Stake and Delegate
We recommend using Keplr Wallet for staking and interacting with various blockchains at the Cosmos Networks. It is usable with all IBC assets including Cosmos, Terra, Cronos, Osmosis, Juno and more. It is also Compatible with Ledger hardware wallet for enhanced security.
What is staking?
Staking is the process of locking up a digital asset ($ATOM in the case of the Cosmos Hub) to provide economic security for a public blockchain.
What is a delegator?
People that cannot or do not want to operate validator nodes can still participate in the staking process as delegators. Delegators stake their $ATOM to a validator.
Delegators can and are expected to actively participate in governance. A delegator's voting power is proportional to the size of their bonded stake.
How to choose a good validator?
Perform careful due diligence on validators before delegating. If a validator misbehaves, part of their total stake, which includes the stake of their delegators, can be slashed. Delegators should therefore carefully select validators they think will behave correctly.
Actively monitor their validator after having delegated. Delegators should ensure that the validators they delegate to behave correctly, meaning that they have good uptime, do not double sign or get compromised, and participate in governance. They should also monitor the commission rate that is applied. If a delegator is not satisfied with its validator, they can unbond or switch to another validator.
Participate in governance. Delegators can and are expected to actively participate in governance. A delegator's voting power is proportional to the size of their bonded stake. If a delegator does not vote, they will inherit the vote of their validator(s). If they do vote, they override the vote of their validator(s). Delegators therefore act as a counterbalance to their validators.
How to stake your token (Cosmos) and become a Delegator?
Get $ATOM from Crypto exchanges
Transfer your $ATOM to Keplr Wallet
On Keplr Extension, choose your chain preference
Click on Stake
Find/Choose a Validator - Click on Manage
Enter the amount of token you want to stake - Click Delegate
How to undelegate/redelegate? When can I get my ATOMS back?
On your Keplr Wallet;
Click on [Re-Delegate] to change your validator. You can do this immediately the first time, then you must wait 21 days before re-delegate again.
Choose [Undelegate] to remove your ATOMS from staking. During the 21 days of un-bonding, you will not be able to manage your tokens or gain staking rewards. Once you start the un-bonding you can’t interrupt it.
Please note that to successfully complete the operations mentioned above, you must have in your [Available Balance] enough ATOMS to cover the transaction fee, so pay attention to always keep a minimum of funds not staked (0.1 ATOMS is enough).
How to claim my staking rewards?
On your Keplr Wallet, click [Claim] button on the dashboard.
Where to check validators information?
You can use cosmos block explorer like mintscan.io or ping.pub to check information on validators.
What is the APR rate for staking?
The number of APR may vary depending on the inflation rate and total bonded tokens.
You can check the exact APR for staking on Keplr wallet.
What is the commission for staking?
It varies between validators, normally around 5-10%.
Can we vote as stakers?
Yes! By staking you are helping to secure the Cosmos ecosystem, and you are eligible to earn rewards and vote for governance proposal. If you do not use your vote, then your part will be represented by your validator.
Can we get airdrops by staking tokens in Cosmos?
Of course! Make sure to stake your tokens via a non-custodial wallet, like Keplr. But please note that every airdrop has its own rules and requirements, therefore please do your own research and make sure that you check all the requirements closely.
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