Stake SIS: how PoS and DPoS staking works on Symbiosis

PoS and DPoS: what’s the difference and why it matters

With PoS, validators are chosen based on the amount of SIS they stake. These validators run nodes that verify and relay cross-chain transactions. If their node performs well, they earn protocol rewards. If it misbehaves or goes offline, it can be blocked. Incentives are tightly aligned with performance and honesty.

However, not everyone has the resources or technical ability to run a node. That’s how Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) came about. It allows regular SIS holders to delegate their tokens to an existing validator (effectively voting for them). Delegators then share in that validator’s rewards. It’s a way for any SIS holder, regardless of technical skill or stake size, to contribute to protocol security and earn yield.

Indeed, Symbiosis will maintain a capped set of active validators (no more than 50), determined by the total stake they control (self-staked + delegated).

How does Symbiosis staking work?

To become a validator, you must run a relayer node and stake a certain amount of SIS (100k minimum).

Once you’re registered, your node helps process and validate transactions across supported chains. The more reliable your performance, the more rewards you earn – typically from protocol fees or emissions.

Those who don’t want to operate a node can use the staking dashboard to delegate their SIS to a validator of their choice.

Delegators piggyback on validators' performance: when a validator earns, so do the delegators. There’s also shared risk here; if a validator gets penalized, its delegators may see reduced rewards (as the node gets blocked).

Delegators can spread their SIS across multiple validators to diversify risk and optimize yield. As transaction volume increases across Symbiosis, staking rewards should grow in tandem, meaning active participation may become more lucrative over time.