In the rapidly evolving landscape of blockchain technology, innovation is essential for overcoming traditional limitations. Josie Leung, COO and co-founder of MilkyWay, is leading the charge in the modular blockchain ecosystem. In this engaging interview, Leung shares her insights on liquid staking and restaking, which promise to revolutionize scalability and decentralization. MilkyWay stands as a key player for developers and users, providing a seamless staking experience while addressing pressing challenges such as security and capital efficiency. Leung discusses the inspirations behind MilkyWay and how it is set to redefine security and growth for blockchain networks. In this Q&A, Leung articulates her vision for the next phase of blockchain evolution, where restaking becomes a pivotal element in creating a secure and interconnected blockchain environment. MilkyWay, as the largest liquid staking and restaking protocol, enables users to earn rewards while keeping their assets liquid, empowering projects to launch without the burden of building independent validator infrastructures. -- Ed.
What is MilkyWay and how does it fit into the modular blockchain ecosystem?
MilkyWay is the first and largest liquid staking and restaking protocol designed specifically for modular blockchains. We simplify staking by bringing everything into one platform—boosting liquidity, security, and scalability. Our goal is to make things easier for both builders and users, helping networks scale efficiently while giving stakers seamless access to yield opportunities.
By combining staking and restaking in a single system, we ensure that modular blockchains receive the security and validator support they need without the usual capital inefficiencies.
What fundamental challenges do modular blockchains address, and how will they shape the next phase of blockchain development?
Modular blockchains improve scalability by breaking up execution, settlement, and data availability. However, this also brings new challenges—such as security, validator coordination, and liquidity—all essential for network growth.
MilkyWay helps solve these issues by simplifying validator onboarding, improving capital efficiency with liquid restaking, and providing secure, scalable solutions for the modular ecosystem. By reducing friction, we make it easier for modular blockchains to grow and reach their full potential.
Why are liquid staking and restaking game-changers for blockchain scalability and decentralization?
Traditional staking locks up assets, limiting liquidity and making it harder for users to participate. Liquid staking changes this by allowing users to stake while keeping their assets accessible, resulting in more inclusive and efficient network security.
Restaking takes it a step further—allowing staked assets to secure multiple networks simultaneously. This boosts security, improves capital efficiency, and strengthens decentralization without requiring more locked funds. MilkyWay’s approach ensures that security is dynamically allocated across the ecosystem, optimizing the staking economy for both users and developers.
What are the biggest challenges in blockchain security?
One of the biggest challenges in blockchain security is capital inefficiency. Networks need to attract enough stake to remain secure, but this often leads to fragmented security models. Smaller networks struggle to compete for validators, while larger ones may end up with idle capital that isn’t used effectively.
MilkyWay addresses this with restaking, allowing validators to secure multiple networks using the same capital. This makes security more efficient and flexible, helping projects grow without requiring massive staking commitments. For users, this translates to better yields and more flexibility—your assets can be restaked across multiple protocols while remaining liquid through liquid staking derivatives.
What inspired you to develop MilkyWay’s restaking solution? How does it aim to address the limitations of traditional staking mechanisms?
I started MilkyWay with my co-founders, JayB and Joon. We had all worked together previously and realized that modular blockchain networks were struggling with validator acquisition and fragmented liquidity. Traditional staking mechanisms require projects to bootstrap security independently, which can drastically slow down adoption and innovation.
MilkyWay’s restaking solution was designed to change this by creating a unified security model where networks can tap into shared validator resources instead of competing for them in isolation. This allows projects to launch with high-level security from day one while ensuring that validators and stakers maximize capital efficiency.
How does MilkyWay’s approach to restaking differ from other emerging solutions in the space?
Many protocols are currently experimenting with restaking. MilkyWay distinguishes itself by being uniquely focused on the modular blockchain ecosystem and optimizing specifically for modular stacks. This ensures that data availability layers, rollups, and execution layers can seamlessly integrate with our protocol.
We also combine liquid staking with restaking, offering maximum flexibility and ease for users. Stakers can secure multiple networks while maintaining access to their liquidity via liquid staking tokens, providing a level of flexibility that is often lacking in traditional restaking solutions.
Looking ahead, what role do you see restaking playing in the evolution of blockchain security and decentralization?
As more networks emerge in the modular space, security cannot remain locked into individual chains—it must become more fluid and adaptable. Restaking needs to enable networks to dynamically borrow security, allowing decentralization and scalability to evolve hand in hand. At MilkyWay, we are building the foundation for composable security, where both users and networks can benefit from capital-efficient security models without compromising on decentralization.
