![Staking on NEAR Protocol for Maximum Rewards](https://admin.infstones.com:8443/download/image/1673359844739_Staking%20on%20NEAR%20Protocol%20for%20Maximum%20Reward.png)
InfStones is pleased to announce that we’re rolling out staking support for the NEAR protocol. You can now set up a NEAR validator node through our platform, connect your NEAR wallet, and begin staking.
What is NEAR Staking?
The NEAR protocol uses "proof of stake," a blockchain consensus mechanism that selects validators in proportion to their holdings in the chain’s native currency. These validators are in charge of verifying block data and generally keeping the NEAR blockchain safe and running.
Validators are compensated with NEAR tokens in exchange for supporting the network, and the total annual staking rewards are roughly 4.5% of the total supply of NEAR (split between all validators). You also have the opportunity to earn up to a 10.6% reward yield for running a NEAR validator.
The requirements for becoming a NEAR validator are complex and often stop users from participating. However, we at InfStones have done all the legwork to make it easy for our users to become validators in just a few simple steps.
We’ve also made it super easy to manage and monitor your nodes. Everything is now available in one central location through your InfStones dashboard.
How to Create Your Own Validator and Stake on NEAR Protocol
To begin staking, you must first create a new NEAR validator node on InfStones. When launching your node, you’ll be prompted to specify a unique name for your validator pool. After that, you and other network participants will be able to select the newly registered validator pool on the NEAR wallet for staking.
![Staking on NEAR Protocol for Maximum Rewards](https://admin.infstones.com:8443/download/image/1673359932150_unnamed%20%2821%29.png)
It's also worth mentioning that you are NOT delegating NEAR tokens to others on InfStones. Instead, we allow you to set up your own validator pool so that you and other network participants can delegate your NEAR tokens. You can find specific instructions for this on our documentation page.
Sign in to your InfStones account and set up your NEAR Protocol node to begin staking your NEAR tokens.
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