Staking $ZEN just went live and here's how I was up and running in minutes! There are plenty of staking guides that make a simple process feel complicated... and this isn't one of them.
With staking now live on Horizen Mainnet, the only part that catches most people out is getting their assets onto the right network. Once that's done, the rest is surprisingly straightforward.
If your ZEN is sitting on Base or on a centralized exchange, you're only a few minutes away from putting it to work. The first thing you'll need is a Web3 wallet, ZEN on Base and a small amount of ETH.
The ETH isn't for staking. It's there to cover the gas fees needed while moving assets and interacting with the network. After connecting your wallet to the Horizen staking page, adding the network takes just a click.
If your wallet doesn't support automatic setup, you can add it manually using Horizen Mainnet's Chain ID, 26514. It's a one-time step, so once it's done, you won't need to think about it again.
Most people begin on Base, which means the next stop is bridging. Start by moving a small amount of ETH from Base to Horizen Mainnet. Resist the temptation to send more than you need. Here's the full guide!
ETH can be bridged back later, but withdrawals through the Hub currently take around seven days, so a little goes a long way for transaction fees. Once your gas is sorted, bridge your ZEN using Stargate.
Select Base as the source, Horizen as the destination, approve the transaction, and wait a couple of minutes. Before long, both your ETH and ZEN will appear on Horizen Mainnet ready for staking.
From there the process couldn't be much easier. Head to the "My Position section" and choose the Stake tab, enter the amount of ZEN you want to commit, or simply press MAX if you're going all in.
Approve the token, confirm the staking transaction in your wallet, and that's it. Once the transaction settles on-chain, your staking position appears immediately. The nice thing is that everything lives in one place.
The UI also covers all steps and you can add both the network and $ZEN from here with a click! Now you start earning but remember that staking rewards are variable and high APR is not guaranteed.
Rewards can fluctuate depending on network conditions. Your balance updates automatically, your rewards begin accruing, and claiming them doesn't interrupt your staked position.
If you ever decide to exit, unstaking is just as simple. There isn't a lock-up period so you can withdraw your ZEN whenever it suits your strategy. I went early and going long term with this!
Should you want to move your assets back to Base, ZEN transfers through Stargate almost instantly, while ETH follows the Hub's withdrawal process which currently includes roughly a seven-day challenge period before funds can be claimed.
That's really the whole journey. The actual staking takes less than a minute. The only real hurdle is moving your assets onto Horizen Mainnet, and once you've done it once, every future interaction feels effortless.
Sometimes the biggest barrier isn't complexity. It's simply knowing where to begin. With $ZEN staking now live getting started has never been easier. My position is in and the rewards are stacking up!
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