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PoS Staking Overview

This guide focuses on the practical aspects of staking CFX in Conflux's PoS mechanism. For technical details about how PoS works in Conflux, please refer to our PoS Technical Overview.

Benefits of Staking​

By participating in PoS staking, you can:

  • Earn rewards (current annual rate: 10%-14%)
  • Help secure the Conflux network
  • Participate in network consensus

For detailed information about reward calculations, see the Annual Return Rate Calculation Method.

To understand why Conflux implements PoS alongside PoW, check Why PoS.

Staking Lock-up Period​

CFX staked into PoS has a lock-up period with the following specific rules:

  1. After staking CFX, there is a 13-day lock-up period during which the CFX status is staking.
  2. After 13 days, the CFX status changes to staked.
  3. If a user wants to retrieve their CFX, they must first perform an unstake operation, at which point the CFX status changes to unstaking, lasting for 1 day.
  4. After 1 day of the unstaking period, the CFX status changes to unstaked.
  5. At this point, the user can perform a withdraw operation, and the CFX will be returned to their Conflux account.

For CFX that has not yet completed the lock-up period, an unstake operation can still be performed. However, in this case, the unstaking period will be extended to 14 days minus the number of days already staked.

For detailed examples and edge cases, see our Staking Lock-up Examples.

How to Participate in PoS​

There are two main ways to participate in PoS staking:

1. Solo Staking​

Run your own validator node with complete control over your staking operations. Best for technically proficient users with significant CFX holdings.

Requirements:

  • Technical knowledge to run a node
  • Minimum 1,000 CFX per vote, and higher for stable PoS rewards
  • Ability to maintain 24/7 node operation

👉 Detailed Solo Validator Guide

2. Stake Through a PoS Pool​

Join a staking pool to participate without running your own node. Ideal for most users who want to stake without technical overhead.

Benefits:

  • No technical knowledge required
  • Lower minimum stake amount
  • Professional node operation

👉 Available PoS Pools List

For those interested in running a PoS Pool, see our Pool Operator Guide.

Understanding Staking Risks​

Before staking, it's important to understand the potential risks:

1. Force Retire​

Occurs when a validator node is offline for extended periods. Results in:

  • Automatic unstaking
  • 24-hour penalty period
  • No loss of principal

For detailed information about force retire causes and recovery, see Penalties and Slashing.

2. Slashing​

Severe penalty for malicious behavior, resulting in permanent loss of staked CFX. Learn more in our Slashing Documentation.

Additional Resources​