# What is Lantern? Lantern is a Solana validator. It provides staking infrastructure for the Solana network and builds tools that make staking more accessible and useful for everyday users. Lantern operates a high-performance validator node and offers both native and liquid staking. When you stake SOL with Lantern, either natively or through the liquid staking token lanternSOL, your SOL helps secure the Solana network while earning staking rewards. ## lanternSOL lanternSOL is Lantern's liquid staking token. When SOL is staked through Lantern's SPL stake pool, lanternSOL is minted in return. It appreciates in value relative to SOL over time as staking rewards accrue to the pool. You can use lanternSOL across DeFi while your underlying SOL remains staked and earning rewards. ## Products Lantern builds tools on top of its staking infrastructure: * [**Wick**](https://docs.lantern.one/wick/wick) — A yield-swap protocol that lets you deposit SOL and receive staking yield in a token of your choice (USDC, USDT, CRT, HYPE, ZEC, xSOL, WBTC, EURC or USD\*). * [**Stake Manager**](https://docs.lantern.one/stake-manager/stake-manager) — A tool for managing all your Solana stake accounts in one place. Works with any validator, not just Lantern. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.lantern.one/readme.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.