❓ Direct staking FAQs

If you have further questions, please open a support ticket on our Discord and the team will be happy to help.

Direct staking basics

What is direct staking?

Direct staking allows you to choose a specific validator and direct your vSOL toward them.

Instead of relying only on pool-level allocation (undirected stake), you can actively support a validator while still benefiting from the shared infrastructure of The Vault.

How does direct staking actually work?

Once your wallet is assigned to a validator, all vSOL in that wallet is automatically directed to that validator.

The stake bot ensures that the selected validator receives the corresponding stake based on your vSOL balance. This happens continuously as your balance changes.

Do I need to select a validator before staking?

It is not required. You can mint vSOL before or after selecting a validator. Once your wallet is assigned, all vSOL in your wallet will be directed to that validator automatically (Figure 3.20).

Can I direct stake using SOL?

Direct staking only works with vSOL. You must first stake SOL to mint vSOL, and then that vSOL will be directed to your selected validator.

What happens after I stake SOL?

After staking SOL, you receive vSOL in your wallet. If your wallet is already assigned to a validator, that vSOL counts toward that validator’s stake, and the stakebot moves the actual stake to it over the following epochs.

Staking SOL to mint vSOL and selecting a validator can happen in either order; once the wallet is assigned, the selected validator receives corresponding stake based on all wallet vSOL, updated continuously as the balance changes.

Figure 3.20: How direct staking works

Do I choose how much vSOL to direct stake?

No. You set your wallet to a validator once, and all vSOL in that wallet counts toward it, including vSOL you already hold. There is no amount to enter. To direct more, stake more SOL or add vSOL to that wallet.

Does my vSOL still count if I move it out of my wallet?

It counts while it stays in that wallet or in a supported location, such as a Kamino Multiply position (see Validator directed stake). If you sell or unstake vSOL, less stake goes to your validator. vSOL moved anywhere else becomes undirected stake until you move it back.

Changing your validator

Can I change the validator I’m direct staking to?

Yes, at any time. On the Direct Stake page, select the new validator, tap Direct Stake and approve the transaction. All vSOL in your wallet is then directed to the new validator.

Can I direct stake to more than one validator?

Not from one wallet. Each wallet is set to one validator at a time, so use a separate wallet for each validator you want to support.

Can I remove my validator selection?

Yes. On the Direct Stake page, select Automatic delegation in the validator list, tap Direct Stake and approve the transaction. Your vSOL then becomes undirected stake, which The Vault's delegation strategy places.

Rewards and Kamino Multiply

Does direct staking affect my rewards?

Your base staking rewards come from the overall pool. However, if you use strategies like Kamino Multiply, your effective exposure increases, which can increase your overall APY. Please do your own research with the Kamino Multiply method, and understand that this is not financial advice.

What is Kamino Multiply and how does it relate to direct staking?

Kamino Multiply allows you to leverage your staking position. For the steps, see How to use the Kamino Multiply strategy.

This works by looping: SOL → vSOL → borrow SOL → mint more vSOL → repeat (Figure 3.21).

Because your vSOL balance increases, the amount directed to your chosen validator also increases, and your staking rewards scale accordingly. Please do your own research with the Kamino Multiply method, and understand that this is not financial advice.

Kamino Multiply loops from SOL to vSOL, then borrowing SOL and minting more vSOL, increasing the vSOL directed to the chosen validator so staking rewards scale accordingly.

Figure 3.21: Kamino Multiply loop

Will I see my leveraged position in the dashboard?

Your leveraged position through Kamino Multiply will appear in your Direct Stake dashboard once your wallet is connected, as long as you opened it from the wallet you set to your validator. It can take up to 24 hours to appear.

Validator allocations and transparency

Does direct staking impact validator allocations?

Yes. Large direct stake positions can increase a validator’s share of total TVL within The Vault.

However, qualifying validators still receive equal baseline allocations from programs like:

Does the validator I choose need to be approved by The Vault?

No. You can direct stake to any validator that meets The Vault's minimum requirements, including the commission limits of 5% commission and 10% MEV commission. Approved validators in the top 100 by direct stake also get a share of the Direct Stake Leaders bucket. For how the two kinds of stake differ, see Direct stake vs undirected stake.

Is direct staking transparent?

Yes. All staking activity is fully on-chain and verifiable.

You can track validator allocations and stake distribution through:

Getting started

Is there a minimum amount required to direct stake?

No. You can direct stake with any amount of vSOL. However, in order for the stake to show up on the validator dashboard, there must be a minimum of 1 SOL.

How long does it take for my direct stake to show up?

Direct stake data updates about once a day, so new vSOL can take up to 24 hours to appear on the Direct Stake page. Your validator then receives the matching stake over the next few epochs, as the stakebot moves stake in steps. If nothing shows after a day or two, open a support ticket in The Vault Discord.