TRON uses delegated proof-of-stake. Blocks are produced by 27 Super Representatives (SRs), elected continuously by token holders. Staking TRX — under the current Stake 2.0 model — does two things at once:

• It grants network resources. You choose to receive either Energy (for smart contract execution) or Bandwidth (for ordinary transfers), letting you transact without burning TRX on fees.
• It grants TRON Power. This is your voting weight, which you cast for Super Representatives.

Staking alone earns nothing. You must cast your votes to receive voting rewards — this is the single most common reason people find their TRX earning zero. Once voted, you share in the rewards generated by the SRs you backed.

Crucially, each Super Representative decides what proportion of its rewards to pass back to voters. Payout ratios vary enormously across SRs, from nothing at all to nearly everything. Two people staking identical amounts of TRX can therefore earn very different returns purely based on who they voted for.

Rewards accumulate as a claimable balance and do not compound automatically. You claim them and can restake and re-vote to compound.

Native staking and voting — Stake from a self-custody wallet such as TronLink. You pick Energy or Bandwidth, then allocate your TRON Power to one or more Super Representatives. You keep custody throughout and earn whatever payout ratio your chosen SRs offer. This route gives you the most control and, with a well-chosen SR, the best net rate.

Exchange staking — A centralized exchange stakes and votes on your behalf. It removes the two-step setup and the need to research SR payout ratios, but the exchange custodies your TRX and keeps a share of the rewards.

Choosing a Super Representative is the decision that matters. Because the protocol rate is the same for everyone and the SR's payout ratio is not, comparing ratios is far more consequential on TRON than picking a validator is on most other chains. It is worth checking both the advertised ratio and whether the SR has paid consistently.

The calculator above uses the live TRON reward rate, so you can compare what a given amount of TRX earns across time horizons and providers with their actual fees applied.

Staking TRX has a different risk profile from bonded proof-of-stake networks:

• No slashing — TRON does not slash staked TRX. Your principal is not at risk from Super Representative misbehaviour, which removes the tail risk found on networks like Cosmos.
• Unstaking delay — Under Stake 2.0 there is a 14-day waiting period after you unstake before the TRX becomes available. During that window the tokens earn nothing and cannot be moved.
• Voting is required — Staked but unvoted TRX earns no rewards at all. It still grants you resources, but the yield is zero until votes are cast.
• Payout ratios can change — Super Representatives can alter what they share with voters, and some advertise high ratios without consistently honouring them. Reviewing your votes periodically protects your effective rate.
• Manual compounding — Rewards sit idle until claimed. If you never claim and re-vote, your effective annual yield is meaningfully lower than a compounding equivalent.
• Price volatility and tax — Rewards are paid in TRX, so fiat returns track the token price, and staking rewards are typically taxable as income when received. Consult a local tax professional.