What is staking on Dusk?
Staking on Dusk means committing DUSK to the network's proof-of-stake consensus. Staked DUSK is what selects provisioners, the nodes that propose and validate blocks, and provisioners receive DUSK rewards for the work. The minimum stake is 1,000 DUSK.
A proof-of-stake network depends on participants who have committed something to it. On Dusk, staking secures the network by selecting provisioners to propose and validate blocks. The consensus protocol is permissionless, so anyone who meets the minimum can take part.
How does staking on Dusk work?
A stake does not count from the moment it is submitted. It activates at the epoch boundary after the next one, roughly 1 to 2 epochs after submission, which is normally about 6 to 12 hours. An epoch is 2,160 blocks.
Stake added on top of an active stake is split. 90% becomes active and 10% is locked. Locked stake still belongs to its owner but does not take part in consensus.
Rewards are not fixed. They depend on how much a provisioner takes part in consensus and on the size of its stake relative to the total active stake. Each block reward is made up of newly emitted DUSK plus the block's transaction fees, and it is split like this:
| Share | Recipient |
|---|---|
| 70% | The block generator |
| Up to 10% | The block generator, tied to the credits in the block's certificate. Any undistributed part is burned |
| 10% | The Dusk development fund |
| 5% | The validation committee |
| 5% | The ratification committee |
The emitted part comes from a fixed schedule of 500 million DUSK over 36 years, with the emission halving every four years. The DUSK token page shows the full schedule.
Unstaking has no protocol waiting period after a successful unstaking transaction. A stake can be withdrawn in full or in part, as long as a partial unstake leaves at least 1,000 DUSK staked. Withdrawing rewards is a separate wallet action.
A provisioner that fails to take part can be penalized. Its eligibility can be suspended and part of its active stake can move to locked stake. Locked stake remains owned and can be unstaked, and restaking starts a new activation period.
There are two ways to stake:
| Route | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Run a provisioner | Operate a Dusk node and stake to it yourself |
| Use a service or pool | A third-party service or onchain pool stakes without requiring you to operate a node |
Hyperstaking lets smart contracts take part in staking, which is what enables onchain staking pools and other programmable staking logic. The Dusk docs advise evaluating any provider independently before depositing.
Staking feeds Succinct Attestation, the consensus protocol of DuskDS. Dusk's Apps & Products page lists the Dusk wallets and the node software.
Common questions about DUSK staking
What is the minimum stake on Dusk?
1,000 DUSK. A partial unstake has to leave at least 1,000 DUSK staked.
How long does a stake take to become active?
A new stake activates at the epoch boundary after the next one, roughly 1 to 2 epochs after it is submitted. That is normally about 6 to 12 hours. An epoch is 2,160 blocks.
Is there a waiting period to unstake DUSK?
No. There is no protocol waiting period after a successful unstaking transaction. Withdrawing rewards is a separate wallet action.
Do I need to run a node to stake DUSK?
No. You can run your own provisioner node, or use a third-party service or an onchain pool that stakes without requiring you to operate a node. The Dusk docs advise evaluating any provider independently before depositing.