How to Stake IOTA

1. What you need

• Token: IOTA (the native token of the IOTA network, now running the Move-based "IOTA Rebased" protocol).
• Wallet: The official IOTA Wallet browser extension. It supports Ledger and OneKey hardware wallets for cold staking.
• Minimum stake: No fixed protocol minimum — your wallet sets a small practical minimum, so you can start with a modest amount.
• Commission: Spectrum's IOTA validator currently charges 5% on rewards. Confirm the live rate in the explorer or your wallet before staking.

Delegation here wraps your tokens into a self-custodial stake object linked to your own address — your IOTA never leaves your control.

2. Stake IOTA step by step

1. Install the IOTA Wallet. Add the official IOTA Wallet extension and create or import your account. Save your recovery phrase offline.
2. Fund it with IOTA. Withdraw IOTA from an exchange to your IOTA address.
3. Open staking. In the wallet, open the Staking section and choose Stake / Start staking.
4. Find Spectrum. Select Spectrum from the validator list, or verify our validator address 0xd4e16657f0da1fa4d99009c3829cf3794c987871d6746be0e241195651f6326a.
5. Enter an amount and confirm. Choose how much IOTA to stake and approve. Your stake becomes active from the next epoch boundary.

You can also review Spectrum's validator and start staking from the IOTA explorer.

3. Rewards

Staking rewards come from newly minted IOTA each epoch (about 24 hours) and are shared among delegators in proportion to their stake, minus the validator's commission. You earn rewards only for epochs in which your stake was active for the whole epoch. Your exact rate varies with network conditions; see the live estimated APY on the IOTA card on our homepage.

4. Unstaking IOTA

You can request unstaking at any time. The transaction unwraps your stake object and returns both your original stake (principal) and any accrued rewards to your wallet at the end of the epoch in which you unstake — with ~24-hour epochs, that usually means waiting until the current epoch closes. There is no penalty for unstaking.

5. Risks

• Non-custodial by design. Your IOTA is held in a self-custodial stake object tied to your address. Spectrum never holds your tokens or keys — protect your wallet recovery phrase.
• No principal slashing. IOTA does not confiscate delegators' staked tokens. Under the network's tallying rule, a poorly performing validator receives only a fraction of that epoch's rewards, which can lower your yield but not your principal.
• Validator performance. Choosing a reliable, well-monitored validator matters because rewards depend on uptime and good behavior. Spectrum runs 24/7 monitoring to keep performance high.