Kiln

Kiln Competitive Intelligence & Landscape

kiln.fi ·

Kiln
ForesightIQ Predictions

What is Kiln likely to do next?

ForesightIQ connects Kiln's hiring, product, web, ad, and market signals to forecast strategic moves — often months before they're announced.

Hiring signal

Senior hiring patterns point to a planned enterprise product line launching within two quarters.

High confidence · Next 1–2 quarters
Product signal

Quiet changes to docs and pricing pages signal an upcoming usage-based pricing tier and new API surface.

Likely · Next quarter
Market signal

Ad spend and partnership activity indicate a push into the mid-market segment across two new regions.

Plausible · Next 2–3 quarters
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Overview

Kiln Overview

Kiln (kiln.fi) is an institutional platform specializing in onchain assets, providing comprehensive yield management solutions for staking, DeFi, and tokenized real-world assets (RWAs). Founded in 2018, its core mission is to democratize value creation within the digital asset ecosystem by offering robust infrastructure and reporting tools.

Kiln aims to simplify and secure the deployment, management, and optimization of capital for institutions, positioning itself as a vital layer in the evolving blockchain-based financial system. Its services cater specifically to institutional clients, including custodians, ETP issuers, exchanges, and self-hosted wallet providers.

Kiln's product suite includes an Enterprise Dashboard for unified yield portfolio management, enterprise-grade Validators-as-a-Service across over 30 Proof-of-Stake (PoS) networks, and a no-code Widget solution for creating and managing earn sections. They also provide white-labeled, customizable ETH staking options, including dedicated and pooled staking, and solutions for DeFi yield monetization. Key offerings like the Connect SDK streamline staking and yield access across various protocols, while APIs for reporting and transaction crafting enhance operational efficiency.

Headquartered in Paris, France, with additional offices in London and Singapore, Kiln demonstrates a global presence to support its diverse clientele and foster international collaboration. The company has seen significant growth, expanding its team from 12 to 35

Competitors

Kiln Competitors

Kiln (kiln.fi) operates in the highly competitive blockchain technology and crypto staking sector, providing enterprise-grade staking solutions and validator services for institutional clients. One direct competitor is Figment, a prominent provider of staking infrastructure that offers similar services across various Proof-of-Stake (PoS) networks [https://tracxn.com/d/companies/kiln/__caxMDQ6dEWBPPO-PEkl5wb-NTmsq7NFJl6x9NgChlnM]. While both companies focus on institutional staking, Kiln emphasizes its comprehensive enterprise yield portfolio management platform and diverse yield sources across 30+ PoS networks, including DeFi strategies [https://leadiq.com/c/kiln/5c126efc1f00001cc32611d4].

Figment similarly provides a broad range of staking options and developer tools, making them close rivals in attracting institutional capital for on-chain asset management.

Another significant competitor in the blockchain infrastructure space is iExec, a venture capital-backed company specializing in decentralized cloud computing [https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/231156-19]. While Kiln focuses on staking and yield generation for on-chain assets, iExec's offerings are geared towards providing decentralized computing resources, which can indirectly compete for developer and enterprise attention in the broader blockchain ecosystem.

Kiln's advantage lies in its specialized focus on Validators-as-a-Service and whitelabel staking solutions, catering specifically to institutions looking to integrate staking functionality [https://fprimecapital.com/company/kiln/].

Moralis is another venture capital-backed competitor, based in Stockholm, Sweden, that offers a suite of Web3 development tools [https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/231156-19]. Their platform simplifies the process of building dApps, providing APIs and SDKs for various blockchain functionalities. In contrast to Kiln's core offering of staking and yield management, Moralis's market positioning is more aligned with empowering developers to build on-chain applications. However, Kiln's Connect SDK and Reporting API also aim to simplify integration for developers, demonstrating some overlap in catering to the technical needs of the crypto industry.

Chain, another venture capital-backed entity, operates within the blockchain space, though its specific offerings can vary [https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/231156-19]. General blockchain infrastructure providers like Chain may offer services that intersect with Kiln's focus on enterprise-grade solutions. However, Kiln distinguishes itself with its dedicated Open-source Restaking dApp, Monarq-powered market-neutral BTC yield, and a specialized DeFi OmniVault for bespoke yield strategies, indicating a more targeted approach to institutional yield generation and asset management [https://kiln.fi/].

Alternatives

Kiln Alternatives

Product & Pricing

Kiln Product and Pricing Intelligence

Kiln (kiln.fi) provides an institutional layer for onchain assets, offering a suite of products designed for staking, DeFi yield management, and seamless integration. Their platform focuses on providing market-neutral BTC yield, enterprise-grade Validators-as-a-Service across 30+ Proof-of-Stake (PoS) networks, and comprehensive DeFi solutions. A key offering is their Dedicated Validators product, facilitating deposits of 32+ ETH for institutional ETH staking, underpinned by audited smart contracts. This solution is non-custodial, ensuring users retain full control over their funds while Kiln manages the validator infrastructure, including optional OFAC-compliant relayers. They also offer a Staking Pool for amounts less than 32 ETH and a Liquid Staking Pool for native staking via custom liquid staking tokens, catering to diverse institutional needs.

For enterprise clients, Kiln offers an Enterprise Dashboard for comprehensive yield portfolio management and a Connect SDK to unify staking, yields, and other functionalities across protocols. Their Widget provides a no-code solution for creating and managing earn sections, while their Onchain product offers white-labeled, customizable ETH staking, including dedicated or pooled options with or without a Liquid Staking Token (LST).

Kiln also provides robust APIs: the Reporting API delivers real-time, all-network staking data for exchanges and custodians, and the Transaction Crafting API simplifies staking and unstaking transactions across major PoS chains through a unified interface that integrates with existing custody solutions like Fireblocks, Copper, and Ledger.

While specific pricing plans and tiers are not explicitly detailed on the public-facing sections, the emphasis on “lowest fees” for their dApp suggests a competitive fee structure for direct ETH (re)staking. The availability of a "Request a demo" option for their Validators-as-a-Service and enterprise solutions indicates a tailored pricing approach for institutional clients, likely involving custom quotes based on volume and specific service requirements.

Kiln positions itself as a full-stack service provider, implying that pricing structures would encompass the infrastructure, reporting, and integration support required by large-scale institutions such as custodians, ETP issuers, exchanges, and wallets. There is no information provided about free versus paid features or recent pricing changes.

Hiring & Layoffs

Kiln Hiring and Layoffs

Kiln (kiln.fi) demonstrates a consistent growth trajectory, actively expanding its team across various departments and locations. The company emphasizes a "fast-paced, no-bureaucracy, product-first" culture and is "hiring across all roles" [kiln.fi/about]. This commitment to growth is evidenced by numerous high-profile hires, including Robert L. as Head of Research (May 5, 2025), Carlos A. as VP of Sales – Americas (March 19, 2025), Dan B. as VP of Special Projects (February 18, 2025), and Vincent K. as new Head of Security (December 6, 2024) [kiln.fi/, kiln.fi/contact, kiln.fi/post/kiln-welcomes-carlos-a-as-vp-of-sales---americas]. These strategic appointments highlight Kiln's focus on strengthening its leadership and expanding its market reach, particularly in the Americas.

The current job openings at Kiln reflect a strategic push in key areas. As of the latest information, there are six open positions listed [kiln.fi/careers]. These roles span across GTM (Go-To-Market), Customer Support, and Sales, with specific listings such as Customer Support Specialist (SaaS & API) and Sales Development Representative. The locations for these roles are primarily London (onsite) and Paris (remote France), indicating a targeted hiring approach for customer-facing and growth-oriented positions within their European hubs [kiln.fi/careers, kiln.fi/dev-page].

Kiln's hiring patterns signal a strong commitment to scaling its operations and enhancing its customer-facing capabilities. The company is particularly interested in individuals who can contribute to creating value for digital assets [kiln.fi/careers]. While no information about recent layoffs is available, the continuous stream of new hires and the emphasis on a robust interview process overseen by Myriam, who manages sourcing, hiring, and onboarding, underscore a healthy and expanding workforce [kiln.fi/interview-process]. This steady recruitment, coupled with the establishment of Kiln Ventures to fuel "onchain innovation" [kiln.fi/], reinforces Kiln's strategic intent to solidify its position as an institutional layer for onchain assets and expand its offerings in the DeFi and staking sectors.

Leadership

Kiln Management and Leadership Team

The leadership team at Kiln (kiln.fi) is spearheaded by its co-founders, with Laszlo Szabo serving as the CEO and Ernest Oppetit as the CPO [kiln.fi/careers].

Thomas de Lachaux is also a co-founder and the COO [kiln.fi/careers].

Laszlo Szabo is officially listed as the Publication Director for KILN SAS, the simplified joint-stock company operating Kiln [kiln.fi/legal].

Kiln has seen several key leadership appointments to bolster its operations and strategic initiatives. In March 2025, Carlos A. was welcomed as the VP of Sales – Americas [kiln.fi/post/kiln-welcomes-carlos-a-as-vp-of-sales---americas], and in May 2025, Robert L. joined as the Head of Research [kiln.fi/post/kiln-welcomes-robert-le-as-head-of-research]. The company also brought in Vincent K. as the new Head of Security, who previously served as Director of Security Engineering & Digital Asset Security at Blockdaemon [kiln.fi/post/kiln-welcomes-vincent-k-as-new-head-of-security].

Further strengthening its team, Kiln appointed Duncan Hoffman as VP Revenue [kiln.fi/kiln-welcomes-duncan-hoffman-as-vp-revenue]. The company's internal structure also includes Kevin as Head of Engineering, Marie as Head of Marketing, Michel as Software Manager, and Durim as Senior Customer Success Manager [kiln.fi/careers].

Myriam Bouclier (referred to as Myriam in some instances) is the Talent Acquisition Manager, playing a crucial role in overseeing candidate processes from sourcing to onboarding [kiln.fi/careers, kiln.fi/interview-process, kiln.fi/post/2022-retrospective-a-look-back-at-a-great-year-at-kiln].

Financials

Kiln Financial Performance, Fundraising, M&A

Kiln (kiln.fi) is a prominent institutional layer for onchain assets, specializing in staking and DeFi yield generation. The company has demonstrated robust financial health through significant fundraising activities. As of January 2024, Kiln successfully closed a $17 million new funding round led by 1kx [https://www.kiln.fi/post/announcing-our-17m-fundraise-to-power-our-global-expansion]. This latest round contributed to a total of $35 million raised in funding [https://www.kiln.fi/careers], affirming investor confidence in its enterprise-grade staking and DeFi solutions. These capital injections are crucial for Kiln's global expansion and continued development of its comprehensive onchain infrastructure.

Kiln has been powering yield since 2018 [https://kiln.fi/] and manages over $11 billion in digital assets [https://www.kiln.fi/post/stake-your-favorite-digital-assets-on-bitso----powered-by-kiln]. This substantial volume highlights its strong market position and the trust institutions place in its platform. The company's financial performance is bolstered by its ability to help hundreds of institutions deploy, manage, and optimize capital across staking, DeFi, and Real-World Assets (RWAs) seamlessly and securely [https://kiln.fi/]. Kiln also emphasizes zero slashing events and a robust track record of delivering industry-leading rewards, further securing its financial standing and client base [https://www.kiln.fi/post/stake-your-favorite-digital-assets-on-bitso----powered-by-kiln].

While specific revenue figures are not publicly disclosed, Kiln's business model focuses on generating revenue by helping clients add yield components, retain capital, and scale their own revenue through its full-stack infrastructure and reporting [https://kiln.fi/]. The company's Kiln Ventures initiative also plays a role in its broader financial strategy by backing entrepreneurs building the onchain future through strategic investments in high-conviction projects [https://kiln.fi/ventures]. This approach supports the expansion of protocol ecosystems and decentralized applications, aligning with Kiln's mission to democratize value creation in the digital assets ecosystem [https://kiln.fi/about].

Partnerships

Kiln Partnerships, Clients and Vendors

Kiln (kiln.fi) has established a robust network of partnerships and integrations, solidifying its position as a leading institutional layer for onchain assets. The company collaborates with numerous custody platforms to facilitate staking, including prominent names like Anchorage, BitGo, Coinbase Custody/Prime, Copper, Finoa, Fireblocks, Ledger Enterprise, and Zodia Custody [https://docs.kiln.fi/integrations/custody-platforms]. These integrations allow a broad spectrum of institutional clients to securely access staking services through their existing custody solutions. Notable collaborations include Kiln partnering with Balance, Canada’s largest digital asset custodian, to expand Ethereum staking opportunities [https://www.kiln.fi/post/kiln-partners-with-balance-canadas-largest-digital-asset-custodian], and joining the Fireblocks partner network to offer enterprise-grade staking natively within Fireblocks' products for its 1,300+ clients [https://kiln.fi/post/kiln-and-fireblocks-team-up-to-offer-enterprise-grade-staking-on-pos-blockchains].

Kiln extends its reach through strategic alliances with other key players in the digital asset space. The company has partnered with Zodia Custody to provide institutional staking services for assets like TON and other major Proof-of-Stake (PoS) assets [https://www.kiln.fi/post/kiln-and-zodia-custody-partner-to-offer-institutional-staking-on-ton-and-other-major-pos-blockchains]. Furthermore, Kiln and OSL, the first SFC-licensed digital asset platform in Hong Kong, teamed up to offer enterprise-grade ETH staking with native integration into OSL's custody platform [https://www.kiln.fi/post/kiln-and-osl-partner-to-offer-enterprise-grade-eth-staking]. These partnerships underscore Kiln's commitment to providing secure and accessible staking solutions across diverse regulatory environments and client bases.

Several enterprise clients leverage Kiln's technology to enhance their offerings and manage digital asset portfolios.

Flowdesk, for example, runs its own validators via the Kiln Staking Dashboard and integrates Kiln's white-label solutions for treasury management and staking [https://kiln.fi/customers-story/flowdesk].

Dakota, a crypto-powered bank for businesses, partnered with Kiln to offer enhanced DeFi and staking rewards to its customers [https://www.kiln.fi/post/dakota-partners-with-kiln-to-offer-enhanced-defi-and-staking-rewards-for-business-treasuries]. In early 2024, Trust became a Kiln Onchain integrator, allowing its users to benefit from ETH staking rewards, resulting in significant deposits into their staking pool [https://kiln.fi/customers-story/trust].

Kiln also powers Safe's launch of SG-FORGE Euro stablecoin yield [https://www.kiln.fi/].

Beyond direct client relationships, Kiln actively participates in the broader blockchain ecosystem. The company has joined Lido v3 as a node operator [https://www.kiln.fi/] and offers market-neutral BTC yield powered by Monarq [https://www.kiln.fi/].

CoinShares is notable as the first asset manager building onchain strategies on Railnet, Kiln's new yield infrastructure [https://www.kiln.fi/]. These diverse collaborations highlight Kiln's role in enabling institutional participation in various aspects of the decentralized finance landscape, from staking and yield generation to treasury management and infrastructure development.

Events

Kiln Event Participations

Kiln (kiln.fi) actively participates in and hosts a variety of events, solidifying its presence as an institutional layer for onchain assets. The company organizes its signature Kiln Rendez-Vous events biannually in Paris, drawing industry leaders for discussions and networking. These gatherings, such as the Kiln Rendez-Vous PBW'25 and the BTC Staking Rendez-Vous, offer deep dives into critical topics like Bitcoin staking and provide opportunities for attendees to engage directly with Kiln experts and other innovators.

Beyond its proprietary events, Kiln engages with the broader crypto community by participating in major conferences and panels worldwide. Notable appearances include panels at Zebu Live, DeFAI & Restaking Day, and the Crossroads Day 1 Livestream from Istanbul 2025. They also contribute to discussions at events like the Staking Summit 2024, where they address how node operator standards drive institutional adoption of staking. Their involvement extends to upcoming events like the Stablecoin Conference.

Kiln also provides valuable insights through a series of webinars. Recent examples include sessions on the Pectra upgrade, offering an exclusive first look and live demos of validator consolidation, and the "New Era of Onchain Yield" webinar, discussing sustainable DeFi yields. These webinars feature Kiln experts, sometimes alongside insights from organizations like the Ethereum Foundation, and are often made available as recordings for broader access, demonstrating Kiln's commitment to educating the ecosystem on crucial developments and optimizing staking efficiency.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Kiln's recent hiring pattern suggest about their strategic direction and market focus?

Kiln's recent hiring, including a VP of Sales for the Americas and a Head of Research in early 2025, signals a dual focus on expanding its market reach geographically and strengthening its analytical capabilities in digital assets. New roles in GTM, customer support, and sales further indicate a strategic push to scale operations and enhance customer-facing services, particularly in its European hubs.

What does Kiln's $17 million funding round in January 2024, contributing to a total of $35 million raised, indicate about investor confidence?

Kiln's successful $17 million funding round in January 2024, led by 1kx, bringing total funding to $35 million, signifies strong investor confidence in its enterprise-grade staking and DeFi solutions. This capital is earmarked for global expansion and ongoing development of its onchain infrastructure, validating its market position and growth trajectory.

What do Kiln's events, such as the Kiln Rendez-Vous series and participation in industry conferences, reveal about its market strategy?

Kiln's active participation in events like the Kiln Rendez-Vous and major conferences demonstrates a multi-faceted market strategy focused on thought leadership, ecosystem education, and direct engagement with institutional clients. These events facilitate deep dives into topics like Bitcoin staking and validator standards, positioning Kiln as an authority and an institutional layer for onchain assets.

How do Kiln's leadership appointments, like the new VP of Sales for the Americas and Head of Security, reflect their evolving priorities?

Kiln's leadership appointments, specifically Carlos A. as VP of Sales for the Americas and Vincent K. as Head of Security, underscore evolving priorities toward aggressive market expansion and enhanced institutional-grade security. The sales leadership aims to capture new growth in a critical region, while the security hire, coming from Blockdaemon, reinforces commitment to safeguarding institutional digital assets.

How does Kiln differentiate itself from competitors like Figment and Blockdaemon in the institutional staking market?

Kiln differentiates itself by emphasizing its comprehensive enterprise yield portfolio management platform and diverse yield sources across over 30 PoS networks, including DeFi strategies. While competitors like Figment and Blockdaemon offer robust staking infrastructure, Kiln highlights its open-source contributions, extensive API connectivity for reporting and transaction crafting, and specialized solutions like its Open-source Restaking dApp and DeFi OmniVault for bespoke yield strategies, offering greater customization and integration flexibility.

What is the significance of Kiln managing over $11 billion in digital assets?

Kiln managing over $11 billion in digital assets signifies its strong market position and the high level of trust institutions place in its platform for staking and DeFi yield generation. This substantial volume indicates its capability to handle significant capital for hundreds of institutional clients, deploying and optimizing assets across various onchain strategies with a track record of zero slashing events.

What do Kiln's partnerships with custody platforms like Fireblocks and Zodia Custody signal about their target market and integration strategy?

Kiln's extensive partnerships with leading custody platforms such as Fireblocks, Coinbase Prime, and Zodia Custody clearly signal a strategic focus on institutional clients and a robust integration strategy. These collaborations enable secure, enterprise-grade staking services to be natively accessible within existing custody solutions, facilitating broader institutional adoption of onchain assets and yield generation.

How does Kiln's product suite, including Validators-as-a-Service and the Connect SDK, cater to institutional needs?

Kiln's product suite, featuring enterprise-grade Validators-as-a-Service, a DeFi portfolio dashboard, and the Connect SDK, is designed to meet comprehensive institutional needs by simplifying and securing onchain asset management. These offerings provide unified yield portfolio management, streamlined access to staking and DeFi yields across protocols, and robust APIs for reporting and transaction crafting, integrating seamlessly with existing institutional custody solutions.

What is the strategic implication of Kiln's Kiln Ventures initiative?

The Kiln Ventures initiative strategically positions Kiln to foster and capitalize on onchain innovation by backing promising entrepreneurs and projects. This venture aligns with Kiln's mission to democratize value creation in the digital assets ecosystem, extending its influence beyond direct service provision to actively shape and expand the underlying protocol ecosystems and decentralized applications.

How does Kiln address institutional concerns regarding security and compliance for staking services?

Kiln addresses institutional concerns for security and compliance through its non-custodial Dedicated Validators product, which leverages audited smart contracts and offers optional OFAC-compliant relayers. The company also emphasizes a track record of zero slashing events, SOC 2 Type II compliance, and the appointment of a new Head of Security, reinforcing its commitment to enterprise-grade security and regulatory adherence.

What does Kiln's engagement with entities like Lido v3 and Monarq suggest about its involvement in the broader DeFi ecosystem?

Kiln's engagement as a node operator for Lido v3 and its offering of market-neutral BTC yield powered by Monarq indicate its deep and strategic involvement in the broader DeFi ecosystem. These activities show Kiln's commitment to participating in key decentralized protocols and expanding its yield generation offerings beyond traditional staking, catering to diverse institutional investment strategies.

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