Delegate SHM

Delegators play a crucial role in securing the network by staking their SHM tokens with reliable validators, without running or maintaining a node themselves. Delegators earn a portion (commission) of the validators' rewards.

Before You Start Delegating

You’ll need:

1. A supported wallet (Keplr is currently supported; MetaMask support is coming soon). MetaMask users may import their wallet accounts into Keplr via SRP/private keys as needed.
2. SHM tokens for delegation
3. Approximately 750 SHM (~$0.16) in gas fees for each delegation or staking-related transaction

How to Delegate?

Here is a quick start process to delegate your SHM tokens to a validator.

• All staking operations are managed through the official dashboard
• Available features include Delegate, Undelegate, and Claim Rewards
• Scroll down to the Validators section. Each validator displays key information, including their commission rate. Click any validator to view their full profile and decide if you want to delegate your SHM to them. (We strongly recommend delegating to Foundation Validators during the early phase of the program for stable rewards and reduced risks. As the ecosystem matures, you can delegate to non-foundation validators)
• After selecting a validator, click Delegate on the right side of the validator’s row.
• Enter the amount of SHM you want to delegate, then click Delegate to confirm the transaction.
• Once delegated, you can view or claim rewards, add more delegation, or initiate an undelegation at any time from the Staking section of the dashboard.

Important Notes

1. If you’ve already delegated SHM and then choose Delegate More, Shardeum’s staking module automatically claims any pending rewards and transfers them to your wallet, while adding the additional SHM to your existing delegation. A unified transaction history view is coming soon, making it easier to track all delegation-related activity in one place.
2. Undelegation is the process of withdrawing your delegated SHM from a validator. You're signaling that you want them back - whether to redelegate them to another validator or to simply hold them in your wallet. Once undelegated, your staked tokens enter a 21-day unbonding period, during which they are locked and not earning rewards. However your accrued rewards will be sent your wallet instantly. After the 21 days are complete, your staked SHM will also be returned to your wallet. This mechanism protects network integrity while giving delegators full control of their tokens at all times.
3. For FAQs, step-by-step tutorial, and to calculate your estimate staking rewards please visit the official blog post.