Cronos POS Chain is a proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchain network and CRO Staking for everyday users is enabled via delegated-proof-of-stake (DPoS) consensus protocol.
Users can delegate their native CRO tokens to a trusted Validator. Validators run nodes to validate transactions on the Cronos POS Chain network and in return earn block rewards in CRO, which are then distributed to the Delegators after taking a Validator commission.
Please note that Cronos POS Chain Staking requires staking native CRO on Cronos POS Chain Mainnet instead of ERC20 CRO on Ethereum network. Learn more about the difference between native CRO and ERC20 CRO here.
How can I get native CRO ready for staking CRO?
Via Crypto.com App and Exchange (Centralized wallet users):
Suitable for CRO holders who prefer an easy way to perform the migration
Once you have registered an account, you can deposit your ERC20 CRO from an external wallet or buy CRO with fiat, credit/debit cards, or trade CRO with other cryptos
Choose to withdraw CRO as native CRO on Cronos POS Chain by selecting the default [CRO] option instead of [ERC20]
Via DeFi Wallet (Decentralized wallet users):
Suitable for non-custodial wallet users (support 12/18/24-word recovery phrase wallet import from other non-custodial wallets)
When depositing native CRO to your DeFi Wallet, please double-check your sending wallet or make sure that the sender is using native CRO on Cronos POS Chain
Alternatively, if you only have ERC20 CRO, you may easily migrate your ERC20 CRO to native CRO with our in-app CRO Migration tool and then perform the staking on DeFi Earn.
Via Cronos POS Chain migration web tool (Other advanced decentralized users):
Suitable for advanced non-custodial wallet users (support MetaMask or Ledger wallet connection)
This process involves more complicated steps to perform the migration manually as you might need to generate the native CRO wallet address, so it is recommended for advanced users only.
What are the platforms I can stake CRO?
Via DeFi Wallet
Simple UI flow via DeFi Earn for staking, claiming rewards, claim to restake, unstaking, and redelegation
The DeFi Wallet App supports the option to choose among our whitelisted validators for staking and redelegation (change delegation from existing validator to another validator)
Read on to find out more about the step-by-step process
An open-source beta version of Cronos POS Chain Desktop Wallet
The desktop beta wallet supports basic sending and CRO staking operations on Mainnet and Croeseid Testnet, including the option to choose any CRO validators for staking and redelegation
A command-line interface wallet client. It supports all the wallet operations including management, funds transfer, and staking operations, including the option to choose any CRO validators for staking and redelegation
Is there any minimum stake requirement or term for CRO Staking?
There is no minimum stake requirement for CRO and you can stake/unstake anytime, please beware that when you unstake your CRO, it will undergo the 28-day unbonding period as enforced by the Cronos POS Chain (similar to other DPOS chains like Cosmos, Polkadot). During this period, your unbonding balance will not accrue any block rewards.
What are the rewards for staking CRO?
For active participants of the Cronos POS Chain network during the initial launch phase, the target annual return is set to be as high as ~20% with an estimated 500M CRO in yearly rewards to be distributed. 5 billion CRO has been allocated for distribution as rewards over the next 10 years.
Rewards are being generated and distributed every block (every 5-6 seconds). Therefore, the reward will be ready for you for every block being generated.
Please note that the annual reward rate is just an estimated rate and the actual amount is subject to network conditions including average block time etc.
How do I start earning and stake my CRO on DeFi Wallet?
Tap [Earn] on the bottom navigation of your DeFi Wallet app
Tap [Start Earning] or [Earn More] to see the list of tokens supported for earning
Select CRO and enter the stake amount to see the projected annual earning based on the latest estimated annual reward %
Tap on the “To Validator” dropdown to choose another validator from our whitelisted validator list (we recommend not to stake to a validator with an existing voting power of >15%)
Review and confirm the staking by tapping [Confirm Stake]
Authorize the staking request with your passcode (and 2FA if enabled)
Wait for the on-chain confirmation of your staking request
Once confirmed, you will see the refreshed CRO staking assets on your DeFi Earn screen
Please note that every time when you increase your stake with the same validator, your reward balance will be automatically claimed into your wallet and your CRO reward balance will start to accrue every block after the staking request is confirmed on-chain.
What happens after I stake my CRO and how do I understand my staking assets?
You will see your CRO staking assets on your DeFi Earn screen. Tap on your CRO assets to navigate to the Cronos POS Chain Staking details screen for a more detailed breakdown of your staking-related balances.
Balance | Description |
Staked Balance | Total CRO amount that is staked with the Validator |
Unbonding Balance | Total CRO amount that is undergoing the 28-day unbonding period after the unstake request is confirmed
Note: Your unbonding balance will be automatically moved to your available balance in CRO wallet after the unbonding period is over |
Reward Balance | Total CRO reward amount available for you to claim
Note: Every time when you increase your stake with the same validator, your reward balance will be automatically claimed into your wallet |
How do I claim my CRO staking rewards?
You can claim your CRO rewards anytime
Tap [Earn] on the bottom navigation of your DeFi Wallet app
Tap on your CRO assets to navigate to the Cronos POS Chain Staking details screen
Tap [Claim Rewards] under the corresponding Validator
You will see the 2 options to either [Claim to Wallet] or [Claim to Restake]
Review and confirm the claim reward request by tapping [Confirm]
Authorize the claim reward request with your passcode (and 2FA if enabled)
Wait for the on-chain confirmation of your claim reward request
Once confirmed, you will see the refreshed CRO staking assets on your DeFi Earn screen and receive the rewards into your CRO wallet’s available balance for [Claim to Wallet] option
How do I unstake my CRO?
You can unstake your CRO delegation anytime
Tap [Earn] on the bottom navigation of your DeFi Wallet app
Tap on your CRO assets to navigate to Cronos POS Chain Staking details screen
Tap [...] > [Unstake] for the corresponding Validator’s delegation
Enter the unstake amount
Review and confirm the unstake request by tapping [Confirm Unstake]
Authorize the unstake request with your passcode (and 2FA if enabled)
Wait for the on-chain confirmation of your unstake request
Once confirmed, you will see the refreshed CRO staking assets on your DeFi Earn screen and your unstaked balance will be moved into the “Unbonding Balance” and undergo the 28-day unbonding period
You can view your unbonding countdown via [...] > [View Unbonding Details] for when your unstaked amount is available in your CRO wallet for usage
After completing the 28-day unbonding period, the CRO balance will be added back into your CRO wallet automatically.
Note: Once you unstake your CRO, all unreceived rewards will be deposited into your wallet automatically.
How do I redelegate my CRO to a different validator?
You can redelegate your existing delegations - change stake from one validator to another without undergoing the 28-day unbonding period
Tap [Earn] on the bottom navigation of your Cronos POS Chain Staking details screen
Tap [...] > [Switch Validator] CTA
Enter the amount that you want to switch from the existing validator to another validator
Tap on the “To Validator” dropdown to choose another validator from our whitelisted validator list (we recommend not to stake to a validator with an existing voting power of >15%)
Review and confirm the switch validator (redelegate) request by tapping [Confirm Switch Validator] Please note that you cannot redelegate any CROs on the receiving validator for 28 days afterward as enforced by the Cronos POS Chain to prevent “redelegation hopping” within a short period of time
Authorize the switch validator (redelegate) request with your passcode (and 2FA if enabled)
Wait for the on-chain confirmation of your request
Once confirmed, you will see the staking delegation change to the new validator
Please note that every time when you redelegate your CRO from the existing validator to another validator, your reward balance with the existing validator will be automatically claimed into your wallet.
What does the 28-day unbonding period mean?
Your unstaked CRO will be available to you after a 28-day unbonding period, as enforced by the Cronos POS Chain. This is to protect against a Validator attacking the Cronos POS Chain and then immediately withdrawing the stake amount.
Why did my unstake request fail?
If you unstake more than 7 times in a 28-day period from the same validator, your 8th unstake request during this 28-day period will fail. You must wait for one of the previous unbonding balances to finish the 28-day countdown. You may check your current unbonding details via [Earn] > [CRO] > [...] > [View Unbonding Details].
How can I choose which validator to stake to or redelegate my CRO to a different validator?
Please note that the DeFi Wallet app only supports staking or redelegation to our whitelisted validators. For now, if you’re an advanced wallet user and want to stake to any other validators, you may do so via the below wallet interfaces -
An open-source beta version of Cronos POS Chain Desktop Wallet
The desktop beta wallet supports basic sending and CRO staking operations on Mainnet and Croeseid Testnet, including the option to choose any CRO validators for staking and redelegation
A command-line interface wallet client. It supports all the wallet operations including management, funds transfer, and staking operations, including the option to choose any CRO validators for staking and redelegation
Does DeFi Wallet charge a fee to stake my CRO?
No, but Cronos POS Chain charges network fees in CRO for all staking-related actions (e.g. stake, claim rewards, unstake).
Hence, we advise you to only claim CRO rewards when you have earned enough to cover the network fee.
Please note that rewards received from Cronos POS Chain Staking are shared with the validator, as the validator charges a commission for transaction validation and node operation. The commission is a fixed percentage of your corresponding staking reward and is directly applied to your reward balance. The validator commission % is shown to you on the staking confirmation screen and could vary depending on the validator settings.
How to get details about the Validators?
The Cronos POS Chain explorer will provide more information regarding the validators in the future. The address search function in the block explorer allows users to search and access any validator’s detail by just inputting any of the information: block, transaction, account, or validator address.
Users should be aware of the risks of possible slashing of staked assets or rewards. The specifics of slashing are defined within each protocol, and is a mechanism built into Proof of Stake blockchain protocols. Although it's unlikely, there is a possibility you may lose your staked assets or rewards in case of a network or validator failure. While we've taken measures to reduce these risks, losses incurred as a result of slashing or other on-chain contract security are outside of our control and we shall not have any liability or be responsible for any damages or liabilities suffered from slashing penalties.