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Introducing Delegated Staking on Aptos

Aptos Delegated Staking poster artwork
A User-Friendly Way to Earn Rewards While Contributing to Network Health

tl;dr:

  • Delegated staking is a new feature that makes staking more accessible and user-friendly on the Aptos network.

  • With delegated staking, users can delegate their staking power to a trusted validator and earn rewards without becoming a validator themselves.

  • Delegated staking offers increased accessibility, flexibility, and self custody to end‑users.

  • Users can stake APT directly in the Aptos Explorer or choose from several staking interfaces created by our partners.

Breaking Down Barriers to Decentralization

As part of our ongoing effort to emphasize decentralization, Aptos now offers delegated staking - enabling a more inclusive and accessible network. Users can now participate in staking with as little as 11 APT, as the minimum staking requirement has been lowered.

Delegated staking increases participation in the network by allowing multiple wallets to collectively stake APT on a trusted validator node, eliminating the need for individual wallets to meet the 1M APT threshold. With a minimum of 11 APT, any wallet can now contribute to the combined staking amount, fostering greater decentralization and active validator set participation. This approach empowers more users to stake and earn rewards while enhancing the network's overall health and stability.

The Benefits of Delegated Staking

Delegated staking offers three big benefits to end users:

  1. Increased accessibility:  Users can now participate in staking with as little as 11 APT, as the minimum staking requirement has been lowered.

  2. Flexibility: Users can choose to delegate their staking power to a validator of their choice, allowing them to support validators they trust and align with their values.

  3. Self Custody: Delegated staking ensures that token holders continue to hold ownership of their APT in their own wallets, and do not have to resort to off-chain methods of funds aggregation. More participants contributing to staking on the Aptos network also help maintain the blockchain infrastructure and ensure that the network is secure.

How to Participate

Users can stake APT directly in Aptos Explorer or choose from a couple of staking interfaces created by our partners. 

In Wallet Staking:

Staking Portals:

Each platform makes staking easy and accessible, allowing users to choose to delegate their staking power to a validator directly. Learn more about how to stake on each platform through the accompanying user guides. 

A Community Effort with Bware Labs

In a collaborative effort to advance decentralization, Aptos Foundation has teamed up with Bware Labs, a long-standing validator partner since the testnet phase. To explore Bware Labs' contributions and joint work on the smart contract, refer to their in-depth blog post.

Aptos Foundation appreciates the commitment and involvement of its dedicated community, like Bware Labs, in fostering the network's decentralization. For those who share this passion and are interested in running a validator node, the Foundation Delegation Program is a great opportunity. By participating, accepted node operators will receive token delegations from the Aptos Foundation, further promoting decentralization within the network.

For the Community, By the Community

The Aptos Improvement Proposal for delegated staking was proposed and implemented by Bware Labs and has received great feedback from the community. It has now been enabled through an on-chain governance proposal. We welcome ecosystem partners to develop applications around delegated staking or propose other contributions to the network.

Thank you to @jillxuuu, @michshur, @wintertoro, @movekevinapt, @bowen_aptos from the Aptos Labs team for your development contributions.

Delegated staking is a significant step forward in our mission to create a more efficient and secure decentralized network. We invite all Aptos users to take advantage of this exciting new feature and earn rewards for securing Aptos. Let's stake together!

Any questions we didn’t answer? Check out our FAQ for more information at the top of the Explorer page!

To stay up to date on more network wins, sign up for our Aptos Wrapped email newsletter series and follow us on Aptos’ Twitter and YouTube for the latest network and ecosystem updates.

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