Staking DOT: A Step-by-Step Guide

Staking can be a complex exercise, especially if you’re trying to do it as a validator. Setting up and maintaining your own node is very technically demanding, but you don’t have to go about it this way.

The vast majority of staking will be as nominators, so that's what we'll talk about from this point forward.

Staking on Exchanges

Staking with exchanges is the easiest way to go about staking DOT. This is because the exchange usually has the resources to run any wallet-level or node-level software involved at scale. Subsequently, they can just present staking as a service to you through a lean dashboard with minimal configuration needed.

The leading exchanges for staking Polkadot include Kraken, Binance, and Bitfinex. To stake DOT using an exchange, first deposit fiat or crypto into your exchange account and buy some DOT tokens (or deposit DOT directly, if you already own some). Then, follow these steps:

Kraken

1. From your Kraken account, click the “Earn” tab and select “Stake” from the top right corner of the page.
2. Select “Polkadot” from the earlier drop-down list of stakeable assets, enter the amount you want to stake, then click “Stake.”

Binance

1. On Binance.com, click the “Earn” tab.
2. Select “Binance Staking Products” and scroll down the “Locked Staking” list until you find DOT.
3. Click the “Stake Now” button on the right, and a “Locked Staking” window will pop up.
4. Select the duration you want to lock your tokens for.
5. Enter the amount of tokens you’re locking.
6. Review the staking summary, check the Binance Staking Service Agreement, then click “Confirm.”

Bitfinex

1. Click the “More” tab, then select “Staking Rewards” from the drop-down menu
2. Use the calculator to view the monthly and yearly rewards for staking a particular amount
3. Click “Deposit Now” to submit DOT tokens for staking

Before you stake with an exchange, first check their Annual Percentage Yield (APY), find out whether it fluctuates, and read the terms and conditions regarding lockup periods. Binance, for example, has staking options for periods like 30 or 60 days, during which your DOT will be locked.

At the end of the day, it makes more sense to go with the exchange you trust and with the user experience you enjoy the most.

When comparing APYs, be careful not to end up stuck with an exchange that often suffers downtime when you need to make transactions. Each of these exchanges has a minimum amount you can stake, so that should also factor into your decision.

Staking Through Wallets

Another convenient way to stake Polkadot is through a non-custodial wallet. Keep in mind that in this case, the only real “middleman” between you and the rewards is the actual validator you nominate. The wallet’s vendor is usually not the one promising you the returns.

The best wallets for staking Polkadot include Ledger Live, Fearless, and Polkadot.js. In this case, you can start by buying Polkadot (DOT) from the exchange of your choice and sending it to your wallet address, then following these steps:

Staking DOT with Fearless

1. In the Fearless Wallet app, tap the “Staking” section, where you’ll be able to see the minimum amount for staking.
2. Enter the amount you want to stake, then choose whether to “Restake” the rewards or “Payout.” You can specify a different address for sending the DOT rewards to if you wish.
3. You will then be asked to choose from a list of recommended validators to nominate, or can search for your own from a list of validators with their APYs attached.
4. Choose up to 16 validators, then press “Continue.”
5. You will see a confirmation window with a summary of your staking transaction, then click “Confirm.”

Staking DOT via Ledger Live

1. On your Polkadot account page, click the “Earn Rewards” button in the top right and then click “Continue.”
2. A “Bond assets” window will appear and you’ll be able to choose “Available balance” to have your rewards added to your normal wallet balance or “Bonded balance” to have them added to your bonded tokens for compounding. Remember that Ledger Live will not allow you to change the rewards destination later, but you can do it through Polkadot.js.
3. Enter the amount of DOT to bond. Make sure it’s less than your current balance so you have a remainder to use as transaction fees, then click “Continue.”
4. When you’ve connected and unlocked your device, press the right button to review all details to do with the staking, controller, payee, and value. Approve and send the operation, and after viewing the confirmation message, click “Nominate.” If you click “Nominate Later,” you can go to the Polkadot account page, click “Manage assets,” and then select “Nominate.”
5. Choose up to 16 validators, and then click “Continue.”
6. Open the Polkadot app after connecting and unlocking your device, then press the right button to review details on staking and targets.
7. Approve and send the operation.

Please note that you may not immediately start earning rewards. With nomination, there’s usually a waiting period of at least one era (24 hours) for your eligibility to be in effect.

How to Cancel Nominations and Unbond DOT on Ledger Live

To cancel all your nominations made on Ledger Live, click “Manage assets” on your Polkadot account page, and select “Clear nominations.”

Keep in mind that your assets will remain bonded even though you won’t be receiving rewards. To unbond your DOT tokens:

1. Go to the Polkadot account page, click “Manage assets” and select “Unbond.”
2. In the “Unbond assets” window, enter the amount to be unbonded, then click “Continue”
3. Open the Polkadot app after connecting and unlocking your device, then press the right button to review details on staking and value
4. Approve and send the operation

You can click “Rebond” in the “Unbonding” section to rebond your assets.

Staking Through Polkadot.js

1. Create your stash and controller accounts using the method of your choice (Polkadot{.js} Browser Extension, Subkey, Polkadot-JS Apps, Parity Signer, Vanity Generator, Ledger hardware wallet, etc.) and note down their public addresses.
2. Using the Polkadot-JS user interface, go to the “Staking” tab in the network menu. In the “Staking Overview” section, you can view the relevant statistics on the current validators, the scale of their operations, performance, etc.
3. The “Waiting” section will show you who’s in line for a slot, so you can choose whether to nominate them and get them closer to active status.
4. Select “Account Actions,” then click the “+ Nominator button.” Specify your stash and controller accounts using their addresses. Make sure the figure entered in the “Value bonded” field is lower than the DOT balance in your stash account so you have enough left to pay the fees for the DOT bonding transaction.
5. Click “Nominate” on a bonded account, and a popup window will ask you to select up to 16 validators. After selecting them, click “Bond & Nominate” to confirm the transaction. If any of the validators you chose are selected in the next era (a 24-hour period on the blockchain), you’ll start receiving rewards.

These rewards can be manually claimed up until 84 eras from their issuance date and time. You can use a block explorer like Subscan or Polkascan to check if you’ve received a payout. Ensure that you have at least one DOT token in the rewards destination address to avoid losing your payout due to Polkadot's existential deposit rule.

When staking Polkadot, it's important to stay up-to-date on the state of the chain and validator lists. Rewards can become irredeemable after a certain period, and incompetent validators could cause you to lose DOT tokens if they fall below the blockchain’s standards.

Stay safe, and happy staking!