How to stake BTC with Babylon
Everything you need to know about staking BTC with Babylon and information on how the greater network functions.
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Everything you need to know about staking BTC with Babylon and information on how the greater network functions.
Last updated
Was this helpful?
CATEGORY
DETAILS
Chorus One Validator
Recommended Wallets
Track Your Stake
Activation Period
10 BTC blocks for the stake to activate
Unstaking Period
7 days to unbond or a maximum stake duration of 65 weeks
When setting up your wallet please follow these guidelines:
Avoid using hardware wallets like Ledger unless Keystone QR code support is enabled.
Do not use wallets holding Bitcoin Inscriptions/Ordinals.
Use Native SegWit or Taproot address formats.
Babylon allows Bitcoin holders to stake their BTC for PoS blockchains without relying on third-party custody, bridges, or wrapping. Traditionally, Bitcoin has been seen as a store of value, but Babylon expands its utility by enabling Bitcoin to play an active role in securing various PoS ecosystems.
This is achieved through a trust-minimized protocol that connects Bitcoin holders with the demand for network security across multiple blockchain systems, including PoS chains.
If you're interested, you can read our comprehensive overview of Babylon here.
To dive right into the staking guide, head to: How to stake BTC with Babylon or check our the latest about Babylon's Phase 3 here.
Note: Babylon is a developing network and currently the full functionality of Babylon has not been rolled out yet. Please see the Babylon Timeline section below for more info.
For information and staking support for Phase 3, please read on or review the following guide: Babylon Cap 3 is Live: Stake Your Bitcoin (BTC) with Chorus One
Or see the guide from Staking Rewards: Bitcoin Staking on Babylon
As the network is participating in a phased rollout, the full scope and functionality of Babylon is not yet live. Babylon’s mainnet launch is divided into three distinct phases, each with specific goals and functionalities:
So far, there have been three openings for users to stake their BTC in a non-custodial manner to participate in the network.
As the network continues to develop it is recommended to follow Chorus One on Twitter/X, Babylon Foundation on Twitter/X, as well as the Chorus One Blog for new updates.
Future updates to the network will see the PoS network BabylonChain go live in the near future with further expansion and utility planned from there.
You can also read more about Babylon's planned phases here and the most recent Phase 3 staking cap that opened on December 10th, 2024.
Babylon BTC staking for Cap 3 went live on December 10, 2024 at BTC block 874,088 (around 11:00 UTC). With this new cap, Bitcoin holders can now stake their BTC seamlessly and earn rewards while contributing to the evolution of the Bitcoin ecosystem.
Cap 3 introduces new limits and features that make this staking opportunity both exciting and accessible:
🌟 Start Block: 874,088
⏳ Duration: 1,000 BTC blocks (~1 week)
🔒 Minimum Stake Per Transaction: 0.005 BTC
🔓 Maximum Stake Per Transaction: 5,000 BTC
🏆 Rewards:
First 300 BTC blocks: 100,000 points per block
Remaining 700 BTC blocks: 21,000 points per block
You can view your BTC stake by connecting your compatible wallet to the Staking Terminal.
After you submit your stake, it will require 10 additional BTC blocks to pass in order for your stake to transition from pending to active, at which point it will begin earning BBN points.
Babylon is a Bitcoin Staking Protocol that provides shared security for PoS systems and allows Bitcoin holders to delegate their BTC to Finality Providers, (similar to Validators in other contexts) who can then provide Bitcoin security to a consumer PoS chain or DA (Data Availability) layer.
BabylonChain, on the other hand, is built on the Cosmos SDK which receives security from the Babylon Bitcoin Staking Protocol and acts as the first chain that Finality Providers can support.
However, Babylon plans to support different PoS systems from various blockchain ecosystems and provide them access to shared security collateral via staked BTC.
The Babylon protocol operates as a modular plug-in compatible with various PoS consensus protocols, serving as a foundational component for building restaking protocols. The core component, the 'control plane' (Babylon Chain), manages several critical functions:
Timestamping Service: Ensures synchronization with the Bitcoin network.
Stake Matching: Matches Bitcoin stakes with PoS chains and tracks staking/validation information.
Finality Signature Recording: Records the finality signatures of PoS chains.
This guide will show you how to stake your Bitcoin (BTC) to Babylon via Chorus One’s Finality Provider using Babylon Lab's Staking Interface or you can use the Chorus One BTC Staking Dashboard.
Bitcoin (BTC) staking on Babylon was first activated at BTC block height 857909.
The initial staking cap for Babylon’s Phase 1 was 1,000 BTC and is now closed.
Phase 2 opened in early October 2024. This slot has also now filled.
Phase 3 opened on December 10th 2024 and will be open for 1,000 BTC blocks (~1 week)
Minimum BTC stake per transaction: 0.005 BTC
Maximum BTC stake per transaction: 5,000 BTC
Currently the Babylon Foundation recommends using the OKX wallet, although other wallets are possible. The OKX browser extension can be found here.
Hardware wallets are not supported at this time, except for the Keystone wallet via QR code or the OneKey.
A few important warnings:
Using other hardware wallets through any means (such as connection to a software/extension/mobile wallet) can lead to permanent inability to withdraw the stake.
Also, please do not connect or use a Bitcoin wallet holding BRC-20, ARC-20, Runes, or other NFTs or Bitcoin-native assets (other than BTC).
Failure to do so could result in the loss of those assets.
Begin by installing the OKX wallet browser extension, setting up a seed phrase (which should be stored securely) and then deposit your BTC before proceeding to the next step.
When setting up and funding your OKX wallet, it is important to remember:
Do not use a hardware a wallet such as Ledger (exception Keystone via QR code) either directly or through other software wallets.
Do not use a wallet that holds any Bitcoin Inscriptions.
Please be sure to use either Native Segwit or Taproot address formats.
Navigate to Babylon's staking interface via Chorus One or use the Chorus One BTC Staking Dashboard via Staking Rewards.
The guide below covers the steps performed via Babylon Labs.
For the steps performed via the Staking Rewards interface, please see this guide.
Connect your wallet by clicking on the orange button in the bottom-right of the screen.
Next you will be prompted to review and accept the terms then choose the OKX wallet to connect.
Next you will see your wallet connected to the interface. This will give you a readout of your previous staking history, TVL, time left in the staking window (if applicable) and other finality providers to choose from.
You will also see a section titled 'Step 2: Set up staking terms'
This will be where you can choose how much BTC with wish to stake
There may be a minimum amount required to stake.
Next, you will want to enter how much BTC you wish to stake and which finality provider to use.
Note: If you recently received BTC to your OKX wallet, it will need to be confirmed on the network before you can stake it.
Shown below, you can use the search bar to look for Chorus One.
Simply click on it to select it as your finality provider, then enter the amount of BTC you wish to stake.
To begin your stake, click on 'Preview' which will prompt you to review and sign the transaction.
Note: Network fees can often spike when many users are trying to stake BTC at one.
It is advisable to select 'Use Custom' directly about the 'Preview' button to set a custom fee well about the current sat/VB fee rate listed on Mempool. (example shown below)
Once you've clicked on 'Preview' to begin submitting the transaction, you will be given a chance to review and approve the transaction.
The maximum staking time is 65 weeks, after which your BTC will be unstaked.
Once you stake is accepted, you can remove it at any time by initiating a 7 day unbonding period.
Once your initial BTC staking transaction is confirmed, it will require 10 more BTC blocks to pass before you will start earning BBN points for your stake.
After clicking 'Stake' you will be prompted to approve and sign the transaction in your OKX wallet.
Simply click 'Confirm' and your transaction will be submitted!
Once you've submitted your transaction, you will see the Babylon dashboard again.
Under the section titled 'Staking history' you will see your pending stake.
Please note that your stake will remain pending until it reaches 10 block confirmations.
This is why it is important that if there is any time window limitation, please set your transaction fees higher than normal to ensure your BTC stake is accepted in time.
As long as it reaches 1 confirmation before any applicable staking window closes, you will be good to go!
Below we can see the staking history in depth.
Please note that your stake will remain as pending until your transaction reaches 10 BTC block confirmations.
After 10 BTC block confirmation have been reached, your stake will change to active, and you will also see the 'Unbond' button become available.
This can be used to unstake your BTC and initiate to 7 day unbonding period.
You can review your staked balances from the Babylon dashboard after connecting your OKX wallet.
Alternatively you can use the Staking Rewards Dashboard to review your active BTC staking. (shown below)
Below you can see and example of the Babylon Labs dashboard which shows:
Total network metrics along the top row of the dashboard.
Your staking summary along the second row of the dashboard.
Staking finality providers in the middle.
Your staking history towards the bottom of the dashboard.
To unstake your BTC from Babylon, simply navigate to your staking history and click on 'Unbond'.
You will then be prompted with a message about the details on the unbonding transaction.
The unbonding period is 1,008 BTC blocks (~7 days).
If you wish to unstake, click on 'Proceed' and your OKX wallet will prompt you with a transaction to sign, illustrated below.
To begin your unstaking, approve the transaction. Your BTC will begin the 7 day unbonding process, after which you will be able to withdraw your BTC from the Babylon Labs interface or the Staking Rewards Dashboard.
And that's it! You've successfully unstaked your BTC from Babylon.
If you are an institutional investor looking to stake BTC through Babylon with Chorus One, please reach out to us via our staking request form or at staking@chorus.one
