As you probably already know, Ronin Network is a blockchain built for speed, security, and scalability. To ensure the network functions perfectly, its DPoS consensus mechanism promotes efficient and community-driven operations while maintaining decentralization.
Want to understand how it works and the power both validators and users hold through staking? Let’s dive in!
What is DPoS?
Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) is a consensus system where token holders back validators by delegating their tokens. These validators handle the heavy lifting: verifying transactions, producing new blocks, voting to finalize changes, and earning rewards for their efforts.
As a token holder, you can either vote directly or let someone else (a representative) take care of it by delegating your stake. The more tokens a validator has backing them, the better their chances of being picked. When validators earn rewards for producing blocks or voting, those rewards are shared with the delegators who supported them. It's teamwork with benefits!
Would you like to dive deeper into this topic? You can do so in the Ronin Documentation.
In Ronin, a set of validators is selected using DPoS. Then, validators take turns producing blocks and vote for finality.
Types of Validators
In Ronin, there are three types of validators. All of them contribute to making the network increasingly decentralized and, therefore, more secure, either directly or indirectly.
Governing Validators
While staking helps decentralize the network, it also introduces a potential vulnerability: an attacker controlling over 51% of the tokens could take over the blockchain. That’s where the Governing Validators come in. A trusted group of 12 reputable institutions working together independently to ensure the network's security remains robust.
This group includes notable names like Google, Nansen, Animoca Brands, and Yield Guild Games, among others.
Standard Validators
To maximize the network’s decentralization, we have Standard Validators. Any user, company, or group can become one by meeting specific requirements. Alongside the Governing Validators, they are responsible for producing blocks and verifying transactions.
Every epoch (roughly every 10 minutes), a group of block producers is randomly selected. Out of these, 12 slots are reserved for Governing Validators, while the remaining 10 are allocated to Standard Validators based on the amount of tokens they have staked.
Inactive Validators
As the Ronin network grows, the number of validators increases as well. In July 2024, Ronin introduced Rotating Validators. With this upgrade, the set of validators producing blocks is updated every epoch (approximately every 10 minutes). This ensures all validators have a chance to produce blocks and earn rewards, creating stronger incentives for token holders to join as Validator Candidates.
Since only 22 validators are selected per epoch, the rest are considered inactive during that rotation. However, the system is dynamic—an inactive Standard Validator can become active, and vice versa, in the next epoch.
Staking: Secure the Network and earn Rewards
RON Staking lets anyone, anywhere, actively support the Ronin network while earning rewards. You can delegate your tokens to any validator based on their community contributions, uptime, and commission rate.
The more RON you stake, the greater your rewards—helping to make the blockchain more secure and decentralized in the process.
How to Stake your RON
Thanks to the Ronin staking dashboard, staking your RON is super easy and takes just a couple of clicks. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started!
- Head over to the RON staking page and click Connect Wallet at the top right corner.
- In the All Validators section, pick a validator you’d like to stake your RON with, then hit Stake.
- Enter the amount of RON you want to stake and click Delegate to proceed.
- Approve the transaction in your Ronin Wallet.
That’s it! You can keep track of your staking activity by going to the RON staking page and clicking the My Staking tab. Here, you’ll see your staked RON and the validators you’ve chosen. It’s also the place to claim and restake your rewards whenever you’re ready.
Pick the Right Validator for Staking
Choosing the right validator can make a big difference in your RON rewards. Here’s what to look for:
- Uptime: Validators with high uptime are super reliable—they keep their nodes running smoothly without interruptions.
- APR (Annual Performance Rate): A higher APR means better rewards for your staked RON.
- Total Stake: If you’re staking with a validator candidate, a bigger total stake increases their chances of being one of the 10 validators selected for block confirmation the next day.
- Governing Validators: These validators (with a green checkmark) are always guaranteed to be chosen.
Want to dig deeper? Just click on a validator’s name in the list on the RON Staking page to see more details.
Now you have everything you need to understand how validators and staking work in Ronin. Whether you’re looking to support the network, earn rewards, or even become a validator yourself, the power is in your hands. By participating, you’re not just securing the blockchain—you’re actively shaping the future of a more decentralized and resilient network. Ready to take the next step?