How to Start Staking on Solana: A Complete Guide
By Jorge Rodriguez — Solana
The difference between native staking and liquid staking on Solana -- and which makes more sense for your situation
A step-by-step walkthrough for staking SOL natively and via liquid staking protocols
How to choose a validator, what affects your APY, and the mistakes most new stakers make
Why Staking SOL Is the Starting Point for Solana Yield
Solana runs on Proof of Stake. The network's security and consensus depend on SOL holders delegating their tokens to validators. Staking is not a DeFi product layered on top of the protocol. It is the protocol. Understanding it is the starting point for every yield strategy you build on Solana. SOL held in a wallet earns nothing. The blockchain does not reward passive holders. But delegated SOL earns protocol-level inflation rewards every epoch, roughly every two days, without active management and without giving up custody of your tokens. That is the core appeal: turning idle capital into a [yield-bearing asset](/blog/yield-strategies/yield-bearing-assets) at the base layer of the network. Where does staking yield come from? Solana operates on an inflation schedule that started at 8% annual issuance in 2021 and decreases 15% per year until it stabilizes around 1.5% long-term. As of 2026, the current inflation rate sits at approximately 4 to 5%. Not all of that issuance flows to every SOL holder equally. Only the staked portion earns rewards. Because roughly 65 to 70% of all SOL is currently staked, that inflation is distributed among stakers only, pushing the effective staking APY to approximately 6 to 7% annually. On top of inflation, validators running the Jito client pass along a share of MEV (maximal extractable value) from transaction ordering. Jito validators consistently show 0.5 to 1% higher APY than non-Jito validators, giving active stakers a small but real edge. There are two ways to stake: natively, where you delegate SOL directly to a validator and it stays in your wallet's stake account, and via liquid staking, where you deposit SOL into a protocol and receive a tradeable receipt token like JitoSOL, mSOL, or bSOL. Before choosing a method and clicking confirm, it helps to understand both paths. This guide walks through each one step by step, starting with how to choose between them.
Native Staking vs Liquid Staking: Which to Choose
Before walking through the mechanics of each method, it is worth pausing to choose the right approach for your situation. The answer depends on what you plan to do with your SOL and how much flexibility you need. **Native staking** means delegating SOL from your wallet to a validator directly. Your SOL stays in a stake account you control. No smart contract holds your tokens. Rewards accumulate each epoch and can be withdrawn on your schedule. The tradeoff is liquidity: staked SOL is not tradeable or usable in DeFi while the delegation is active. Undelegating takes roughly two to three days due to epoch timing. **Liquid staking** means depositing SOL into a protocol such as Jito, Marinade Finance, or BlazeStake. In return, you receive an LST (liquid staking token) that represents your staked position. The LST accrues value as rewards accumulate. The key advantage is composability: you can use JitoSOL, mSOL, or bSOL in lending protocols, liquidity pools, and vaults while still earning staking yield. The tradeoff is that you are now exposed to smart contract risk at the protocol level on top of standard Solana network risk. | | Native Staking | Liquid Staking | |---|---|---| | Custody | Self-custodied stake account | Protocol smart contract | | Liquidity | Locked per epoch | Tradeable LST | | DeFi composability | No | Yes (lending, LPs, vaults) | | Smart contract risk | None | Yes | | APY | 6-7% (base) | 6-7% base + possible DeFi yield | | Best for | Long-term holders, simplicity | DeFi users, capital efficiency | For a deeper look at how these two approaches compare across risk profiles and use cases, the full breakdown in [native vs liquid staking on Solana](/blog/yield-strategies/validator-staking-vs-liquid-staking-solana) covers validator mechanics and LST risk side by side. The decision framework is simple: • If you are a long-term SOL holder who does not plan to use DeFi actively, native staking gives you maximum simplicity and zero smart contract exposure. • If you want to put your SOL to work across DeFi protocols while still earning staking yield, liquid staking via an LST is the more capital-efficient path. • If you are not sure yet, native staking is the lower-risk starting point. You can always migrate later by undelegating and depositing into a liquid staking protocol once you are comfortable with the mechanics. Neither option is universally better. They serve different goals. The rest of this guide walks through both approaches step by step.
How to Stake SOL Natively (Step-by-Step)
Native staking on Solana is handled directly inside most major wallets. You do not need to visit a DeFi protocol or connect to an external application. Phantom, Solflare, and Backpack all support native staking through their built-in staking interfaces. Before you start, make sure you keep at least 0.05 to 0.1 SOL liquid in your wallet. Staked SOL cannot be used for transaction fees. If you stake everything, you will not be able to execute any on-chain action until you undelegate.  **Step 1: Open your wallet and find the staking section** In Phantom, click the SOL token in your portfolio and look for the "Start Earning SOL" or "Stake" option. In Solflare, the staking tab is directly in the main navigation. In Backpack, access staking from the token view. **Step 2: Create a stake account** Your delegated SOL lives in a separate on-chain account called a stake account. This is not your main wallet address. It is a dedicated account that holds your staked balance. You control it entirely. The validator you choose cannot access or move your tokens. The wallet creates this account automatically when you first stake. **Step 3: Choose a validator** This step is covered in depth in the validator selection section below. For now, the key point is not to skip it. Choosing the default or the largest validator by name is usually not the optimal choice. Most wallets show a list of validators with their commission rates and uptime stats. **Step 4: Enter the amount to stake** Enter the amount you want to delegate. Leave at least 0.05 to 0.1 SOL unstaked for fees. There is no meaningful minimum, but most users stake at least 1 SOL to make it worthwhile. **Step 5: Confirm and delegate** Review the validator name, commission rate, and amount. Confirm the transaction. Your wallet submits a delegation instruction on-chain. The transaction costs a small network fee, typically under $0.01. **Step 6: Wait for the next epoch** Staking does not activate instantly. Solana epochs last approximately two days. Your delegation becomes active at the start of the next epoch after you delegate. During this warm-up period, your SOL is locked but not yet earning rewards. **Step 7: Rewards accumulate automatically** Once active, rewards accrue every epoch. You do not need to do anything. The rewards appear in your stake account balance. Note that they are not automatically compounded: they sit in your stake account until you manually redelegate them or withdraw them. If you want your rewards to compound, you have two options: manually redelegate periodically, or use an [auto-compounding vault](/blog/yield-strategies/auto-compounding-vaults-explained) that automates this process for you. **Unstaking** To undelegate, click "Unstake" in your wallet's staking interface. Your SOL enters a cooldown period of roughly two to three days depending on where you are in the current epoch cycle. After the cooldown ends, your SOL returns to your main wallet balance and is fully liquid again. **What is a stake account?** A stake account is a special on-chain account on Solana that holds delegated SOL. It is separate from your wallet's main account address. You hold the signing authority over it, meaning only you can delegate, undelegate, or withdraw from it. Validators have no withdrawal authority. This is what makes native staking non-custodial. **Keep some SOL liquid.** Staked SOL cannot cover transaction fees. Always maintain 0.05 to 0.1 SOL in your main wallet balance for gas.
How to Liquid Stake SOL (Step-by-Step)
Liquid staking protocols handle validator selection and delegation for you. You deposit SOL, receive an LST in return, and that token represents your staking position. The value of the LST rises relative to SOL as rewards accumulate. You do not receive separate reward deposits. Instead, the exchange rate between your LST and SOL increases each epoch. The three main liquid staking protocols on Solana are Jito (JitoSOL), Marinade Finance (mSOL), and BlazeStake (bSOL). Each has a different design and validator selection strategy. **JitoSOL (Jito)** JitoSOL has consistently produced the highest APY among major Solana LSTs due to its MEV reward distribution. Validators in the Jito network share MEV income with stakers, adding yield on top of base inflation. • Visit [jito.network](https://jito.network) and connect your Solana wallet • Navigate to the Stake tab and enter the amount of SOL to stake • Confirm the transaction and receive JitoSOL in your wallet • JitoSOL can be used across Solana DeFi: lending protocols, liquidity pools, and yield vaults **mSOL (Marinade Finance)** Marinade uses a large diversified stake pool spread across hundreds of validators, with an emphasis on decentralization. mSOL is one of the most widely integrated LSTs across Solana DeFi. • Visit [marinade.finance](https://marinade.finance) and connect your wallet • Click the Stake tab, enter your SOL amount, and confirm • mSOL is deposited to your wallet and begins accruing value immediately **bSOL (BlazeStake)** BlazeStake focuses on community validators and a broad stake distribution. bSOL is a solid option for users who prioritize validator decentralization over maximum APY. • Visit stake.solblaze.org, connect your wallet, enter your amount, and confirm • bSOL is issued and begins accruing staking yield **How LSTs accrue value** Unlike native staking where rewards appear as additional SOL, [liquid staking tokens](/blog/yield-strategies/liquid-staking-tokens-explained) accrue value through price appreciation. Each epoch, the protocol collects staking rewards and updates the exchange rate between the LST and SOL. If you hold 1 JitoSOL today and the exchange rate is 1.10 SOL per JitoSOL, after one year at 7% APY, that same JitoSOL will be worth approximately 1.177 SOL. Your token count stays the same. Its SOL value increases. Track live LST APYs and compare JitoSOL, mSOL, and bSOL yields in real time on [Lince's Solana LST tracker](https://yields.lince.finance/tracker/solana/category/lst).  **Unstaking your LST** You have two options to convert your LST back to SOL: • Instant swap via DEX: sell your JitoSOL, mSOL, or bSOL on a DEX aggregator like Jupiter. This is instant but may carry a small price impact depending on liquidity depth. • Protocol native unstake: submit an unstake request through the protocol's interface. This takes one epoch (approximately two days) but executes at the precise exchange rate with no slippage. For users adding smart contract exposure, applying a [DeFi risk framework](/blog/risk-management/defi-risk-framework) before committing large amounts to any liquid staking protocol is a sound practice.
How to Pick a Validator
If you choose native staking, validator selection is the most consequential decision you make. Your APY, your contribution to Solana's health, and your exposure to validator-level risk all depend on it. Most wallets present a default list, but knowing what to look for lets you make a more informed choice. **Commission rate** Validators charge a commission on the staking rewards they distribute. A 0% commission validator passes everything to stakers. An 8% commission validator keeps 8% of your rewards before distributing the rest. Anything above 10% is worth scrutinizing closely. Validators set at 100% commission keep all rewards for themselves. **Vote credits and uptime** Validators earn and distribute rewards only when they are actively participating in consensus. Vote credit rates above 90% indicate a reliable, well-maintained node. Validators with frequent downtime reduce your actual APY even if their stated commission appears competitive. Most validator explorers display historical vote credit performance. **Stake weight and decentralization** Solana has experienced episodes where excessive stake concentration in a small number of validators created liveness concerns. Choosing a mid-tier validator with solid performance and moderate stake weight is better for the network and typically carries no APY penalty compared to the top validators by stake. Avoiding the largest validators by total stake is a practical way to support decentralization without sacrificing yield. **Jito MEV participation** Validators running the Jito client share MEV income with their delegators, adding 0.5 to 1% APY on top of base inflation rewards. When comparing validators at similar commission rates, a Jito-enabled validator will consistently outperform a non-Jito validator. Check whether a validator is running the Jito client before delegating. **Identity and track record** Transparent validators, those with known operators, documented history, and public communication channels, carry lower operational risk. Long-running validators with consistent uptime records are preferable to new or anonymous nodes, especially for larger positions.  **Where to research validators** Solana Beach and Stakewiz are two well-regarded validator explorers that display commission rates, vote credits, stake weight, and Jito participation status. Both are free to use and require no account. For users who prefer not to research validators directly, liquid staking protocols handle this automatically. Jito, Marinade, and BlazeStake each maintain curated validator sets with built-in diversification. This is one reason some users choose liquid staking even when they have no intention of using the LST in DeFi. If you want to understand what happens to your stake if your chosen validator goes offline, the guide on [what happens if a Solana protocol goes offline](/blog/risk-management/solana-protocol-shutdown-funds) covers the mechanics in detail.
What Affects Your Staking APY
Staking APY on Solana is not a fixed rate. It varies with network conditions, your validator's behavior, and how you handle reward distribution. Understanding the drivers helps you reason about rate changes rather than reacting to them blindly. **Solana's inflation schedule** The foundational source of staking yield is Solana's protocol-level inflation. The issuance schedule started at 8% annual inflation in 2021 and decreases by 15% per year until it stabilizes at approximately 1.5% long term. The current rate as of 2026 sits at roughly 4 to 5%. According to the [Solana staking documentation](https://solana.com/staking), not all inflation flows to every SOL holder equally. Only the staked portion earns rewards. The formula intuition: staking rewards go to stakers only. If 70% of all SOL is staked, stakers receive all of the inflation share, divided among themselves. ``` Effective staking APY ~ Inflation rate / Staked SOL fraction ``` At 4.5% inflation with 65% of SOL staked: 4.5 / 0.65 = approximately 6.9% APY before commission. **Validator commission** Your chosen validator takes a percentage of your rewards before passing the rest to you. A validator charging 5% commission reduces your 6.9% effective APY to approximately 6.55%. At scale, commission differences matter. A 1% commission difference on a $10,000 staking position represents roughly $69 per year. **Jito MEV rewards** Validators running the Jito client earn additional income from MEV -- the value extracted from ordering transactions in a block. A meaningful share of this goes to stakers as a bonus on top of inflation rewards. Jito validators typically show 0.5 to 1% higher APY than comparable non-Jito validators at the same commission rate. **Compounding** Native staking rewards do not auto-compound. They accumulate in your stake account as additional SOL, but they do not automatically get delegated. To capture compound growth, you need to manually redelegate periodically or use a protocol that automates this. Liquid staking compounds automatically: each epoch, the protocol reinvests rewards and updates the LST exchange rate, meaning you benefit from compound growth without any manual action. For native stakers who want compounding without active management, [auto-compounding vaults](/blog/yield-strategies/auto-compounding-vaults-explained) on Solana can wrap your staking position to handle the reinvestment loop automatically. APY shifts with each inflation schedule update and with changes in the total staked SOL fraction. Check current live rates across all major Solana LSTs on [Lince's tracker](https://yields.lince.finance/tracker/solana/category/lst).
Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Most staking mistakes are avoidable once you know what to watch for. These are the patterns that trip up new Solana stakers most often. **Staking all your SOL** Staked SOL cannot pay transaction fees. If you delegate your entire balance, you cannot execute any on-chain action until you undelegate and wait out the cooldown. Always keep at least 0.05 to 0.1 SOL liquid in your main wallet. **Picking the biggest validator by name recognition** Popular validators are often over-staked. More stake concentrated in a few nodes weakens Solana's liveness properties and does not improve your APY. Use Stakewiz or Solana Beach to find quality mid-tier validators with high vote credits and reasonable commission. **Ignoring validator commission** A validator charging 10% commission keeps a meaningful share of your rewards. On a 6.5% gross APY, a 10% commission reduces your net to 5.85%. On a $5,000 position, that gap compounds to roughly $32.50 per year. Check commission before delegating. Aim for 0 to 7%. **Expecting rewards to start immediately** Delegation activates at the start of the next epoch, not instantly. Depending on where you are in the current epoch cycle, you may wait anywhere from a few hours to two days before earning begins. This is normal behavior, not an error. **Selling your LST and losing your staking position** Some new stakers liquid stake to receive JitoSOL or mSOL, then sell the token on a DEX thinking it is just another asset. Your LST is your staking position. Selling it exits the staking exposure entirely. If you want liquidity, use the LST as collateral in a lending protocol rather than selling it outright. **Concentrating in a single LST** Holding 100% of your staking exposure in one liquid staking protocol adds unnecessary [concentration risk](/blog/risk-management/concentration-risk-defi). If that protocol encounters a smart contract exploit, the entire position is at risk. Splitting across two LSTs, or maintaining a native staking portion alongside an LST position, is a more resilient approach. **Not verifying a protocol is still active** Protocols can pause withdrawals, upgrade contracts, or in rare cases shut down. Before depositing a large amount, verify the protocol is actively maintained and has not had recent governance or security issues. The [guide on what happens if a protocol shuts down](/blog/risk-management/solana-protocol-shutdown-funds) covers the practical steps if that scenario occurs.
FAQs
### Is staking SOL safe? Native staking carries no smart contract risk. Your SOL stays in a stake account you control, and validators cannot withdraw your tokens. Solana does not have slashing for validator misbehavior, so your principal is not at risk from a validator going offline or acting incorrectly. Liquid staking adds smart contract risk at the protocol layer. Neither form of staking protects against Solana network-level failures, but both have operated without principal loss for multiple years. ### What is the minimum amount to stake SOL? There is no hard protocol minimum for native staking. Solana requires a small rent-exempt balance to create a stake account, roughly 0.00228 SOL. In practice, most users start with at least 1 SOL. For liquid staking, most protocols accept any amount above dust threshold. ### Can I lose my SOL by staking? Solana does not have slashing for native staking. Validator misbehavior does not result in your tokens being burned or seized. The main risk for native staking is opportunity cost. Liquid staking carries smart contract risk at the protocol level. Your SOL is not insured against Solana network-level failures, but this applies to all on-chain assets equally. ### How long does it take to unstake SOL? Native staking takes approximately two to three days. Once you undelegate, your SOL enters a cooldown period of one full epoch before becoming liquid. Liquid staking is faster: swap your LST for SOL instantly on a DEX aggregator like Jupiter with minor price impact, or use the protocol's native unstake for a precise exchange rate redemption after one epoch. ### What is the current staking APY on Solana? Native staking typically runs 6 to 7% APY. Liquid staking with Jito validators and MEV distribution can push slightly higher. Rates shift with Solana's inflation schedule and the fraction of total SOL staked. Check current live rates on [Lince's Solana LST tracker](https://yields.lince.finance/tracker/solana/category/lst). ### What is the difference between JitoSOL, mSOL, and bSOL? All three are liquid staking tokens representing staked SOL. JitoSOL routes through Jito validators for MEV yield, producing the highest base APY for most stakers. mSOL from Marinade uses a diversified stake pool across many validators with broad DeFi integration. bSOL from BlazeStake emphasizes community validators and stake decentralization. They differ in APY, protocol design, validator diversity, and available DeFi integrations. ### Do I need to actively manage my stake? No. Once delegated, native staking runs automatically with rewards accumulating each epoch. You may want to check your validator's performance periodically, particularly if commission rates change. Liquid staking requires even less attention: the protocol manages validator delegation, and your LST appreciates automatically.
Conclusion
Staking SOL is the most straightforward yield strategy on Solana, and it is also the most durable. It requires no DeFi protocol interaction, no constant monitoring, and no active management once you delegate. The yield comes from the base layer of the network itself, not from a protocol's incentive budget or token emissions. The choice between native staking and liquid staking comes down to a single question: do you need your staked SOL to remain flexible? If yes, liquid staking gives you a tradeable LST you can deploy in DeFi while still earning staking yield. If no, native staking keeps your exposure simple and free of smart contract risk. Either way, the fundamentals are the same: understand where your APY comes from (inflation plus optional MEV), choose your validator carefully, keep some SOL liquid, and know the unstaking timeline before you commit. From here, your next decisions are about what to do with that staked position. A JitoSOL or mSOL balance sitting idle is earning yield, but it can also serve as collateral in lending protocols, as a component in yield vaults, or as a risk management anchor in a broader [DeFi risk framework](/blog/risk-management/defi-risk-framework). Staking is not the ceiling. It is the floor.