# 💫 Get stake from the pool (/delegation/get-stake-from-the-pool) This page covers the criteria a validator must meet to receive stake from The Vault's pool, and how The Vault splits its [undirected stake](/stake/direct-vs-undirected-stake). Banner: A new validator operator approaches a central cream reservoir holding plain orange token discs, with channels leading to several server towers.

Banner: A new validator operator approaches a central cream reservoir holding plain orange token discs, with channels leading to several server towers.

## General delegation criteria [#general-delegation-criteria] To qualify for stake, validator operators must meet the Solana Foundation Delegation Criteria (SFDC) in the following areas: * Not part of the super-minority * Maximum commission * Vote credits * Decentralization * Minimum version of the validator client Operating a testnet validator is not required. ## How The Vault splits stake [#how-the-vault-splits-stake] The Vault allocates 90% of the undirected stake to validators on the [approved list](/approved/approved-validators), through the [Direct Stake Leaders bucket](/delegation/direct-stake-leaders-bucket) (40%) and the [Elite Performance bucket](/delegation/elite-performance-bucket) (50%), and 10% to the [gauges](/gauges/gauges) reserve (Figure 7.4). A proportional donut shows The Vault allocating 40% of undirected stake to the Direct Stake Leaders bucket, 50% to the Elite Performance bucket, and 10% to the gauges reserve, with the first two buckets making up the 90% approved list allocation.

A proportional donut shows The Vault allocating 40% of undirected stake to the Direct Stake Leaders bucket, 50% to the Elite Performance bucket, and 10% to the gauges reserve, with the first two buckets making up the 90% approved list allocation.

Figure 7.4: How The Vault splits stake To join the approved list and qualify for stake, a validator operator must meet both sets of requirements below. ### General delegation criteria [#general-delegation-criteria-1] The validator operator must fulfill the standard SFDC requirements. ### Additional requirements [#additional-requirements] The validator operator must also run a Jito-enabled or Paladin-enabled client with an MEV commission of at most 10%, and meet at least one of the following: * Be a dApp team running a validator to support its operations. * Have a community actively involved in the validator's operations. * Be a validator with a proven track record of contributing to the broader Solana ecosystem. ## Impact on the ecosystem [#impact-on-the-ecosystem] By supporting decentralized stake distribution and helping builders on Solana generate more revenue, The Vault directly strengthens the financial stability of the Solana builder ecosystem. ## Join the approved list [#join-the-approved-list] If you’re a validator operator looking to join the approved list, open a support ticket on [Discord](https://discord.gg/thevaultfinance), choose Validator, and use the `/apply` command to get your application form. Once the [Validator Board](/stakepool-application/validator-board) approves you, you can take part in the Direct Stake Leaders and Elite Performance buckets.