It is essential for users to stake their PoS tokens with a dependable and highly performant validator, which is why we have rolled out our Verified Provider Program in June 2022. Through this program, we thoroughly scrutinize potential validators, evaluating factors such as security measures, contributions to the ecosystem, and the qualifications of the team behind them. 

You can find more information about the providers that have been verified in VPP Batch 1 and Batch 2. Validators that are part of the VPP will have a blue checkmark displayed next to their names on our website. When choosing a validator to delegate to, there are numerous factors to take into account:

Commission Rates: When staking your tokens with a validator, the commission rate represents the percentage of your rewards that the validator will retain for themselves. Super Rrepresentatives can set their commission rates as high as 20%. A high commission rate can result in lower returns for you, while a low commission rate may lead to financial difficulties for the validator in the future. It’s important to note that validators may change their commission rates at any time.

Number of Users: A large number of delegators may signal a positive reputation for a validator.

Validators Self-Staked balance: Validators with significant amounts of self-staked tokens may have a greater motivation to maintain their operations, as they have more at risk than those with lower self-staked balances. However, it’s important to keep in mind that this metric has some limitations, as validators can choose to delegate their own tokens to another validator, which is done to enhance the security of their funds.

Current Status: You can see whether the validator is currently active or not by checking the validator list shown on this page. Validators that are active have a green dot under them.

Network Share: When selecting a validator to delegate to, it’s generally advisable to avoid choosing one with the highest or lowest network share. Delegating to the most popular validators can increase the risk of centralization within the network as they will have more influence in governance and a greater share of blocks. On the other hand, choosing a validator with a low network share may be less profitable and increases the risk of them ceasing their operations. Finding the balance and choosing a validator with a moderate network share could be the best approach to keep the balance in decentralization and profitability.

Performance: To ensure the best results, it’s important to select a validator with high uptime performance. You can view a validator’s performance on the Validator Dashboard. Our suggestion is to only choose validators with an uptime performance of 99% or higher and a track record of not being slashed.

Value Add to the Ecosystem: Another way to assess the long-term vision of validators is to check if they offer additional services to their delegators, such as tax reporting tools, explorers, etc. This can be a useful filter when comparing different providers.

Native staking rewards for TRX are composed of:

Block Rewards: Super Representatives (SRs) can earn 16 TRX for each block they produce. The Tron network generates a block every 3 seconds, resulting in 460,800 TRX being generated daily. 27 SRs take turns producing blocks, and based on these parameters, each SR earns approximately 17,067 TRX per day. As a voter (i.e. delegator) to one of the 27 SRs, you can estimate your rewards based on the proportion of your staked tokens and the SR’s productivity rate.

Voting Rewards: Tron generates a voting reward of 160 TRX for each block produced, totaling 4,608,000 TRX daily. Both the 27 SRs and the 100 SRPs can receive voting rewards based on the number of votes they receive. As a voter (i.e. delegator) to an SR or Super Representative Partners (SRP), you can estimate your rewards based on the proportion of your staked tokens and the votes received by the node.

A candidate can only earn rewards if the SR candidate they vote for is among the top 127 in terms of the number of votes received.

Please note that the total annual rewards are divided by all active voters (i.e. stakers); hence, as the amount of staked tokens goes up, the reward rate goes down. 

You are welcome to play around with our Staking Calculator to get a better feel of how these metrics can influence your rewards. 

We strive to make staking as safe and transparent as possible, however, it’s important to consider factors that may influence whether a particular staking option is appropriate for you.

Slashing risk: The Tron network does not expose TRX stakers to slashing penalties. If Super Representatives misbehave on the Tron network, they can be voted out by the community. 

Unbonding risk: When staking TRX tokens, there is a lockup period of 3 days. This means that investors will not be able to sell their tokens immediately, but instead need to wait 3 days for the tokens to unbond before they can be traded again. This is something to keep in mind when deciding to stake, as the crypto markets are highly volatile.Consider keeping funds liquid if you do not intend to hold TRX long-term. 

Dropping out of the active set: The risk of a validator getting slashed or dropping out of the top 27 could result in a loss of rewards. It is important to check frequently on the status of the validator to ensure it is active, not jailed and hasn’t raised the commission fees.

Protocol security risks: There is an inherent risk that the protocol could contain unknown bugs, this risk applies not only to staking but also the investment in TRX token.

This list is not exhaustive and other risks may apply.

After delegating your TRX tokens, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• It is possible to switch your delegation from one Super Representative (SR) or Super Representative Partner (SRP) to another without waiting for the unbonding period. This may be something to consider if your current validator raises their commission rate or gets jailed for misbehavior on the chain. However, please note that once you’ve redelegated, you’ll need to wait 3 days before you can do it again.
• Keep in mind that rewards are not auto-compounded, so to maximize your returns, you may want to claim and stake your rewards more frequently. You can claim your TRX rewards once every 24 hours. However, it’s important to consider that each transaction will incur gas fees, so you may want to use our Staking Calculator to determine the optimal re-staking frequency for your amount of TRX.
• Lastly, as a participant in the Tron Ecosystem, once you have staked your tokens, you can participate in governance on Tron by voting for Super Representatives. Only the top 27 Super Representatives can participate in on-chain governance directly, by proposing and voting on the Tron network parameters, such as block generation rewards, transaction fees, etc. While your contribution and vote are highly valuable to the ecosystem, participating does not affect the sum of your rewards.

TRX is the native token of the Tron network and it is used to perform various important functions within the platform.

Token Utilities

Staking: TRX holders who have staked (i.e. voted) for any of the top 27 Super Representatives can receive a share of block rewards and voting rewards. If they have only staked to Super Representative Partners ranked 28th to 127th, they can still earn voting rewards.

Gas token: Every transaction on the network incurs a small fee that is paid to the validator in the form of TRX.

Governance: TRX token holders can participate in the Tron ecosystem by voting for Super Representatives. Only the 27 Super Representatives can directly participate in on-chain governance by proposing and voting on Tron network parameters.

Tron does not have a fixed maximum supply. The max supply can vary daily based on the number of new Tron blocks produced and the number of TRX burned from transactions.

TRX can be burned to create USDD, a dollar-pegged stablecoin issued on the Tron network. To mint USDD, users must stake TRX in a specific smart contract. Once the TRX is locked in the contract, it will be burned and the user will receive USDD in return.

Initial Distribution Breakdown 

Any tokens that have been minted can be used and staked.

Token Distribution:

• Private sale tokens: 25.7% of the initial total token supply was sold in a private sale on January 8, 2017, at a rate of 1,025,000 TRX = 1 ETH, at a price of ~$0.0003 per token.
• Public sale tokens: 40.0% of the initial total token supply was sold in a public sale on August 30, 2017, at a rate of 205,000 TRX = 1 ETH, at a price of ~$0.0015 per token.
• TRON Foundation and team: The remaining 34.3% of the initial total token supply is held by the TRON Foundation and team.

Supply Schedule

TRX is burned to create USDD, which is deliberately unpredictable to make the algorithmic stablecoin more resistant to attack. As a result, it is currently not possible to have a reliable forward supply curve model.

The Tron network utilizes the Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) consensus algorithm. Under this algorithm, token holders can vote for delegates or witnesses who are responsible for validating transactions and maintaining the blockchain. These witnesses are incentivized to act in the best interest of the network and are rewarded for their honest behavior. The DPoS algorithm also allows token holders to easily adjust the voting weights of witnesses, which enhances the decentralization of the network and helps prevent the centralization of power.

The top 27 validators, ranked by the number of votes received, are known as Super Representatives and are the only ones able to validate transactions on the network and earn both block rewards and voting rewards. The super representative candidates ranked 28th to 127th are called Super Representative Partners. They do not participate in block production or packaging transactions, but they can vote and receive voting rewards.