Staker FAQ
Getting started
What's the actual difference between the two pools?
No-risk staking never takes a loss from firm activity and pays less. is real collateral behind trader payouts, can take a mutualized loss if drawn on, and pays meaningfully more. See Staking economics.
Can I split my stake across both pools?
Yes, they're independent positions; nothing requires committing entirely to one.
Do I need to pick one firm, or can I stake across several?
You can stake behind as many firms as you'd like, each firm's pools are entirely separate positions with their own yield and their own risk.
Is there a minimum to stake?
That's set per firm, not a single protocol-wide number. Check the specific firm's staking page.
Risk & safety
Can I actually lose money in backstop staking?
Yes. If a firm draws on its backstop pool to cover a payout, that loss is mutualized across every staker in the pool proportionally. This is real risk capital, not a savings product with a yield attached.
Can I lose money in no-risk staking?
No, by design. It's never drawn on to cover a trader payout, so it doesn't carry that exposure.
What stops a firm from draining the backstop pool overnight?
A daily cap on total outflow across all stakers, cooldowns that get longer the larger your share of the pool and the more stressed the firm currently is, and a freeze during any active firm-wide stress event. See Staking economics for the full mechanics.
If I want to withdraw, how long does it actually take?
It depends on the firm's current health and how large your position is relative to the pool, from as little as a few days at a healthy firm to meaningfully longer at a stressed one. There's no way to withdraw instantly regardless of conditions, that delay is the point.
What happens to my stake if the firm goes bankrupt?
Bankruptcy is gated on paying every trader in full first (see Operator risk & lifecycle); backstop capital already drawn on before that point is already reflected in your position's losses, it isn't separately seized on top of that.
Yield & returns
Is the yield a fixed APR?
No. It's a share of real evaluation revenue relative to how much is staked, so it moves with how much a firm is actually selling. Don't treat any single number as guaranteed going forward.
Why does backstop staking pay more than no-risk staking?
Because it's the pool actually standing behind trader payouts. It carries real downside doesn't, and it's priced accordingly. See Staking economics.
Do I earn anything besides yield?
Backstop stakers additionally earn daily airdrop points, a benefit no-risk staking doesn't carry.
What do I actually get paid in?
Both pools pay out in the firm's own token, delivered directly to your wallet.