When you stake a crypto like Bitcoin, you protect a certain number of digital assets to help a blockchain network work. Stakeholders, or participants, help make sure that transactions are accurate and that the network is safe. The Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus method is different from traditional mining in the way it works. Traditional mining depends on processing power.
How Proof of Stake Works?
The Proof of Stake method, which is what staking is based on, lets validators be picked based on how many coins they are willing to “stake.” Bitcoin’s Proof of Work (PoW) system, in which miners compete to solve hard mathematical problems, is very different from this approach. With Proof of Stake, the more cryptocurrency you put in, the more likely it is that you will be chosen as a verifier.
What Validators Do?
Validators are very important to the staking process. It is their job to add new blocks to the blockchain and make sure that transactions are real. When a validator correctly adds a new block, they are rewarded with newly made coins and transaction fees. Since dishonest behavior could lead to the loss of claimed assets, this makes validators more likely to act honestly.
Delegators: People who support Staking
Not everyone can be a validator because they don’t have the means or technical know-how to do so. There are times when delegators come in handy. Delegators don’t have to run a node themselves; they can put their coins on the line with a validator instead. In this way, they raise the stake of the validator and get a cut of the benefits that are made. This method has made it possible for more people to bet and win prizes.
How does the process of staking work?
The staking process includes several important steps that may be slightly different depending on the blockchain network being used. The structure is the same across all systems, though.
- Selecting a coin: The first step in the staking process is to select a coin that can be staked. A lot of people like Polkadot, Cardano, and Ethereum 2.0. Each of these sites has its own rules about how much you can bet and how much you can win.
- Setting up a wallet: People who want to trade coins need a good cryptocurrency wallet. This wallet will take care of the staked assets and the staked processes. Some users might choose electronic wallets for extra safety.
- Sitting on the Coins: Once the wallet is set up, users can choose to put their money in either the validator’s wallet or the holding pool. For a certain amount of time, this stops the coins from being used for deals.
- Getting Reward: Everyone who stakes a coin gets a share of the benefits that are given out as the validator processes transactions and creates new blocks. In this are the checker and any delegators who have staked their coins.