Staking

Staking simply stands for holding a cryptocurrency in a wallet for a fixed period, then earning interest on it. The reward you earn from staking varies depending on the length of time you hold it. The longer the stake duration, the higher your returns. It’s similar to a fixed deposit in the traditional banking system which rewards you with a defined interest at the end of a pre-decided period.

What you will learn: hide
1. How Staking Works?
2. What is a staking pool?
3. Benefits of Staking:
4. What Do You Need To Start Staking?

How Staking Works?

On a Proof of Stake blockchain, staking is the process the wallet uses to validate transactions and award the node that adds a new block of transactions to the blockchain. In Proof of Stake protocol, the distribution of chances of validating and adding the block is directly proportional to the funds a node hold in their wallets More the funds in your wallet, the more the chance you will get to add the block, more you will receive the rewards. For example, if A has 20% of the stake, B has 31%, C has 18%, D has 9%, and E has 22%, and there are 100 blocks to create, A will create 20 blocks., B – 31, C – 18, D – 9, and E –22.
The order of the opportunity provided to them to generate 1st to 100th block will be entirely
Random.

 

What is a staking pool?

Staking pools are formed with similar intentions to those behind mining pools. Nodes form mining pools to increase their chances of earning the rewards and distribute on a pro-rata basis among the pooled network based on the contribution a user has made in the pool. When several coin-holders pool their resources to increase their chances of validating blocks and receiving rewards, the merged portfolio is called a staking pool. Pool providers charge a fee as a percentage of the staking rewards distributed to participants.

Nodes are responsible for the overall governance of a Proof of Stake Blockchain. Staking systems can also allow delegation in which each individual delegates their voting rights to a trusted party. Those delegates then earn all the rewards for block validation and pay their loyal supporters some form of dividends in return for their vote. This is possible in the blockchains with the Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) consensus mechanism.

Staking has proven to be one of the easiest ways of earning passive incomes. Staking draws its similarities with master nodes but they are not the same. Masternodes require a hefty initial investment in coins in almost all cases. They also perform additional functions and get regular rewards from the network. In Staking, you can begin with a small amount. However, a minimum amount should be kept as your stake to qualify your investments for earning the rewards.

Benefits of Staking:

  • One of the major benefits for staking coins is that it removes the need for continuously purchasing expensive hardware and consuming energy.
  • The system offers guaranteed returns and a predictable source of income, unlike the proof-of-work system where coins are rewarded through a random process with low probability.

 

What Do You Need To Start Staking?

First of all, you need to dedicate a PC will be online almost all the time in order for you to get the most bang for your buck. He will increase your chances substantially for earning rewards during the process. The PC will need to have a wallet installed on it, which depends on your choice of cryptocurrency and its network. Different coins have different core wallets and only they can be used for staking cryptocurrency. Each of them requires proper setup and configuration in order to ensure the staking protocols to run smoothly.

To become a part of a staking pool or earn passive income benefits from the staking services available at various cryptocurrency exchanges, you just need to send your funds to an assigned wallet which is acting as a node in the PoS blockchain. Pools always carry an inherent risk that users might get cheated or receive smaller rewards. For this reason, it is advisable to do thorough research and ensure full transparency before sending funds to a wallet. Exchanges can still be more reliable than pools but they charge an over-the-top fee to provide staking services.