Aleo’s native staking mechanism allows token holders to delegate their Aleo Credits to validators and earn rewards while helping secure the network. This guide walks you through staking and unstaking Aleo Credits using Aleo’s native tooling.
Native staking on Aleo is implemented directly through the credits.aleo program. Delegators bond their Aleo Credits to a validator, who then participates in block production on their behalf. In return, delegators receive staking rewards minus the validator’s commission.
How to Stake Your Aleo Credits
Step 1: Choose a Validator
Before staking, you’ll need to select a validator to delegate your tokens to. You can explore all active validators on the Aleo Explorer. There, you can also see all key metrics, like total stake, bonding state(whether the validator is currently accepting new delegations), commission rate, and APY.
When selecting a healthy validator, look for one with at least 10 million Aleo Credits staked, since validators below this threshold do not earn rewards. Also, make sure the validator has a consistent uptime and a strong performance history.
Do your research here -> https://explorer.provable.com/validators
Step 2: Open the Leo Playground
- Go to the Leo Playground -> Leo Playground
- When the page loads, ignore the default auction.aleo program and from the top right corner, set the network to Mainnet.
Step 3: Access the Execute Tab
- In the left sidebar, click on the Execute tab
- In the Program ID field, type in credits.aleo and press Enter. If the program loads successfully, you will see the confirmation message.
Now you have the native staking functions loaded.
Step 4: Add Your Private Key
In the Private Key field:
- Paste the private key of the account you want to stake from
Step 5: Bond (Stake) Your Tokens
In the Function dropdown:
- Select bond_public
In the Inputs field, provide:
- The validator’s address
- Your wallet address
- The amount to stake
Example input: [“aleo1nwn47wgpnuf00ewaxp4yx50ldvd3nha6cexy67w6ra6e0zketuzsgsat5w”,”your_wallet_address”,”10_000_000_000u64”]
Important formatting rules:
- Inputs must be enclosed in brackets []
- Each value must be wrapped in double quotes
- Amounts must be specified in microcredits
The minimum staking amount is 10,000 Aleo Credits(i.e. 10000000000 microcredits)
Once everything is filled in:
- Click Execute
You should see a pending transaction followed by a confirmation.
To verify:
- Copy the transaction ID (at1...)
- Paste it into the Aleo Explorer: https://explorer.provable.com
Congratulations, you have successfully staked your tokens.
How to Unstake Your Aleo Credits
Unstaking is a two-step process: unbonding followed by claiming after a cooldown period.
Step 1: Initiate Unbonding
Return to the Leo Playground and ensure:
- Network is set to Mainnet
- Program ID is credits.aleo
- Your private key is entered
In the Function dropdown:
- Select unbond_public
In the Inputs field, provide:
- Your wallet address
- The amount to unstake (in microcredits)
Example input: [”your_wallet_address”,”10_000_000_000u64”]
Click Execute and wait for the transaction to confirm.
Step 2: Wait for the Cooldown Period
After unbonding:
- There is a 360-block cooldown period
- This typically takes 10–15 minutes, depending on block times
Your funds will not appear in your wallet until this period has passed.
Step 3: Claim Your Unbonded Tokens
Once the cooldown is complete:
In the Function dropdown:
- Select claim_unbond_public
In the Inputs field:
- Provide only your wallet address
Click Execute.
After confirmation, your unstaked Aleo Credits should now be available in your wallet. You can verify the transaction on the Aleo Explorer if needed.
Final Thoughts
Native staking on Aleo gives token holders a direct way to participate in network security while earning rewards. By carefully selecting validators and understanding the bonding and unbonding process, delegators can stake confidently and efficiently.
If you’re looking for a reliable, professional validator operator, make sure to evaluate providers based on transparency, infrastructure quality, and long-term commitment to the Aleo ecosystem.
Why stake with Stakin by The Tie
As an institutional-grade Aleo validator, Stakin has a full range of staking services and advantages to cater to the needs of enterprises and investors, such as asset managers, company treasuries, exchanges, VCs and hedge funds, wallets, custodians, and liquid staking services.
- Triple AAA-rated institutional staking provider by Staking Rewards
- ISO 27001 certified staking provider
- Reliable infrastructure - We distribute our servers across various geographical locations and partner with premier bare metal and cloud providers
- Dedicated support for all your staking, unstaking, and network-related questions
- Institutional-grade SLAs with uptime and slashing guarantees for both the validator and oracle operations
DISCLAIMER: This is not financial advice. Staking and cryptocurrency investment involve a certain degree of risk, and there is always the possibility of loss, including the loss of all staked digital assets. Additionally, delegators are at risk of slashing in case of security or liveness faults on some PoS protocols. We advise you to DYOR before choosing a validator.
