Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to common questions about Cardano staking and ADAvault.
Staking Basics
Is my ADA locked when I stake?
No. Your ADA remains in your wallet and is never locked. You can spend, transfer, or move it at any time. There's no unbonding period on Cardano.
How much can I earn from staking?
Current rewards are approximately 3% APY, though this varies based on network parameters and pool performance. Rewards compound automatically as they're added to your staked balance.
When will I receive my first rewards?
About 15-20 days after delegating. Cardano's reward system has a four-epoch delay between delegation and receiving rewards. After that, rewards arrive every 5 days. Learn more about the reward lifecycle.
Is there a minimum amount to stake?
There's no minimum. You can stake any amount of ADA. However, you'll need approximately 2 ADA for the delegation deposit (refundable when you stop staking).
Do I need to claim my rewards?
No. Rewards are automatically added to your staked balance and compound without any action required. You'll only need to explicitly withdraw rewards if you want to move them off the Cardano network.
ADAvault Pools
Which ADAvault pool should I choose?
We recommend choosing the pool with the lowest saturation for optimal rewards. On our pools page, this is marked as "Recommended." All ADAvault pools have the same fees and infrastructure quality.
What are your fees?
ADAvault charges 0% variable fee (through July 2026) and a ₳340 fixed fee per epoch. The fixed fee is a network requirement and is shared among all delegators.
What happens if a pool becomes saturated?
If a pool exceeds ~74M ADA in stake, rewards diminish for all delegators. We recommend switching to a less saturated pool if this occurs. You can monitor saturation on our pools page.
Can I delegate to multiple pools?
Yes, but not from a single wallet address. To delegate to multiple pools, you'll need to split your ADA across multiple wallet addresses. Some wallets like Eternl make this easier with multi-account features.
Technical Questions
How do I verify ADAvault's pool IDs?
Our pool IDs are listed on each pool's detail page and in our website footer. You can verify them on independent explorers like Cexplorer, Cardanoscan, or PoolTool.
What is pool saturation?
Saturation is the percentage of optimal stake a pool has. At 100% saturation (~74M ADA), the pool produces maximum rewards. Above 100%, rewards decrease. Below 100%, the pool has room to grow.
What does pool performance mean?
Performance compares actual blocks produced to expected blocks based on stake. 100% means the pool produced exactly the expected number of blocks. Due to randomness, short-term variance is normal.
How often is pool data updated?
Data on our website updates every 10 minutes. Epoch boundaries and reward distributions follow Cardano's 5-day epoch schedule.
Security
Is staking safe?
Yes. Cardano's staking is non-custodial, meaning your ADA never leaves your wallet. Pool operators cannot access your funds. The only risk is choosing an underperforming pool, which affects rewards but not your principal.
Can I lose my ADA by staking?
No. There's no slashing on Cardano. Your ADA is never at risk, regardless of pool performance. The worst outcome is reduced rewards from an underperforming or over-saturated pool.
Still Have Questions?
Reach out to us on Twitter or email. You can also explore our learning resources for more detailed guides.