Bifrost is an app chain, and it works just like any other dApp built on top of Astar L1 (the teams behind handles the operation). From what I remember, the Bifrost team handles the liquid staking part — that’s actually the main reason the protocol exists in the DOT ecosystem.
Unless I’ve missed something recently, I think that’s still the case. It’s been a little while since I last caught up with what’s going on in Bifrost and DOT.
I know the answer pretty well because I spent a few days digging into it.. (also a few months back)
But to actually prove that it’s truly decentralized is almost impossible to obtain..
In the end I called it the “Jose rabbit hole” and didn’t decide to stake..
But if we’re all experts here on liquid staking then I would still like to be proven otherwise 
It’s actually kinda crazy that everyone here is defending the “jose rabbit hole”
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I’m not defending any particular rabbit here, LOL.
But from what I see, all the positive onchain activity so far has come from the existing liquid staking dApps — and yes, this is DeFi, so there will always be risks.
I totally get that you’re trying to mitigate those risks, and maybe even propose that the Astar Foundation take responsibility for wrapping, unwrapping, and maintaining the LST pools.
That could actually be something to propose to the Astar Financial Community — I just thought of that as I was typing this reply! The committee could even consider launching its own liquid staking dApp — generating fees and benefits directly for the treasury. It might be an idea worth discussing with the council once it’s elected!
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This would be a great idea, mainly because the product would be maintained directly by the AFC, helping us avoid third-party dependency when it comes to providing this service.
The challenge here lies in the development and maintenance of the project. Right now, this isn’t part of the team’s roadmap or vision, and it would involve a high cost — not just in terms of development, but also in time.
In my opinion, the best solution is for this service to continue being offered by third-party teams that are already part of our ecosystem (Neemo, Astake, Bifrost, etc.). The focus should be on promoting those projects that are doing a solid job within Astar & Soneium.
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