Lit Protocol
Lit Protocol provides decentralized key management and confidential compute infrastructure built on threshold cryptography and TEE hardware, serving Web3 developers building wallets, DeFi applications, onchain games, and autonomous AI agents.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Lit Protocol does
Lit Protocol operates a decentralized key management and confidential compute network designed to give developers programmable signing, encryption, and compute primitives without centralized custody. Its core stack combines threshold cryptography with Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) running on AMD-SEV-SNP hardware, providing hardware-rooted attestation for distributed key operations. On top of this base, the company ships the Lit Actions SDK, Vincent Agent Wallets, Vincent Yield, Vincent DCA, a Python SDK, and Event Listener tooling, enabling developers to build both consumer-grade wallets and autonomous AI agent workflows that can transact onchain.
The platform reports $400M+ in assets secured across 1.6M+ wallets, $422M+ in annualized usage volume as of October 2025, and 45% MoM growth in signing requests, with 100+ projects and 7,000+ Vincent Agent Wallets built on top. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, is incorporated in Delaware, and operates with a team of 11-50 employees. Funding to date totals approximately $34M across multiple rounds, including a $17.7M pre-TGE round in October 2025, and the LITKEY token launched in late October 2025 to support network incentives and governance.
Lit Protocol monetizes through a usage-based credit model priced at $0.01 per second of compute, supplemented by package and enterprise pricing tiers. Its go-to-market targets Web3 developers across DeFi, onchain gaming, and increasingly AI agent applications, with named integrations including TreasureDAO, Beacon Protocol, Tria, Genius Bridge, and several gaming startups. The V1 'Naga' mainnet launched in January 2026 and the V3 'Chipotle' release in early 2026 expanded support for AI agent and HTTP-native workflows, positioning the protocol as a coordination layer for autonomous onchain activity.
Lit Protocol firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lit Protocol
- Legal name
- Lit Association
- Website
- https://litprotocol.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Lit Protocol provides decentralized key management and confidential compute infrastructure built on threshold cryptography and TEE hardware, serving Web3 developers building wallets, DeFi applications, onchain games, and autonomous AI agents.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lit Protocol industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Decentralized Key Management Infrastructure
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320), Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621)
- SIC
- Communications Services, Nec (4899)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Confidential Computing & Hardware-backed Protection (TEE/HSM) (HDADAFAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Authentication & Access Control (Web3 login, SIWE, passkeys, MFA, policy engines) (FSAPACAI), Secrets Management (Passwords, API Keys, Tokens) (HDADAFAD)
Keywords
Where Lit Protocol is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Lit Protocol business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Credit-based API usage: Pre-purchased credits consumed per second of API usage. Management operations (create/update/delete groups, wallets, actions) and Lit Action execution both cost $0.01 per second. No subscriptions, no per-seat fees, no charges for read-only operations.
- Credit packages: One-time purchase credit packages: Starter ($5/500 credits), Basic ($10/1000), Standard ($25/2500), Pro ($50/5000). All packages are one-time purchases with no expiry.
- LITKEY token payments: Native token accepted for credit purchases with 25% discount vs credit card pricing. Token paid directly on-chain on Base mainnet.
- Enterprise pricing: Custom enterprise contracts for higher volume needs with dedicated support and custom terms.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Starter - 500 credits for $5.00 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Basic - 1,000 credits for $10.00 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard - 2,500 credits for $25.00 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pro - 5,000 credits for $50.00 |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | LITKEY token payment - 25% discount |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Enterprise - Custom pricing |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels7 records
Lit Protocol product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lit Protocol is a decentralized cryptography network that provides programmable encryption and key management via Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs). Developers write JavaScript Lit Actions that run inside hardware enclaves, read any API or chain, apply user-defined policy, and sign transactions across EVM, Solana, Bitcoin, and Cosmos. Keys are generated and used only inside sealed TEEs with no operator extraction possible, and signing authority is bound to on-chain policy on Base via content-addressed CIDs.
Product overview
Lit Protocol is a decentralized cryptography and key management network that provides programmable encryption, threshold signing, and immutable compute across multiple blockchains. The core platform (Lit Protocol) runs code in Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) where keys sign only when user-defined policies pass, with no operator key extraction possible. The product portfolio is anchored by the Lit Actions SDK (JavaScript for writing TEE-hosted policy logic) and the Agent Wallet (Vincent), which enables AI agents to interact with DeFi under user-governed, on-chain guardrails. Supporting products include Vincent Yield (automated yield), Vincent DCA (automated swaps), the Python SDK, a threshold ECDSA co-signer (DKLs23), a threshold FROST co-signer, and the Event Listener for event-driven execution. The ecosystem is unified by the $LITKEY token for governance and fee payments, and the Chipotle branding for the v3 execution layer. The network secures over $400M in assets across 1.6M+ wallets spanning EVM chains (Base, Arbitrum, etc.), Solana, Bitcoin, and Cosmos.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Vincent: An open source automation platform and agent wallet framework secured by Lit Protocol, enabling developers to build powerful automations and AI agents with decentralized key management.
- Chipotle
- Spark
Products and services
- Lit Protocol (Core Network) A decentralized cryptography network for programmable encryption and key management. Code runs in TEEs, reads any data source, applies policy-based logic, and signs transactions on any blockchain. Non-custodial with no operator key extraction possible. Supports EVM, Solana, Bitcoin, and Cosmos. Powers $400M+ in secured assets across 1.6M+ wallets. Built for developers integrating autonomous signing into applications.
- Lit Actions SDK (JavaScript) JavaScript SDK for writing Lit Actions — code that runs inside the network's TEE, reads off-chain HTTP APIs and on-chain state, evaluates policy, and signs/broadcasts transactions. Actions are deployed to IPFS and referenced by content-addressed CIDs. Supports WASM modules and ethers.js v5. Built for developers building signing logic into applications.
- Python SDK Python SDK enabling Python developers to integrate Lit's key management, signing, and encryption capabilities into their applications.
- Vincent (Agent Wallet & App Store Framework) An open-source agent wallet and app store framework for user-owned DeFi automation. Provides AI agents and apps with non-custodial, policy-governed wallets secured by Lit Protocol's decentralized key management. Enables delegation of specific on-chain actions with spending limits and precise permissions, addressing the trust gap between users and AI agents. Integrates with the Eliza agent framework and Treasure Development Kit.
- Vincent Yield A non-custodial DeFi automation app built on Vincent that automates yield strategies across chains using agent wallets secured by Lit Protocol, enabling automated yield claims and strategy execution without users surrendering control of assets.
- Vincent DCA Non-custodial Dollar Cost Averaging automation built for the Vincent ecosystem. Enables automated, policy-gated token swaps on Aerodrome (Base) with on-chain guardrails governed by Lit Protocol.
- Threshold ECDSA Co-Signer (DKLs23) Non-custodial co-signing using threshold ECDSA (DKLs23 protocol via Silence Laboratories' WASM, audited by Trail of Bits). Signing key is split 2-of-3 across Lit, a hot share, and a cold recovery share. Lit cannot produce a signature without the user co-signing; full key is never assembled. Supports recovery via hot + cold entirely client-side without Lit.
- Threshold FROST Co-Signer Non-custodial co-signing using FROST distributed key generation (Kudelski-audited lit-frost + frost-dkg libraries, run in WASM inside TEE). 2-of-3 split across Lit, hot share, and cold recovery share. Supports Ed25519 (Solana), secp256k1 Taproot (Bitcoin), RedDSA (Zcash), Schnorrkel/sr25519 (Polkadot), and other Schnorr signature schemes.
- Event Listener An event-driven execution framework consisting of a Lit Protocol event listener server and SDK package. Enables developers to trigger Lit Actions based on on-chain events, powering use cases such as chain signatures and reactive cross-chain workflows.
- Lit V3 (Chipotle Network) Lit Protocol V3 (Chipotle) — a signing, encryption, and immutable compute network representing a ground-up rebuild of how Lit Actions work. Designed for AI agents and HTTP-native workflows with improved speed and cost efficiency. Supersedes the earlier Naga network.
Quantifiable outcome
- $400M+ in assets secured on the network
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Lit Protocol
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Lit Protocol technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability6 records
Feature9 records
Lit Protocol partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- TreasureDAOcoreTreasureDAO's Mage platform (AI agent launchpad) collaborates with Lit Protocol to decentralize key agent components. Mage uses Lit's key management for non-custodial wallets backed by Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) in gaming and entertainment applications.
- Emblem VaultcoreEmblem Vault integrates Lit Protocol's programmable encryption to create living digital ecosystems where AI agents operate autonomously across chains. Lit's technology enables AI agents like 'Hustle' to execute complex cross-chain operations with unprecedented security.
- Beacon ProtocolcoreBeacon Protocol's private data layer makes private data accessible to AI models and agents across multiple chains, using Lit Protocol's decentralized key management to eliminate centralized keys and single points of failure.
- TriacoreTria builds intent-driven, wallet-agnostic payment primitives using Lit Protocol's programmable key management as the cryptographic trust layer for frictionless, chain-abstracted payments.
- Genius Bridge ProtocolcoreGenius Bridge Protocol uses Lit's encrypted runtime to power a universal solver for decentralized cross-VM intents without centralized relayers. Lit's programmable encryption enables non-custodial multi-wallet management, DCAs, limit orders, and stop losses.
- Vincent EcosystemcoreVincent is an open-source automation platform secured by Lit Protocol enabling developers to build non-custodial DeFi automations including Vincent Yield and Vincent DCA.
Scale indicators11 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Lit Protocol competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lit Protocol social profiles
Digital presenceLit Protocol compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Lit Protocol financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lit Protocol leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Lit Protocol funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors30 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lit Protocol M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lit Protocol
What does Lit Protocol do?
Lit Protocol is a decentralized cryptography network that provides programmable encryption and key management via Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs). Developers write JavaScript Lit Actions that run inside hardware enclaves, read any API or chain, apply user-defined policy, and sign transactions across EVM, Solana, Bitcoin, and Cosmos. Keys are generated and used only inside sealed TEEs with no operator extraction possible, and signing authority is bound to on-chain policy on Base via content-addressed CIDs.
Is Lit Protocol a public or private company?
Lit Protocol is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Lit Protocol founded?
Lit Protocol was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Lit Protocol based?
Lit Protocol is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Lit Protocol make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Credit-based API usage is the primary driver. The others are credit packages, LITKEY token payments and enterprise pricing.
Does Lit Protocol have an API?
Yes. Lit Protocol offers a public REST API exposed via the Chipotle API server for account management, Lit Action execution, attestation, billing, and configuration. The API supports two authentication modes: (1) API Mode, where a Lit-managed credential owns the account and the API key authorizes/pays for Lit Action runs, and (2) ChainSecured Mode, where the user's own wallet (SAFE or EOA on Base) owns the account and signs every write. API key scopes include: execute (invoke Lit Actions with PKPs per group), pkp:create (create new PKPs), group:create/group:delete (manage groups), group:manageActions (add/remove action CIDs per group), group:addPkp/group:removePkp (manage PKP references per group). Management and Lit Action execution are billed at $0.01 per second (1-second minimum), with standard ECDSA signatures effectively costing $0.01. Crypto payments are accepted via ETH, USDC, SOL, and other tokens through Stripe's crypto payment integration on Base mainnet, in addition to credit card via Stripe. Developer documentation is at developer.litprotocol.com.
What industry is Lit Protocol in?
Lit Protocol's product category is Decentralized Key Management Infrastructure. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDADAFAJ, Confidential Computing & Hardware-backed Protection (TEE/HSM), with a secondary code of FSAPACAI, Authentication & Access Control (Web3 login, SIWE, passkeys, MFA, policy engines). Its NAICS code is 522320 and its SIC code is 4899.