The validator ecosystem creates a delegation market where you can amplify your earnings by choosing validators to support. Delegating is one of the most impactful things you can do for your XP earnings — it boosts everything you earn, not just lottery participation.
Delegation is currently closed and was only open before the start of Season 2, during "The Decision"
What delegation gives you
When you delegate to a validator, you receive:
A 1.2x bonus on all your XP earnings. This applies across every earning activity — yield from vouching, market positions, content contributions, everything. It's not limited to lottery winnings.
Eligibility for weekly epoch rewards. When your validator wins the weekly lottery, you receive a proportional share of the prize pool based on your staked XP amount.
Community membership. You become part of a validator's community, which can provide guidance, governance participation, and social benefits within the network.
The delegation tax
A small percentage of your delegator earnings flows to your validator. This tax funds validator operations and creates sustainable economics for those who invest in building communities.
The rate is set low enough that delegation remains attractive while providing meaningful validator compensation. The tax aligns long-term incentives: validators earn more when their delegators earn more, creating natural motivation for validators to help their communities succeed.
This stands in contrast to systems where validators extract fixed fees regardless of delegator outcomes — here, validator success is directly coupled to delegator success.
How to choose a validator
Since your earnings are tied to your validator's activity and engagement, choosing the right one matters. Validators with engaged delegator pools have better lottery odds. Validators who are personally active (high credibility, long streaks, multiple NFTs) amplify the community's eligibility weighting.
The market for delegation creates accountability without requiring explicit enforcement mechanisms. Validators who neglect their communities lose delegators to more attentive alternatives. Community quality emerges from competitive dynamics rather than top-down rules.
Delegation vs. holding Validator NFTs
Delegation offers a path to participate in the validator economy without the capital requirements of holding Validator NFTs directly. You effectively pool your earning potential, trading some autonomy for the benefits of community membership and lottery exposure. This democratizes access to validator-tier rewards.
For active participants, the compounding effect of delegation bonuses across all earning activities can significantly amplify total XP earnings over time — making delegation particularly attractive for users who engage consistently across multiple network features.