Are you looking to stake your VARA and earn a yield? &nbsp;Follow this step-by-step guide which covers everything you need to start staking VARA today.&nbsp;<h2>Where to buy Vara Network (VARA)</h2>You can get VARA tokens at a cryptocurrency exchange or within select wallets. You should always do your own research when selecting a reputable cryptocurrency exchange. For best security, it is not recommended to leave your tokens on an exchange, but transfer them to your non-custodial or cold/hardware wallet after procuring them. You can buy VARA here:<ul><li><a href="https://www.coinbase.com/advanced-trade/spot/VARA-USD">Coinbase</a></li><li><a href="https://gate.io/trade/VARA_USDT?ref=3018394">Gate.io</a></li></ul>&nbsp;<h3>Vara Network (VARA) wallets</h3>Vara Network has a variety of non-custodial wallets for you to choose from. We recommend that you use a hardware wallet such as Ledger otherwise we suggest using Talisman wallet because it has the best UX and is well respected in the Vara Network and Kusama community. Compatible wallets include:<ul><li><a href="https://www.ledger.com/">Ledger</a></li><li><a href="https://www.talisman.xyz/">Talisman</a></li><li><a href="https://subwallet.app/">Subwallet</a></li><li><a href="https://www-enkrypt-com.webpkgcache.com/doc/-/s/www.enkrypt.com/networks/vara-wallet/">Enkrypt</a></li><li><a href="https://polkadot.js.org/apps/#/accounts">Polkadot.js</a></li></ul>&nbsp;<h2>How do I choose Vara Network pools?</h2>Please refer to the FAQ section titled ‘How do I choose Vara Network pools’ on&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.stakingrewards.com/asset/vara-network">VARA asset page</a> when selecting Vara Network pools. Also, you may want to utilize our criteria for verifying providers through the Staking&nbsp;Rewards Verified Provider Program (VPP).&nbsp;<h2>How Staking Rewards for Vara Network (VARA) are Generated</h2>Learn more about how rewards are generated in the FAQ section titled ‘How are the staking rewards generated?’ on the <a href="https://www.stakingrewards.com/asset/vara-network">VARA asset page</a>.&nbsp;<h2>How to stake Vara Network (VARA)</h2>There are four ways to stake Vara Network (VARA) natively:&nbsp;<ol><li>Joining a nomination pool (Beginner)</li></ol>Have less VARA or don’t want to manage your own nominations? Join a nomination pool with as little as 1 VARA. Pool members split rewards and penalties proportionally.&nbsp;<ol><li>Nominating directly (Intermediate)</li></ol>Nominators select trustworthy validators and earn rewards in return. Nominators can lose a portion of their staked VARA if a chosen validator misbehaves.&nbsp;<ol><li>Opening a nomination pool</li></ol>Confident in your ability to select trustworthy validators? Open your own nomination pool and allow others to join and pool their stake. Build a community and reputation as an expert nominator.&nbsp;<ol><li>Running a validator</li></ol>Validating is for more technical users who secure the network and produce blocks on the Relay Chain. Validators are rewarded for good behavior, and can lose VARA for bad behavior.This tutorial will walk you through how you can join a nomination pool.&nbsp;<h3>Step 1: Make sure you have a Talisman wallet</h3>As a popular wallet in the Vara Network ecosystem, Talisman offers users the ability to stake tokens, access blockchain apps, and manage multiple tokens in one wallet. Simply connect your Ledger to Talisman wallet or use Talisman wallet directly to stake VARA. Install the&nbsp;<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/talisman-polkadot-wallet/fijngjgcjhjmmpcmkeiomlglpeiijkld">Talisman browser extension</a> and deposit your tokens into this wallet before continuing onto step 2.&nbsp;<h3>Step 2: Go to the Vara Network&nbsp;<a href="https://staking.vara.network/#/overview">staking portal</a> and click “Nominate”</h3>After connecting your wallet, click on “Nominate” on the left panel and then click “Start Nominating”.&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/P_kmGprJR1idRlIWhaBU0xFZymtxOeKTAnVwv5-qUXSKhP9x6ma1X5jIjDmbATDfZHB5iVoE9vOycI87g1lhXzB0W66fDfvEKYH6Y2xQXdkdNBelGwYROAbQ4G7Z428ym8OsPqFPvnNZ34pPoi82jvA" width="624" height="277">&nbsp;&nbsp;Next, you will have the option to choose your&nbsp;“Payout Destination”.&nbsp;You have two options:<ul><li>&nbsp;Compound: Rewards are automatically re-staked and bonded.</li><li>To Your Account:&nbsp;Rewards are deposited into your account.</li></ul>Select the option that suits your preferences and click "Continue" to proceed.<img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/pH8_hbeo9Tq2x9rlVu9KuoCuzK68QnseqQNvccw0AGEo6JLM9nzPBqNu65yf_lsHhxPbT6IihU0sTO-p9TxOK1i05OcXzhqLaa8Uc1xDSr17uIVK4Gi8LiIV8DPiDHSf_roriDhw3UF1uXt4vFFT3VM" width="624" height="279">&nbsp;Now you need to nominate to a validator, you have two options here:<ul><li>Automatic Optimal Selection:&nbsp;This feature selects validators for you based on their performance and rewards. It's an excellent option if you're unsure about which validators to nominate.</li><li>Manual Selection:&nbsp;If you want more control over your nominations, opt for manual selection. Carefully choose the validators you wish to nominate. Nominating multiple validators can help diversify your risk.</li></ul><img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/yJsAgoXdGArNQRTLEwNrMDNq50eQsYjlYe_R1abN5eJfHdli_gkxt6BDAR3vOuGNLAT9jeaQkjcW8CidlU86LbfFaGqpExmhabe4AwDGP2DA3XyLIrXnKIlQaWGkN5maPvYKiSiDO3uCBgwaiBNSI0w" width="624" height="281">&nbsp;Define how much VARA you want to nominate and then click “Start Nominating” and sign the transaction.<img src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/lLJ60o7IsmFGeO7px2FeJ_R__y2_phK7eMrxOa6A4uav-36TDJjrwfiLGkbxs6W7PRTWh4s-hl8V9A_t0imFRQM59pul5kAoLVUiFPKaag5h_RpdZ63xzO_Md6vKM3X9OShnFcSLw2FExxeZTvECCGw" width="624" height="277">&nbsp;Congratulations! You have now staked your VARA tokens and will start earning those juicy staking rewards.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>Step 4: Track your staking portfolio</h3><ul><li>Track your Vara Network staking rewards on the&nbsp;<a href="https://staking.vara.network/#/payouts">Vara Network staking dashboard</a></li><li>Monitor governance proposals on Vara Network network that may impact the staking mechanism</li><li>Track the current and historical reward rates, validator count, number of unique Vara Network staking wallets, and staking ratio of the Vara Network network by visiting the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stakingrewards.com/earn/vara-network/">Vara Network asset page</a>. To make better staking decisions, it's essential to understand these relevant data points. To learn how these data points could impact your staking rewards, please read more in the FAQ sections named&nbsp;‘How do I choose Vara Network pooled’ and&nbsp;‘How are the rewards generated’ on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stakingrewards.com/earn/vara-network/">Vara Network asset page.</a></li></ul>&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>Step 5: How to unstake Vara Network (VARA)?</h3>To unstake your VARA tokens, follow the steps below:&nbsp;<ul><li>For direct nominators, click the Unstake button in the&nbsp;<a href="https://staking.vara.network/#/nominate">Nominate</a> section.</li><li>As a Pool member, click&nbsp;Manage and then select the Leave pool&nbsp;option. Your funds will be unbonded, and your account will exit the nomination pool.</li></ul>&nbsp;&nbsp;<h3>Maximizing Staked VARA</h3>Now that you have staked your VARA, you have four options which can be used to change your position. These options appear on the&nbsp;<a href="https://staking.vara.network/#/overview">Vara Network Staking Portal</a>. The options are:Stake moreYou can increase your bond in the pool by nominating more VARA.&nbsp;Restake rewardIf you select your staking rewards to be re-staked. When you first start nominating, you can select a rewards destination, either increasing your stake (thus compounding) or not.Claim rewardRewards are split pro rata among the actively bonded members. Therefore, the staking rewards for members will be the same as if they were nominators. Slashes can also be applied proportionally to members who have been actively bonded.&nbsp;A member can claim their portion of any rewards that have accumulated since the previous time they claimed (or, in the case that they have never claimed, any rewards that have accumulated since the era after they joined). Adding to your bond, unbonding, or making a change to your stake in the pool in ANY way, will automatically trigger your rewards to be claimed.&nbsp;UnbondMembers can choose between three options when it comes to unbonding from the pool:<ul><li>"Unbond": Remove a portion of your tokens from the pool</li><li>"Unbond to minimum": Unbond all but the minimum amount needed to remain a member.</li><li>"Leave pool": Use this option if intending to unbond all funds.</li></ul>&nbsp;Note that you cannot rebond during the unbonding period with a nomination pool. If you change your mind, you must wait for the unbonding period to end before you can join a nomination pool again.&nbsp;<h2>Conclusion</h2>Staking is essential to Proof-of-Stake blockchains and comes with many benefits for investors and the network:<ul><li>Investors earn yield from token emissions and/or transaction fees.</li><li>Stakers become eligible for airdrops as many networks prioritize granting these benefits to them.</li><li>Staking helps to secure the network</li><li>Staking from multiple participants helps decentralize the network</li><li>Stakers can participate in governance, as many PoS networks allocate governance rights based on the amount of tokens staked.</li></ul>&nbsp;Congratulations! You are now not only getting the most out of your investment with compounded returns. YOU are also (in-)directly contributing to the decentralization, and the network security of Vara Network and thus contributing to the long-term success of your investment! Vara Network needs active stakers like you to become successful long-term.&nbsp;Now share the tutorial with your friends so they can get to start staking as well!&nbsp;Lastly, don’t forget to check out the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stakingrewards.com/earn/vara-network/">Vara Network (VARA) asset page</a> for more insights into staking VARA, and drop us a&nbsp;<a href="mailto:content@stakingrewards.com">message</a> if you found this tutorial useful. Happy staking!

How to Stake VARA

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