To stake CRO, you delegate native CRO on the Cronos POS chain to a validator through a compatible wallet such as Keplr or the Crypto.com Onchain Wallet. Fund the wallet with native CRO, open its staking screen, pick a validator, enter an amount, and confirm. This guide covers only the self-custody path.
The move at the center of the whole process is delegation. You are not sending your CRO to anyone to hold. You assign it as backing to a validator that helps run the chain, and it stays in your control the entire time. The same handful of steps repeats across wallets, so once you can do it in one, the rest feel familiar.
What staking actually is, what it earns, and where it can go wrong sit in the companion guide to how CRO staking works; this one is the hands-on procedure.
Before you stake, get native CRO in a wallet you control
Before you can stake, you need native CRO sitting in a wallet that connects to the Cronos POS chain, such as Keplr or the Crypto.com Onchain Wallet. Native CRO is the on-chain coin whose address starts with cro, not the ERC-20 version on Ethereum and not a balance an exchange holds for you.
Native CRO is issued on the Cronos POS chain, and its addresses start with cro. The version of CRO that trades as an ERC-20 token on Ethereum uses a 0x address, and a balance an exchange shows in your account is a record kept by that exchange, not coins on the POS chain (source: Cronos POS, EVM and zkEVM FAQ). Only native CRO in a wallet you control can be delegated to a validator, so getting that part right first saves a lot of confusion later.
If you do not hold any yet, the walkthrough on how to buy CRO covers the safe way to get some, and setting up a Cronos wallet covers the wallet itself. A few wallets connect to the Cronos POS chain for staking.
| Wallet | What it is | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Keplr | A self-custody browser and mobile wallet for Cosmos-style chains | Full control, and it pairs with a Ledger hardware device |
| Crypto.com Onchain Wallet | A self-custody app with a built-in Earn tab | A short, few-tap flow on mobile |
One habit to build in from the start: never stake every last coin. Every on-chain action costs a small fee paid in CRO, so keep a little spare in the same wallet to cover staking, claiming, and unstaking later.
How to stake CRO by delegating to a validator
Staking CRO takes the same shape in any self-custody wallet: open the staking screen, select the Cronos POS chain, choose a validator, enter an amount, and approve the transaction. Your CRO is delegated to that validator, which helps run the chain and shares its rewards with you after taking a commission.
Underneath the different apps, the mechanism is the same. Delegating hands your CRO to a validator as backing while it stays yours, and the validator processes transactions and shares its rewards after taking a commission. The steps below are specific to Cronos POS. For the general proof of stake model and how staking works, use the base explainers.
Here is the flow in Keplr, a popular wallet for Cosmos-style chains (source: Cronos POS Chain, staking with Keplr):
- Install the Keplr extension or app, then create or import your wallet, or connect a Ledger device.
- Add the Cronos POS chain, open the Keplr Dashboard, and select Cronos POS.
- Click Stake to see the active validators, each shown with its voting power, commission, and reward rate.
- Pick a validator, enter an amount, and leave a little CRO spare for fees.
- Approve and sign the transaction, then wait for confirmation.
The Crypto.com Onchain Wallet keeps it to a few taps through its Earn tab (source: Cronos POS Chain delegation guide):
- Open the app and tap Earn on the bottom bar.
- Tap Start Earning, select CRO, and enter the amount to stake.
- Choose a validator from the list, which flags any that already hold a large share of voting power.
- Tap Confirm Stake and authorize with your passcode.
- Wait for the on-chain confirmation, and your staked CRO then shows on the Earn screen.
How to choose a validator
Choosing a validator is the most important decision you make, because your stake shares that validator's fate. Look at four things: its commission, its uptime and track record, how much voting power it already holds, and whether it has ever been penalized. Spreading stake away from the largest validators also helps keep the chain decentralized.
Start with the numbers the wallet shows you. A validator's commission is the cut it takes from your rewards, so a very high fee eats your return, while a rock-bottom one can be a sign the operator is not sustainable. Uptime and track record matter because a validator that goes offline for too long, or signs conflicting blocks, can be penalized, and a slice of the stake behind it can be destroyed, yours included (source: Cronos POS Chain slashing module). That shared fate is why the choice carries real weight, and the full mechanics of slashing sit in the concept guide on CRO staking.
| What to weigh | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Commission | The validator's cut of your rewards. Very high eats returns; very low can be unsustainable. |
| Uptime and track record | A validator that goes offline too long can be penalized, and you share the loss. |
| Voting power | Backing an already-huge validator weakens the chain, and wallets nudge you elsewhere. |
| Past penalties | A record of being slashed or jailed is a warning sign. |
Wallets and the chain both push you toward decentralization. The Crypto.com Onchain Wallet suggests avoiding validators that already hold a large share of voting power, and Keplr shows each validator's voting power, commission, and reward rate so you can compare them before you commit (source: Keplr, stake with validators). The healthier move is often a capable validator lower down the list, not the biggest one.
Claiming rewards and restaking your CRO
Staking rewards accrue block by block, but they are not added to your stake automatically, so you claim them yourself. Claiming is a separate transaction that costs a small fee, which is why many stakers claim less often and then restake the rewards to compound them. Any advertised rate is a moving number, not a promise.
In a self-custody wallet you claim manually. In Keplr you open the dashboard and click Claim, then approve the transaction, and the reward lands in your available balance. The Crypto.com Onchain Wallet claims your pending rewards for you whenever you add to the same delegation, and lets you claim on demand otherwise. Because each claim costs a fee, many stakers do it less often and then stake the rewards again to compound them.
How much you earn is left out of this guide on purpose, because it is not a fixed figure. A wallet may show an estimated reward rate, but read it as a moving number set by the network, not a rate you are guaranteed to keep. What determines that rate, and where the rewards come from, is covered in the concept guide on CRO staking.
How to unstake CRO, and the 28-day wait
To unstake, you undelegate your CRO, which starts a 28-day unbonding period set by the Cronos POS chain. During that wait your coins are locked, earn nothing, and cannot be moved, then they return to your wallet automatically. Switching validators through redelegation avoids the wait, but the moved CRO is then locked for 28 days.
To start the clock, you undelegate in your wallet: in Keplr you click your validator and choose Undelegate; in the Crypto.com Onchain Wallet you open your CRO staking screen, tap the menu, and choose Unstake. Either way, the coins move into an unbonding state and return to your available balance on their own once the 28 days pass, with nothing to claim at the end.
The 28-day wait is a network rule, not a fee. The staking parameters set unbonding_time to 2,419,200 seconds and max_entries to seven for unbonding delegation or redelegation (source: Cronos POS Chain staking module). The same rules keep an active set of 100 validators securing the chain.
If your goal is only to move to a different validator, you do not have to unbond. Redelegating switches your stake without the 28-day gap. The Cronos POS delegation guide says CRO on the receiving validator cannot be redelegated again for 28 days, which stops rapid hopping. Any rewards you had already earned are paid out to you when you unstake or switch.
Self-custody delegation and an exchange Earn product are different routes. For product-specific BloFin instructions, use BloFin's Earn and staking guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between staking CRO myself and using an exchange's CRO Earn product?
They are two different routes to earning on CRO. Staking yourself means you hold the keys, choose the validator, and live with the 28-day unbonding wait and manual claiming. An exchange Earn product hands your CRO to the platform, which runs the position for you, usually with fewer steps and its own lock-up and payout terms, in return for trusting it to hold your coins. The trade-off is control and on-chain transparency on one side, convenience on the other, so which fits depends on how hands-on you want to be.
Do I have to keep my wallet or device connected while my CRO is staked?
No. Once your delegation is confirmed on-chain, it keeps working whether or not your wallet app is open. You are backing a validator that runs the infrastructure, so the uptime that matters is the validator's, not your device's. You can close the app, shut down the computer, or unplug a Ledger, and the stake keeps accruing rewards. You only reconnect the same wallet when you want to claim rewards, add to the position, switch validators, or start unstaking.
Can I stake to more than one validator from the same wallet?
Yes. A single wallet can delegate to several validators at once, and each delegation is tracked on its own with its own rewards to claim. Splitting a larger position across two or three validators means one validator's downtime or penalty only touches the slice you gave it, not your whole stake. The cost is a bit more admin: each delegation is a separate claim, and every claim carries its own small fee, so very small splits can cost more than they save. Many people size the split to how much they are staking.
What happens to my staked CRO if I lose access to my wallet or seed phrase?
The same way it would for any self-custody coin: your staked CRO is tied to your wallet's keys, not held by the validator or an app, so whoever controls the seed phrase controls the stake. Lose the seed with no backup and the staked CRO and any unclaimed rewards are gone, because staking adds no separate recovery path. Delegating does not lock the keys away either; you sign each action with the same wallet. This is why a safe, offline backup of your seed phrase matters as much for staked CRO as for coins you hold.
Is there a minimum amount of CRO I can stake?
On the Cronos POS chain there is no fixed minimum to delegate, so you can stake a small amount to try the process. The practical floor is set by fees: since staking, claiming, and unstaking each cost a small amount of CRO, a very tiny stake can earn less than it costs to manage. Exchange Earn products may set their own minimums. Starting small to learn the steps, then adding more once you are comfortable, is a sensible approach.
Can I stake CRO on a Ledger hardware wallet?
Yes. Keplr pairs with a Ledger device, so you can delegate and claim while your keys stay on the hardware. You install the Cronos POS app on the Ledger through Ledger Live, connect it to Keplr, then stake through the Keplr Dashboard as usual, approving each transaction on the device. This keeps the signing keys offline, which is the main security reason to use a hardware wallet for a position you plan to hold.
Researched and written by the BloFin Academy editorial team with AI-assisted drafting. Updated July 2026. Primary sources: the Cronos POS chain documentation, the crypto-org-chain project on GitHub, and the Keplr wallet documentation.
This article is educational and general in nature, not financial or investment advice. Staking and holding cryptocurrencies like CRO carry real risks, including price volatility, validator slashing, lock-up and unbonding periods, changes to staking rewards through governance, smart-contract and wallet errors, and the chance of losing funds sent on the wrong network. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy, sell, stake, or hold any asset. Do your own research, and consider a licensed professional before making financial decisions. BloFin does not provide investment advice.