Sommelier on strategy transparency
8.0/ 30% of the score
Vault mandates are published, but rebalancing decisions are computed off-chain by a separate validator network rather than by an on-chain strategy contract.
Best Yield Aggregators · Rank 07 of 8
Sommelier review
Actively managed strategies with off-chain computation
Last verified August 17, 20264 scored axes
Score7.7
Self-reported only
The short answer
Sommelier scores 7.7 out of 10 and ranks #7 of 8 in the best yield aggregators table, strongest on strategy transparency (8.0) and weakest on fees (7.4).
Uses an off-chain validator network to compute strategy rebalances that would be too expensive on-chain, which enables genuinely active management. It also means trusting a separate chain's validator set with your rebalancing.
Key facts on record
- Launched
- 2022
- Model
- Off-chain computed strategies
- Chain
- Ethereum
What the record shows
4 axes, weighted as published in the table’s methodology. Each score below is read from the fact printed under it.
Sommelier on security record
7.6/ 30% of the score
In production since 2022 with published audits and no exploit on record.
Sommelier on yield durability
7.6/ 20% of the score
Quoted yields have included incentive components, disclosed per vault.
Sommelier on fees
7.4/ 20% of the score
Management and performance fees published per vault.
Quick answers
- What is Sommelier best for?
- Actively managed strategies with off-chain computation. Uses an off-chain validator network to compute strategy rebalances that would be too expensive on-chain, which enables genuinely active management.
- Where does Sommelier rank among best yield aggregators?
- #7 of 8, scoring 7.7 out of 10 — self-reported only on our band scale.
- What is the weakest part of Sommelier?
- Fees at 7.4. Management and performance fees published per vault.
Strengths and weaknesses
In its favour
- Enables active strategies impossible to run purely on-chain
- Published strategy mandates per vault
- Professional strategy providers rather than anonymous developers
Against it
- Rebalancing depends on an external validator network
- Fee load is high relative to realised returns
Active management, on-chain custody
Rebalancing decisions that would be prohibitively expensive to compute on-chain are produced by a separate validator network and then executed against the vault. It enables strategies no purely on-chain manager can run, and the mandates are published per vault.
The dependency that comes with it
Your rebalancing depends on that external network behaving correctly and remaining available. It is a genuine trust assumption, disclosed rather than hidden, and it is the reason this protocol scores below managers whose logic lives entirely in the contracts holding the funds.
Fees against realised return
Management and performance fees are published per vault, and quoted yields have included incentive components disclosed per vault. Netting the fee load against what the strategies actually delivered is the calculation to do before depositing.
Who it suits
Depositors who specifically want active management rather than a mechanical strategy, and who accept an off-chain component in exchange.
The calculation to run
Fee load against realised return over a full cycle, not a quoted APY. Active management has to beat a mechanical strategy by more than its fees to be worth the extra trust assumption, and that is a high bar.
Who it is for
Depositors who want an actively managed position on-chain and understand that the manager's computation happens off it.
What to read
The vault's published mandate, which states what the strategy is allowed to do — the constraint that matters when conditions change.
Frequently asked questions
How does Sommelier work?+
Strategy mandates are published per vault and rebalancing decisions are computed by a separate validator network, then executed against the vault's on-chain positions.
What is the main risk with Sommelier?+
Its rebalancing depends on an external validator network rather than on logic inside the vault contracts. The protocol discloses this; it is a broader trust surface than a purely on-chain manager.
Has Sommelier been exploited?+
No exploit appears on its record since launching in 2022, and its audits are published.
How Sommelier compares
8 services in best yield aggregators
- 01Convex FinanceAnyone providing liquidity on Curve8.8
- 02Yearn FinanceThe most transparent vault manager in DeFi8.8
- 03Aura FinanceBalancer liquidity providers8.5
- 04Beefy FinanceMulti-chain auto-compounding across many small ecosystems8.4
- 05Origin ProtocolSet-and-forget yield-bearing stablecoin exposure8.3
- 06Idle FinanceTranched exposure where risk is explicitly split7.8
- 07Sommelieryou are hereActively managed strategies with off-chain computation7.7
- 08Harvest FinanceLong-tail farm auto-compounding7.5