# Direct Staking FAQs #### What is Direct Staking? Direct Staking allows you to choose a specific validator from The Vault’s whitelist and direct your vSOL toward them. Instead of relying only on pool-level allocation, 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. *** #### 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 will immediately be counted toward that validator’s stake. *** #### Can I change the validator I’m Direct Staking to? Yes. You can switch validators at any time by visiting the Direct Stake page and selecting a new validator. Your vSOL will then be redirected accordingly. *** #### Can I remove my validator selection? Yes. You can set your wallet back to having no assigned validator from the Direct Stake page. Your vSOL will no longer be directed toward a specific validator. *** #### 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. This works by looping:\ SOL → vSOL → borrow SOL → mint more vSOL → repeat 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. *** #### 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. There may be slight delays in data updates. *** #### Does Direct Staking impact validator allocations? Yes. Large direct stake positions can increase a validator’s share of total TVL within The Vault. However, all validators still receive baseline allocations from programs like: * Direct Stake Leader Bucket * Elite Performance Bucket *** #### Is Direct Staking transparent? Yes. All staking activity is fully on-chain and verifiable. You can track validator allocations and stake distribution through: * The Validator Metrics page * Public Stakebot data * Public holdings data *** #### Is there a minimum amount required to Direct Stake? No. You can Direct Stake with any amount of vSOL. However, on the validator dashboard in order for the stake to show up there must be a minimum of 1 SOL. *** #### Where do I start? 1. Open The Vault dApp 2. Connect your wallet 3. Go to the Direct Stake page 4. Select a validator 5. Stake SOL to mint vSOL Once complete, your vSOL will automatically be directed to your selected validator. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.thevault.finance/stake/direct-staking-faqs.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.