH had successfully been deposited, and on the “My Asset” dashboard, it displayed 1.5 zETH in my balance.
Once the deposit was completed, I proceeded to the dashboard and in the “Type of Stake” menu, chose zETH and clicked “Add Staking.” Within about thirty minutes, I could already see interest accumulating in real time. Everything—from connecting the wallet to verifying the balance—took just a few minutes, and the interface was intuitive, with no confusing elements.

Reward Structure and Real-Time Returns


After staking my assets, the rewards showed up in real time on the dashboard. In less than a day, I saw the “Earned” balance of my zETH slightly increase. Thanks to the additional profits generated by the MEV strategy, the effective staking yield seemed higher than usual. If desired, you can immediately claim (withdraw) these rewards, and after claiming, you can stake them again for compound returns. I opted not to claim them right away because the minimum claimable amount is 0.001 zETH, while the minimum additional staking amount is 0.005 zETH. My plan is to let the interest accumulate, claim it, then re-stake it for enhanced compounding. Seeing the earnings steadily grow without any extra effort is a satisfying experience. Having such flexibility on when to claim is also quite convenient.

Tips Discovered During the Staking Process


One aspect that highlighted ZENMEV’s focus on security is that it only allows deposits of native multi-chain tokens like ETH and SOL. In my research, I found that the platform does not accept stablecoin deposits upon connecting a smart contract wallet and instead limits deposits to native multi-chain tokens. They cite security reasons for this. Interestingly, withdrawals can be made in ERC-20 USDT or ERC-20 USDC.
Given the recent volatility in the crypto market—spurred in part by U.S. customs/tariff issues—this feature has some merits. For those who want to eliminate price fluctuation risks, it’s possible to deposit Ethereum (ETH) or Solana (SOL), then swap it into USDT or USDC stablecoins using the “My Asset” swap function to stake. This is a good alternative for safeguarding your asset value from volatility while still benefiting from MEV-based returns.
Conversely, if you anticipate that Ethereum or Solana will rise further in the future, staking ETH or SOL directly (so that both principal and interest remain in the same coin) might yield higher overall returns. If prices do indeed go up, your coin holdings appreciate not only from increased quantity but also from price gains. On the other hand, if you believe ETH or SOL prices are likely to drop, you can stake by converting to stablecoins and thereby reduce your exposure to market fluctuations while still earning a certain level of interest.
Ultimately, you can decide whether to deposit native coins or switch to stablecoins based on your personal market outlook. If you’re bullish, you might stake the coins directly to capture potential price appreciation along with accrued interest. If you’d prefer to minimize risk, staking in stablecoins allows you to maintain relatively stable yields without worrying about price volatility.

ZENMEV Platform Usability and Overall Impressions
While using ZENMEV, what stood out was the platform’s convenient web UI and transparent information. The dashboard is clean and makes it easy to check both your deposit balance and real-time earnings at a glance, displaying information through graphs and figures rather than complicated terminology. Security and reliability also appear well-grounded. ZENMEV has completed a security audit for its smart contracts, confirming their stability.
Above all, I felt that sharing MEV profits—traditionally reserved for miners or block producers—with everyday users has expanded the scope of staking income models.

Conclusion
From staking 1.5 ETH on the ZENMEV platform, I found that the MEV-based revenue model integrates nicely with a user-friendly staking experience. Depositing and withdrawing funds was fast and straightforward, and the real-time reward tracking made it enjoyable to watch my balance grow automatically. Though it’s still in its early stages, I believe that if you’re a long-term Ethereum holder, there’s plenty of reason to consider ZENMEV for potentially greater earnings compared to traditional staking.