How to Delegate

TL;DR

Pick a validator, send a delegate transaction, earn rewards. Delegations are minimum 1 ASE and unbond after a 14-day window. You share rewards with the validator pro-rata, and you share slashes with them pro-rata — pick carefully. For the mechanics see Delegation.

Picking a validator

Pull up the validator list on the explorer and consider:

• Uptime. Missed-block history is the single best predictor of slashing risk. Anything non-zero over a long window is a yellow flag.
• Commission. Capped at 20%, but plenty run at 5–10%. Higher commission isn't inherently bad if the operator is high-quality.
• Stake concentration. Delegating to an already-huge validator reinforces centralization. Spreading delegations across smaller validators is better for the chain.
• Operator identity. Self-identified operators with track record are safer than anonymous ones — if something breaks, you have someone accountable.

Delegating from a wallet

Both the Chrome extension and the desktop app have a Stake / Delegate tab. Pick a validator from the list, enter an amount, approve the transaction. Rewards start accruing in the next block.

Delegating from the CLI

See the full CLI Reference for all validator-related commands.

Switching validators

Use redelegate to move stake from one validator to another without going through the full unbonding window. Each delegation can be redelegated once per unbonding period — the limit exists to prevent rapid hop-the-attacker behaviour.

Unbonding

To withdraw entirely, submit undelegate. Your stake enters a 14-day unbonding period where it no longer earns rewards but is still slashable for offenses the validator commits during that window.

At the end of the window the stake returns to your spendable balance.

The risk you take on

• Slashing. If your validator double-signs, ~5% of your delegated stake is burned along with theirs. Downtime slashes are smaller.
• Commission changes. Validators can raise commission up to the cap with 24 hours notice. Monitor or set a reminder to re-evaluate quarterly.
• Opportunity cost during unbond. 14 days earning nothing if you change your mind.

For the full slashing story see Slashing.