Lazy Summer Protocol Moves to Merkl for Reward Distribution

The Lazy Summer Protocol took a major step forward in how it distributes rewards. Starting August 15, Summer.fi officially moved SUMR reward distribution for Lazy Vaults over to Merkl, a leading rewards protocol.

This change unlocks new possibilities for vault users and pushes the Lazy Summer Protocol further into composable DeFi territory.

What is Merkl?

Merkl is a reward distribution protocol designed to help protocols, DAOs, and chains launch incentive programs that drive liquidity and engagement. To date, it has distributed over $200M in rewards across more than 150 protocols, including well-known players like Morpho.

By integrating with Merkl, Lazy Summer joins a network of protocols using one of the most battle-tested and flexible distribution systems in DeFi.

Previously, SUMR rewards were tied to staking contracts. That meant vault shares had to remain locked up, limiting their usability elsewhere. The move to Merkl changes that.

Here’s what it enables:

• Flexible vault shares – SUMR rewards remain active even when vault shares are deposited into other protocols.

• Transferability – Vault shares can now be moved around and potentially used as collateral in lending/borrowing markets.

• Advanced strategies – Users can explore strategies like yield looping, where they borrow against vault shares to re-deposit and compound yield, so long as APYs outperform borrow rates.

• Protocol growth – With TVL already above $100M and a growing user base, the upgrade lays the groundwork for new product types such as Lazy Loops (pending governance approval).

What Changes for Users?

The biggest shift is where and how SUMR claims happen:

• Claims on Base—SUMR claims are now on the Base network, SUMR’s hub chain. This makes staking and delegating easier since users won’t need to bridge rewards.

• No more block-by-block streaming— Instead, balances update every 6–8 hours.

• Multiple claim options – Users can claim via the Summer.fi Portfolio tab or directly through the Merkl dashboard here: Lazy Summer Rewards Dashboard.

Why This Matters

The move to Merkl is about efficiency and composability. By making vault shares transferable and usable beyond the Lazy Summer ecosystem, the protocol positions itself as a more integrated part of DeFi. Tokenized vault shares and expanded utility are expected to launch as early as next week, giving users even more flexibility in how they deploy their capital.

👉Read the full forum discussion here: Lazy Summer Forum Proposal