Delegation Transaction

You can delegate your tokens to a validator if you don't run a node but still want to stake. A delegation is a transaction when a delegator (i.e., an account that doesn't run a node and can't stake Mina itself) delegates its tokens to a validator.

A delegation is not a transfer of tokens from one account to another (the Payment type transaction makes a transfer of funds). With a delegation, your tokens remain on your account.

After delegation, there is a latency period of 2-4 weeks before a new stake delegation comes into effect.

Delegation Lifecycle

You don't get your reward once you make your delegation. Overall, it takes over 2 or 3 epochs. This period includes:

• 1-2 epochs until a delegation becomes active and starts to produce rewards (depending on when you made your delegation: if you made your delegation at the beginning of an epoch, this extends the waiting time, and if you did it at the end of an epoch, it would take less time);
• in the next epoch after the waiting epoch, the active delegation produces rewards;
• the validator distributes rewards; it takes some time until your validator spreads your share of the rewards depending on its terms, which you can find here.

Delegation Rules

1. Funds are not locked.

A delegator may redirect funds to another validator at any point in the delegation lifecycle.

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On Mina, your delegated funds are never locked!

Yes, and it's very convenient. You can safely dispose of your funds after sending the delegation. The balance snapshot, considered when staking, is done at the end of the epoch.

2. Whole balance is delegated.

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What you have on your balance at the end of the epoch, exactly that amount will be staked.

3. Only one staking provider.

You can't delegate part of your balance or delegate to multiple validators. If you're a validator, you can delegate to yourself.

4. Automated staking.

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Please note that if you did not stake to anyone, then after 2 epochs the protocol will automatically stake your tokens (starting from the moment when there is more than 1 Mina on balance).

5. Delegation can't be canceled.

You can't cancel the delegation of your funds to Mina. You can only delegate your funds to another validator, which will take two epochs until your new delegation becomes active. Or, if you decide to stop delegating, you can stake it to yourself.

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If you don't run a node, this stake will not generate any rewards.

6. Redelegation is simple.

To delegate your tokens to another validator, send a new delegation transaction. Remember that the operation's result will be fixed only at the end of the epoch.

7. Fixed staking time.

The result of your delegation transactions is only committed at the end of the epoch. Until the change of epochs, the blockchain does not record data in the operations ledger. Therefore, you may still have considerable time to change your mind.

Staking Rewards

A validator gets rewarded for staking accounts from coinbase (720 - for a regular block, 1440 - for a supercharged block) according to its share in the validator's stake in the event the said validator wins block production (for more information, please go to Mina Bock Production).

A delegator can receive the reward after its validator wins block production in the slot and produces a block. From the moment the block is won, the payout period depends entirely on the conditions of the validator. As a rule, the payout occurs at the beginning of the next epoch, following the one where the validator won the reward. Sometimes, it can happen in the same epoch, or vice versa, an epoch later.

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Mina does not regulate the validator-delegator relationship, so each validator sets its payout schedule. Check the payment frequency to know how long it will take you to get your reward. Do your own research before you opt in to delegate your funds.

To learn how rewards are calculated, go here.