Staking rewards are paid out weekly. We will take a mid-week account balance snapshot and distribute the rewards based on the number of tokens being held at that time.Please note that staking rewards are calculated and distributed to Bitfinex by the token network. There is not any fixed rewards distribution timeline and policy that determine who receives the rewards. Therefore, Bitfinex does not guarantee that you will receive staking rewards every week or consistently.

There is no minimum to begin staking with us. However, to avoid unnecessary stress on our system, we do set a minimum amount of staking rewards before you become eligible to receive a staking reward. That threshold is generally set at a number of tokens that is valued at around US$0.50 (the "Minimum Reward") per token per week. If, based on the number of tokens you have staked, the amount of the staking reward is less than the Minimum Reward you will not receive a staking reward.

No. We keep a small portion of the staking rewards we collect and deposit the rest into the accounts of our users. In some cases, our staking service provider also retains a portion of rewards collected by the digital tokens we stake.

The staked digital tokens never leave our cold wallets. To further minimize risk (e.g., from slashing and to ensure we can accommodate withdrawals) we only stake a portion of the digital tokens we hold. Every digital token has its own way of implementing the staking mechanic, but the process usually begins with us using our cold wallet funds in order to delegate votes to a chosen validator node. Staking provides a layer of governance to its network participants which helps to make the network more secure and for that, network participants are rewarded.

Yes, if your tokens are NOT Ethereum. Every week, we’ll distribute the staking rewards we collect to users who held the staked digital tokens in their Bitfinex account. You don’t have to do anything in particular.If you want to stake Ethereum, you’d need to convert your ETH into ETH2 first. Visit our <a href="https://support.bitfinex.com/hc/en-us/articles/900004888823-Ethereum-2-0-Staking-on-Bitfinex" target="_blank">Knowledge Base</a> to learn how to start staking your Ethereum holdings.

For chains that implement governance mechanisms into their protocol, Bitfinex will not actively take part in any governance events using your tokens other than delegating to a trusted node of our choosing. Where we have partnered with a staking service provider, we will generally allow that service provider to make decisions regarding governance without our input.

Our soft-staking program allows you to trade staked tokens at any time and to withdraw any staked tokens, except for ETH2. For ETH2 and staking rewards earned on your ETH2 (ETH2Rewards, or ETH2R), you will not be able to withdraw your balances immediately. You will have to first submit a request to unstake your ETH2 or unlock your ETH2Rewards as described below. For details on how to unstake ETH, please see our <a href="https://support.bitfinex.com/hc/en-us/articles/900004888823-Ethereum-2-0-Staking-on-Bitfinex" target="_blank">Knowledge Base</a> or FAQ section “How do I stake and unstake Ethereum (ETH)?”.For staked balances other than ETH, to accommodate withdrawals, we only stake a portion of the digital tokens we hold. In the unlikely event that withdrawals by other users exceed the “unstaked” portion of the tokens we hold, withdrawals may be delayed until the staked tokens are released. The duration of the potential delay would depend on the applicable protocol.

In order to stake ETH you must opt in. In order to unstake your ETH2 or unlock your ETH2Rewards, you must first convert them into a transitory token called ETH2Unstaking (ETH2U). Converting an ETH2 or ETH2Rewards balance to ETH2Unstaking is an irreversible process. When you convert ETH2 or ETH2Rewards to ETH2Unstaking, a request will be submitted to the Ethereum network to unstake the related ETH or to unlock ETH held as rewards, as applicable. Once the Ethereum network processes that request and the ETH is unstaked or unlocked, as appropriate, the ETH2Unstaking balance will be converted into an ETH balance that will be credited to your wallet. This may, however, take from weeks to months, depending on the Ethereum network.Please refer to our <a href="https://support.bitfinex.com/hc/en-us/articles/900004888823-Ethereum-2-0-Staking-on-Bitfinex" target="_blank">Knowledge Base</a> for detailed information on how to stake and unstake ETH.