Staking
Maximize your SOL holdings by participating in Solana’s Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanism. N.0.M.A.D makes staking simple, secure, and profitable with our integrated staking platform.
What is Staking?
Staking is the process of delegating your SOL tokens to validators who help secure the Solana network. In return, you earn staking rewards proportional to your stake amount.
Your staked SOL helps secure the Solana blockchain by supporting validator operations
Receive passive income through staking rewards, typically 5-8% APY
Participate in network governance and validator selection decisions
How Staking Works
The Staking Process
- Choose Validator
Select from our curated list of high-performance validators
- Delegate SOL
Delegate your SOL tokens to your chosen validator
- Earn Rewards
Receive staking rewards distributed every epoch (~2 days)
- Compound Growth
Rewards are automatically restaked to maximize returns
Key Concepts
Epochs
Duration: ~2 days (432,000 slots)
• Staking rewards are distributed at the end of each epoch • Delegations become active after 1-2 epochs • Undelegations have a cooldown period of 1 epoch
Validators
Network Operators
• Run nodes that process transactions and secure the network • Commission rates typically range from 5-10% • Performance affects your staking rewards • Can be delinquent or miss blocks
Rewards
Passive Income
• Based on network inflation and validator performance • Distributed automatically to your stake account • Compound automatically unless manually withdrawn • Subject to validator commission fees
Slashing
Risk Management
• Currently not implemented on Solana mainnet • Future updates may introduce slashing for malicious behavior • Choose reputable validators to minimize risk
Getting Started with Staking
Minimum Requirements
Minimum Stake: 0.01 SOL
• Perfect for beginners • Low entry barrier • Same rewards rate as large stakes • Ideal for learning the process
Recommended: 1+ SOL
• Better reward accumulation • Account for network fees • Multiple validator diversification • Meaningful passive income
Large Stakes: 100+ SOL
• Consider running your own validator • Direct validator relationships • Institutional staking services • Custom staking strategies
Stake Your SOL
- Open Staking Tab
Navigate to the staking section in your N.0.M.A.D wallet
- Choose Amount
Enter the amount of SOL you want to stake (keep some for fees)
- Select Validator
Pick a validator from our recommended list or browse all options
- Confirm Transaction
Review details and sign the delegation transaction
- Wait for Activation
Your stake becomes active after 1-2 epochs (~2-4 days)
Validator Selection
How to Choose a Validator
Key Indicators
• Uptime percentage (aim for >95%) • Vote credits and skip rate • Commission rate (5-10% typical) • Historical performance data
Trust Factors
• Identity verification status • Team background and experience • Community reputation • Geographic distribution
Cost Analysis
• Commission rate (validator fee) • Fee changes and history • Performance vs. cost ratio • Additional services offered
Decentralization
• Stake concentration • Data center diversity • Client software version • Network contribution
N.0.M.A.D Validator Recommendations
We carefully curate validators based on performance, security, and network contribution:
🏆 Top Performers
High-Performance Validators
• Consistent 99%+ uptime • Low commission rates (5-7%) • Excellent block production • Strong community reputation
🆕 Rising Stars
Promising New Validators
• Recent network additions • Competitive commission rates • Strong technical teams • Good for diversification
🌍 Geographic Diversity
Global Network Support
• Validators from different regions • Reduced concentration risk • Support network decentralization • Various timezone coverage
🔧 Specialized Services
Additional Features
• MEV rewards sharing • Advanced monitoring tools • Staking-as-a-Service options • Custom delegation strategies
Staking Rewards
Reward Calculation
Your staking rewards depend on several factors:
Network Inflation: ~8% annually
• Total network inflation rate • Distributed to all stakers • Decreases over time per tokenomics • Subject to network participation
Performance Impact
• Vote credits earned per epoch • Blocks produced successfully • Network participation rate • Uptime and reliability
Validator Costs
• Commission rate (typically 5-10%) • Deducted from gross rewards • Funds validator operations • Varies by validator
Expected Returns
Conservative Estimate
5-6% APY
• After validator commission • Assumes average performance • Accounts for network changes • Realistic long-term expectation
Optimal Performance
7-8% APY
• Top-performing validators • Minimal downtime • Low commission rates • Optimal staking conditions
Risk Factors
Potential Reductions
• Validator downtime or poor performance • High commission rates • Network parameter changes • Slashing (future implementation)
Managing Your Stakes
Portfolio Overview
View your total staked SOL across all validators
Track cumulative and recent staking rewards
Monitor validator performance and stake health
Stake Management Actions
Increase Your Stakes
• Add more SOL to existing stakes • Delegate to additional validators • Diversify across multiple validators • Compound your rewards
Switch Validators
• Move stakes between validators • No cooldown period • Effective next epoch • Optimize for performance
Claim Earnings
• Withdraw accumulated rewards • Leave principal staked • Available immediately • No waiting period
Deactivate Stakes
• Begin unstaking process • ~2 day cooldown period • Stops earning rewards • Returns to wallet balance
Unstaking Process
How to Unstake
- Initiate Unstaking
Select the stake account and amount to deactivate
- Confirm Transaction
Sign the deactivation transaction
- Cooldown Period
Wait for the current epoch to end (~1-2 days)
- Withdraw Funds
Transfer unstaked SOL back to your wallet
Important Considerations
⏱️ Timing
Cooldown Period
• Stakes become inactive at the end of the current epoch • Can take 1-2 days depending on timing • No rewards earned during cooldown • Cannot be cancelled once initiated
💰 Rewards
Final Rewards
• Earn rewards until epoch end • Final reward distribution included • No partial epoch rewards • Available after deactivation
🔄 Partial Unstaking
Split Stakes
• Can unstake partial amounts • Creates new stake accounts • Remaining stake continues earning • Flexible withdrawal options
Advanced Staking Features
Multi-Validator Staking
Diversify your staking across multiple validators for better risk management:
Spread the Risk
• Reduce validator-specific risks • Maintain rewards if one validator struggles • Support network decentralization • Balance performance and safety
Maximize Returns
• Compare validator performance • Automatically rebalance stakes • Compound rewards efficiently • Monitor and adjust strategies
Automated Staking
Automatic Reinvestment
• Rewards automatically restaked • Maximize compound growth • No manual intervention required • Optimal for long-term holders
Smart Allocation
• Maintain optimal validator mix • Respond to performance changes • Rebalance based on criteria • Advanced portfolio management
Timed Operations
• Schedule stake/unstake operations • Optimize for network conditions • Dollar-cost averaging strategies • Event-driven stake management
Staking Analytics
Performance Tracking
Track your staking rewards over time with detailed charts and analytics
Calculate potential returns based on stake amount and validator selection
Analyze your staking portfolio distribution and performance metrics
Reporting Tools
Compliance Ready
• Export staking rewards for tax filing • Detailed transaction history • Cost basis calculations • Integration with tax software
Regular Updates
• Weekly/monthly performance summaries • Validator comparison reports • Reward projections • Portfolio recommendations
Advanced Insights
• Custom date ranges and filters • Validator-specific analysis • Historical performance trends • Risk assessment metrics
Staking Best Practices
Spread Your Stakes
Don’t put all stakes with one validator - diversify across 3-5 top performers
Stay Informed
Regularly check validator performance and adjust if necessary
Reserve SOL
Keep some SOL unstaked for transaction fees and opportunities
Patient Approach
Staking works best as a long-term strategy - avoid frequent changes
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
Stake Not Earning Rewards
Possible Causes:
• Stake still activating (wait 1-2 epochs) • Validator experiencing downtime • Recent delegation or redelegation • Check validator performance metrics
Cannot Unstake
Check These Items:
• Ensure stake is fully activated • Account for transaction fees • Verify stake account ownership • Wait for any pending operations to complete
Lower Than Expected Rewards
Review Factors:
• Validator commission rate • Validator performance and uptime • Network participation rate • Recent validator changes
Pro Tip: Start with small amounts to learn the staking process, then gradually increase your stakes as you become more comfortable with the mechanics and validator selection.
Important: Always keep some SOL unstaked in your wallet to pay for transaction fees. Staked SOL cannot be used for fees.