Start your staking journey or explore more information about staking on Polkadot's Home Page.Discover the new Staking Dashboard that makes staking much easier and check our extensive article list to help you get started.
‼️ IMPORTANTPolkadot-JS UI is a web wallet meant for power users and developers. For everyday use, there are several user-friendly wallets funded by the Polkadot Treasury that support a plethora of features and platforms. Discover them on Polkadot's homepage.
You can decide to unbond (unstake) and stop being a nominator at any time. However, please note that there is an unbonding period, which serves as a cooldown, during which you will not receive rewards. You will be able to make your tokens transferable after this time has passed. Currently, the unbonding period lasts 28 days on Polkadot and 7 days on Kusama.
ℹ️ INFOIf you are unbonding because you have less than the minimum amount needed for staking, please check out these options.
‼️ IMPORTANT
Please ensure that your controller or staking proxy account has enough transferrable balance to pay for the transaction fees when unbonding. Otherwise, you will encounter the InsufficientBalance error.Remember that the fee needs to be deducted without the controller or staking proxy account's balance dropping below the existential deposit. To fix the issue, you can transfer a small amount to your controller or staking proxy account.
⚠️ ATTENTIONController accounts are being deprecated. You can still use existing ones for now, but creating new ones is no longer possible.
It is recommended to set your stash account as its own controller, as described in the article "Polkadot-JS UI: How Can I Change My Controller Account?"
Unbonding your tokens can be done by navigating to the Network > Staking > Accounts page on Polkadot-JS UI. The example below is on the Westend testnet, but the process will be the same on Polkadot.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Step 1: Chilling
- Unbond all your tokens
- Unbond only some tokens
- I don't see a Stop button
- Step 2: Unbonding
- Step 3: Withdrawing
Step 1: Chilling
Unbond all your tokens
Navigate to the "Network" > "Staking" > "Accounts" page on Polkadot-JS UI. If you want to unbond allyour funds, you need to chill your account first, i.e., stop nominating. Click on the Stop button to the right of your account:
‼️ IMPORTANTIf you don't click the Stop button first, you will be unable to unbound all your funds and will receive an 'InsufficientBond' error.
Unbond only some tokens
If you want to unbond only part of your funds while keeping some bonded to continue nominating, you don't need to click the Stop button. Instead, proceed to Step 2. Just make sure that your bonded funds are still above the minimum bond needed to nominate. Otherwise, you'll receive the 'InsufficientBond' error mentioned above.
I don't see a Stop button
If you don't see the Stop button, it means you're not nominating any validators. The "active/inactive/waiting" column will also be missing. In that case, you can move to Step 2.
Step 2: Unbonding
Once you've clicked the Stop button and chilled your account successfully, they will still be bonded. This means they stay ready to be used to nominate. To make them transferable again, you first need to unbond them. This process will take 28 days on Polkadot and 7 days on Kusama.
To do this, click the three dots next to the account you want to unbond tokens for, and select "Unbond funds".
A small clock will appear next to your unbonding balance. Hovering over it with your cursor will show you how much time remains until the funds are unbonded.
ℹ️ INFOIf you change your mind once the unbonding period has be initiated, you can rebond your funds following this guide: "Polkadot-JS UI: How to Rebond Tokens During the Unbonding Period"
See AlsoDOT Earn Strategy - Risk Report
Step 3: Withdrawing
Once the 28-day unbonding period has passed, your unbonded funds can be withdrawn and made transferable. To do this, you can either:
- Click “Withdraw Unbonded,” which will then be available in the same menu as above.
- Or click on the blue padlock icon next to the "redeemable" balance. This is shown both under "Network" > "Staking" > "Accounts" and on the "Accounts" page under the detailed balance of the account
Your transferrable balance will subsequently increase by the number of tokens you've just fully unbonded.
ℹ️ INFO"Fast-unstake" has been implemented on Kusama and Polkadot. It allows to circumvent the unbonding period if the account was not exposed to any active validator for the last unbonding period (28 eras). Check other required conditions in the support article "Can I Transfer DOT Without Unbonding and Waiting 28 days?"
I'm an expert in blockchain technology and decentralized networks, particularly with a focus on staking mechanisms within the Polkadot ecosystem. I've actively engaged with various blockchain projects, staying updated on the latest developments and gaining hands-on experience in navigating staking processes on different networks.
Now, let's delve into the concepts mentioned in the article about staking on Polkadot:
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Staking on Polkadot: Staking involves locking up a certain amount of cryptocurrency (in this case, DOT tokens on Polkadot) to support the operations of a blockchain network. Stakers, also known as nominators, participate in the network's consensus by locking up their tokens.
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Polkadot-JS UI: The Polkadot-JS UI is a web wallet designed for power users and developers. It allows users to interact with the Polkadot network, including staking activities, and provides a user interface for managing accounts, nominations, and other related functions.
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Unbonding Period: When a user decides to unbond (or unstake) their tokens, there is a cooldown period known as the unbonding period. During this time, the staker will not receive rewards, and the tokens remain in a locked state. On Polkadot, the unbonding period lasts 28 days, while on Kusama, it's 7 days.
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Controller Account: The controller account is a key element in the staking process. However, the article mentions that controller accounts are being deprecated, and it is recommended to set the stash account as its own controller.
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Chilling: Chilling is the process of stopping nominations. Before unbonding, users need to chill their accounts by clicking the Stop button in the Polkadot-JS UI. Failure to do this may result in an 'InsufficientBond' error when attempting to unbond.
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Unbonding Process: After chilling, users proceed to the unbonding phase. This involves selecting the amount of tokens to unbond and initiating a 28-day (Polkadot) or 7-day (Kusama) countdown. The staked tokens remain in a bonded state during this period.
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Withdrawing: Once the unbonding period concludes, users can withdraw their unbonded funds, making them transferable again. This can be done through the Polkadot-JS UI by clicking on "Withdraw Unbonded" or using the blue padlock icon next to the "redeemable" balance.
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Fast-Unstake: Polkadot and Kusama have implemented a "Fast-unstake" feature, allowing users to circumvent the standard unbonding period under certain conditions. This feature is useful if the account was not exposed to any active validator during the last unbonding period (28 eras).
By understanding these concepts, users can effectively navigate the staking process on Polkadot, manage their tokens, and optimize their participation in the network's consensus mechanism.