How do I stake ZIL?

Stake your ZIL with Atomic Wallet to earn rewards! With the launch of ZIL 2.0, staking mechanics have changed. This guide explains how to migrate your old ZIL and start staking on the new network. 

Contents

Getting started with staking

Staking looks pretty straightforward as a process—instead of just keeping your ZIL deposit on your balance, you're choosing to stake it and earn interest. Where does the interest come from, though? 

By delegating your ZIL to a validator of your choice, you're expressing your trust in them, which makes them more powerful on the Zilliqa blockchain. As validators get paid for confirming blockchain transactions, they in turn pay back to those who supported them. That's how you earn your rewards.

ZIL 2.0 101: the things you need to know

  • Old ZIL 1.0 cannot be staked or claimed in Atomic Wallet. Atomic Wallet does not support staking, unstaking, or claiming rewards on the old ZIL 1.0 network. If your ZIL is still staked on the old network, you must use Zillet wallet to manage it, including unstaking and claiming any remaining rewards on the old network.
  • Instant migration: send ZIL 1.0 to your ZIL EVM address to migrate on ZIL 2.0. Your ZIL 2.0 will be immediately available. You must send old ZIL as a regular transaction to your ZIL EVM address. After the transfer is complete, you can stake your ZIL again on the ZIL 2.0 network.
  • New staking is EVM-based, faster, and has no long unbonding period. ZIL 2.0 staking is built on an EVM-compatible architecture, which brings several changes. Faster interaction with the network. No long unstaking or lock-up periods. Improved compatibility with modern wallet infrastructure. This new model replaces the legacy staking system used on ZIL 1.0.
  • Keep an eye on fees when claiming old rewards in Zillet. If you have not claimed rewards on the old ZIL network for a long time, claiming or unstaking may require a higher available ZIL balance to cover network fees. Fees are paid from your available (unstaked) ZIL, not from the staked amount. If there is not enough available balance, the transaction may fail.
  • Rewards are earned continuously with no unbounding period Rewards continue to be earned by delegating ZIL to validators, but now the process runs on the ZIL 2.0 network. Each new block produced by the network contributes to reward distribution, meaning your rewards grow gradually over time rather than being issued as a one-time payout. With ZIL 2.0 the previous unbonding period of ~24 days is removed and becomes instant. 

Migrating your old ZIL 1.0

If you have ZIL on the old network, you need to take action:

  • If your ZIL is unstaked on the old address, simply send it to your ZIL EVM address in Atomic Wallet as a normal transaction. Once it arrives, you can start staking immediately on ZIL 2.0.
  • If your ZIL is staked on the old address, then you can use Zillet wallet to manage it. To do that, you need to access the same ZIL address that is used in Atomic Wallet. Here is step-by-step guide on how to do this:

    1. Get your ZIL private key from Atomic Wallet

    - Open Atomic Wallet.

    - Go to Settings → Private Keys.

    - Select ZIL.

    - Copy the private key.


    2. Import into Zillet

    - Open Zillet

    - Go to the official Zillet interface.

    - Click Access Wallet.

    - In Zillet, select Private Key as the access method.

    - Paste your ZIL private key.


    3. Confirm and open the wallet.

    - Verify the address

    - Make sure the ZIL address shown in Zillet matches the address in Atomic Wallet.

    - You should now see your balance and staking information.

    4. You can now unstake your ZIL directly in Zillet. The unstaking process is instant. No waiting period. After unstaking, transfer your ZIL 1.0 from Zillet to your ZIL EVM address in Atomic Wallet.

    Note: Important: If you haven’t claimed rewards on the old ZIL for a long time, ensure you have enough available ZIL on the old address to cover transaction fees in Zillet.

    How to stake ZIL 2.0 in Atomic Wallet

    1. Select the Staking tab and click ZIL EVM
    2. Click Stake ZIL

    3. Decide on the amount of ZIL to stake—and choose a validator (if applicable). You can also go with the default one, which is Atomic Wallet. Double-check everything and click Stake.

    4. Enter your password and click Confirm
    5. Success! Your ZIL EVM is now staked.
      You can click the transaction hash to track it on the blockchain. Allow a couple of minutes for the transaction to be confirmed. You will also see the staked amount here on the staking screen.
    1. Go to the Staking tab and select ZIL EVM
    2. Tap Stake
    3. Set the amount of ZIL EVM to stake and pick one of the available validators (if applicable);
    4. Enter your password and tap Confirm.
    5. Success! Your ZIL EVM is now staked. You can track it via the blockchain transaction hash.

    Rewards and claiming

    When you stake ZIL on the ZIL 2.0 network, your rewards are generated continuously, based on your staked amount and the validator’s performance. Each new block produced by the network contributes to reward distribution, meaning your rewards grow gradually over time rather than being issued as a one-time payout. Rewards are reflected on-chain and become visible in your staking interface as they accumulate.
    Compared to the old ZIL 1.0 staking model, claiming is simplified on ZIL 2.0. Network fees for claiming are generally lower and more predictable. There is no need to manage long waiting periods or complex claim cycles. Claiming rewards is still an on-chain transaction, so a network fee applies, but the process is designed to be more straightforward than before.

    Note that you aren't paying that fee to Atomic Wallet, as we don't charge any commissions on staking. These network fees are charged by the blockchain. For more details on whom you're paying and why, check our guide here.

    Unstaking ZIL 2.0

    Unstaking is instant. Click Unstake to stop earning rewards and make your ZIL available for withdrawal. There’s no waiting period as in ZIL 1.0. Once unstaked, you can either: keep your ZIL on your EVM address or send it elsewhere or restake with a different validator.

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