What Is Tezos Staking?
Tezos uses Liquid Proof-of-Stake, where validators (called bakers) create blocks and earn rewards. Unlike many blockchains, Tezos lets you participate without locking your tokens.
There are two ways to earn staking rewards:
Delegation
~3%
Keep full custody. No lockup. Point your XTZ at a baker and earn passively. Baker takes a small fee.
Direct Staking
~9%
Stake directly with a baker for higher rewards. XTZ is locked during staking with a short unstaking period.
How To Start Staking
- Get a wallet — Temple, Kukai, or Umami all support delegation
- Get XTZ — Buy on any major exchange and transfer to your wallet
- Choose a baker — Pick from 250+ active bakers based on reliability and fees
- Delegate — One click in your wallet. Rewards start after ~3 cycles (~3 days)
- Optional: Direct stake — For higher APY, stake directly with a baker that accepts external stakers
Live Staking Statistics
Issuance Rate
—
Protocol + active LB
Staking Ratio
~50%
Total Staked
—
Total Delegated
—
APY is dynamic — it adjusts based on the TzKT-reported total staked XTZ and delegated participation network-wide.
Delegation vs Direct Staking
| Delegation | Direct Staking | |
|---|---|---|
| APY | ~3% | ~9% |
| Minimum | None | None (baker sets limit) |
| Lockup | None — fully liquid | Short unstaking period |
| Custody | You keep your keys | You keep your keys |
| Slashing risk | None | Minimal (shared with baker) |
| Baker fee | ~5-10% | ~5-10% |
Why Stake on Tezos?
- Self-amending — The protocol upgrades itself through on-chain governance. No hard forks since launch in 2018.
- Liquid delegation — Your XTZ are never locked when delegating. Transfer anytime.
- Low barrier — No minimum to delegate. Run a baker with 6,000 XTZ.
- Energy efficient — Proof-of-stake since day one. Negligible energy per transaction.
- Battle-tested — 2,700+ days live. 21+ protocol upgrades. Zero downtime.