Our team at Ryder understands how important innovation is in such a fast moving industry. Over the last year, we’ve launched one update after another. Stacks community, this one is for you, it’s the moment you’ve been waiting for! You can FINALLY stake your STX on Ryder One through Fast Pool!

What Is STX Staking?

Most people know you can earn yield by staking crypto. With Stacks, it works a little differently, and the difference is worth understanding before you get started. Stacks is a Layer 2 built on top of Bitcoin. It uses a consensus mechanism called Proof of Transfer, or PoX. Here's the short version: miners spend BTC to compete for new Stacks blocks. That BTC gets distributed to STX holders who have locked their tokens to support the network.

staking rewards STX holders with Bitcoin for locking up their tokens for a set period and participating as consensus-critical signers. It's one of the only ways in crypto to earn native Bitcoin yield without selling your STX.

staking happens in reward cycles of exactly 2,100 Bitcoin blocks, which works out to approximately two weeks per cycle.

Solo Staking vs. Pooled Staking

There are two ways to participate.

If you meet the minimum STX threshold, you can stake independently. If you don't, you can delegate your STX to a pool operator and have them stake on your behalf. This is the most common staking scenario.

The minimum to stake solo is significant: solo staking demands a minimum of 150,000 STX. For most people, pooled staking is the practical route.

Pooled staking is non-custodial delegation, meaning your STX don't actually leave your wallet. Pool operators have control over how they implement staking and reward distribution, so it's worth doing your research before choosing one.

How Fast Pool Works

Fast Pool is one of the most established STX staking pools available. Your STX is stacked immediately when you delegate, with no waiting once your transaction is confirmed.

Rewards are received in BTC, which is then converted to STX and paid out within two days after the last reward is received, proportional to your contribution to the pool. STX staking rewards are paid out through Ryder Earn specifically, as Fast Pool converts BTC rewards to STX via Bitflow and Fast Pool. Then the STX rewards are distributed to the pool members.

One thing to know: pool operators cannot make any APY promises about payouts. The rewards depend on how much BTC miners transfer, which nobody knows in advance. You can view historical payout data at fastpool.org/payouts to get a realistic sense of what to expect.

How to Stake STX with Ryder One

With Ryder Earn, you can stack STX directly from the Ryder App without giving up custody of your tokens. Here's how it works:

• Open the Ryder App and go to Earn.
• Select STX and you’ll see Fast Pool as your staking provider.
• Your Ryder One shows you the contract call to the Fast Pool contract, so you can see what you're signing.
• Confirm on the device. The transaction goes on-chain.
• Your tokens stay in your account. Rewards deposit automatically.

Your private keys never leave your Ryder One. Every staking action is confirmed physically on the device, the same way every other transaction works.

What Makes STX staking Different from Other Crypto

Most staking in crypto is circular: you lock Token A and earn more Token A. In staking, users lock STX and earn yield in BTC rather than the same token that was locked. The yield comes from a finite, external source: Bitcoin deposits from Stacks miners, not from the currency's own issuance schedule.

That makes STX staking one of the more structurally interesting yield opportunities in the space, and one of the few ways to accumulate Bitcoin without buying it directly.

What to Keep in Mind Before You Stake

A few things worth knowing before you get started.

Rewards are variable. Since payouts depend on miner activity, the yield you earn each cycle will fluctuate. Historical APY has ranged between 3.5 and 7%, but can always change.

Your STX locks for each cycle. With Fast Pool, you lock your STX for one cycle and can extend every cycle. Your locking period is extended by Fast Pool as a service, so you don’t have to think about it. In case you do want to withdraw from the staking pool, you have one week to stop pooling before it auto-renews.

When it comes to the minimum amount, Fast Pool recommends a minimum of 40 STX to make payouts manageable.

Start staking STX from Your Hardware Wallet

STX staking is one of the more compelling yield opportunities in crypto: Bitcoin rewards, non-custodial delegation, and a pool that's been running reliably for years. With Ryder Earn, you can access it directly from the Ryder App, with every action confirmed on your Ryder One.

Don’t have a Ryder One yet? Get yours here.

FAQ

Do my STX tokens leave my wallet when I stack with Fast Pool?

No, pooled staking is non-custodial delegation, meaning your STX don't actually leave your wallet. You delegate permission to a smart contract to stack on your behalf.

What currency are staking rewards paid in?

Rewards originate as STX from Stacks miners, which are paid out directly to your wallet.

How long are my STX locked for?

Each staking cycle is roughly two weeks. With Fast Pool, you lock for one cycle at a time and can choose to extend or stop at the end of each cycle. Fast Pool auto-renews, which means you will keep earning until you unlock your funds.

Is there a minimum to stake STX with Ryder Earn?

Fast Pool recommends a minimum of 1 STX.