Staking LUNA, the native asset of Terra, remains an appealing option for many. The overall returns are more than fair whether using a validator or Lido to retain liquidity. Getting started with staking LUNA is not too difficult either and can be done at 0% fees in many cases.
Using The Terra Station/Lido
There are a few options users can begin staking their $LUNA assets to earn staking rewards. The most popular option is using the Terra Station, an all-in-one platform providing tremendous functionality for Terra enthusiasts. It also supports staking through over six dozen validators supporting the network, making it a very potent platform.
The other option is to retain liquidity from staked assets to Lido. It is the same service provider liquidity for stakers who hold Ether and Solana. However, the rewards are a bit lower due to fees being taken. However, users will still earn daily rewards, which is more appealing to those who like “number go up” regularly.
Make sure to compare both options and figure out whether the slightly lower rewards and lack of liquidity are worth using validators over a solution like Lido.
Finding The Right Validator
Picking the right validator is essential for users who stake LUNA through the Terra Station. Several aspects may influence your decision:
Should that be of interest, it is possible to delegate LUNA across multiple validators. Every validator will depict the commission, voting power, seld-delegation percentage, and uptime. Keep in mind every transaction will have a small fee, which can be paid in $LUNA.
How Much Can You Earn?
When delegating LUNA to a validator, the current reward is 6.95% – barring any commission the validator may take. Although it is lower than Lido’s 7.9% APR, that is a respectable amount. Moreover, the latter solution provides users with LUNA liquidity through staked tokens representing their initial stake.
Staked tokens can be used across other DeFi protocols – primarily for ETH – but it is possible bLUNA or stLUNA may gain more use cases across decentralized finance protocols and platforms.
Unstaking LUNA Is Possible
Users who delegate their $LUNA to a validator can unstake, although it is a bit tricky to do so. More specifically, it takes 21 days to withdraw unstaked coins, which will not yield rewards or airdrops during those three weeks. Therefore, Redelegating may be a better option if you are dissatisfied with the validator you chose.
Those who prefer staking $LUNA through Lido will notice it is possible to withdraw any amount at any time without delays. That may prove to be a better option, particularly when combined with the higher APR that the service providers. Close to 67 million LUNA is staked on Lido today.
