# Staking

### **Overview**

Delegate $ASTER to Aster Chain validators and earn rewards.

When staking, users make two key choices:

* Select a validator 
* Choose a lock period

These two choices determine how rewards are generated and distributed.

The basic staking flow can be summarized as:

Select a validator → Stake $ASTER → Choose a lock period → Earn epoch rewards

### **What is a Validator?**

A validator is responsible for processing transactions and producing blocks on Aster Chain.

When users stake $ASTER, they delegate their tokens to a validator. Each validator contributes differently to the network, and this performance determines the validator's total rewards.

Once the rewards are received, they are shared proportionally among delegators after deducting the validator's commission.

This design ensures validators compete based on real network contribution rather than simply attracting large amounts of stake.

### **What is the Lock Period?**

The lock period is the duration where the staked $ASTER cannot be withdrawn without penalty. It determines your Loyalty Rewards weight, and a longer lock period means greater reward weight.

The current **maximum lock duration is 208 weeks (approximately 4 years).**

### **Dual Reward Structure**

Aster Chain staking distributes rewards through two distinct layers.

<table data-header-hidden><thead><tr><th width="180.24609375"></th><th width="357.06640625"></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Reward Layer</strong></td><td><strong>Determined By</strong></td><td><strong>Weekly Reward Pool</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Base APY</td><td>Validator transaction share and your delegation size</td><td>150,000 $ASTER</td></tr><tr><td>Loyalty Rewards</td><td>Lock duration and trading activity</td><td>300,000 $ASTER</td></tr></tbody></table>

Separating these two reward streams serves two goals:

* Encouraging healthy competition between validators&#x20;
* Incentivizing long-term staking commitment&#x20;

### **Key Terms**

<table data-header-hidden><thead><tr><th width="186.45703125"></th><th></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Term</strong></td><td><strong>Description</strong></td></tr><tr><td>$ASTER</td><td>Native token used for staking, rewards, and governance</td></tr><tr><td>Validator</td><td>Validator receiving delegated stake</td></tr><tr><td>Delegation</td><td>Relationship between user and validator</td></tr><tr><td>Lock Position</td><td>The staking position tied to a lock duration</td></tr><tr><td>Epoch</td><td>Reward settlement cycle (currently weekly)</td></tr><tr><td>Base APY</td><td>Yield derived from validator performance</td></tr><tr><td>Loyalty Rewards</td><td>Additional yield based on long-term lock commitment</td></tr><tr><td>veASTER</td><td>Weight metric derived from locked ASTER and lock duration</td></tr><tr><td>Power</td><td>Loyalty reward weight calculated from veASTER and Trading Volume Boost</td></tr><tr><td>Total Power</td><td>Combined Power of all users in a given Epoch</td></tr><tr><td>Penalty</td><td>Penalty applied for exiting before the lock period ends</td></tr></tbody></table>

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