Staking is a process that allows users to participate in the proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism and earn rewards for securing and validating transactions on a blockchain network. While traditionally, Bitcoin and other Proof-of-Work (PoW) based cryptocurrencies can't be staked, there are new ways in which users can stake their BTC. How Proof-of-Stake Works In contrast to conventional PoW mechanisms, which involve miners engaging in a competitive process of solving intricate mathematical problems to authenticate transactions and append blocks to the blockchain, PoS relies on validators who offer their coins as collateral. These validators are selected to authenticate transactions and generate new blocks. To participate in staking, a user must own and hold a certain amount of the native cryptocurrency of the PoS network they want to stake. This cryptocurrency is then locked up or "staked" in a special wallet, and the user signals their willingness to validate transactions and maintain network security. Users are more likely to be chosen as a validator if they stake more of their crypto holdings. Users who are selected to validate transactions participate in block creation and validation. Validators take turns proposing new blocks, and other validators on the network verify and approve the validity of the proposed blocks. This verification process ensures that the network remains secure and trustworthy. The staking process also requires validators to put up a "security deposit" or "bond" in the form of their staked coins. This deposit serves as collateral, and if a validator behaves maliciously or attempts to cheat the system, a portion or all of their staked coins may be penalized or "slashed." This mechanism incentivizes validators to act in the network's best interests and discourages malicious behavior. As compensation for their efforts and to encourage active participation, validators receive rewards from newly minted coins or transaction fees from the validated blocks they have created. The rewards a validator receives depend on various factors, including the total amount of coins they have staked, the duration of their participation, and the network's inflation rate. Users can stake their coins directly by running a staking node or delegate their staking power to a trusted third-party staking service provider. By delegating, users can participate in staking without the technical complexities of running a node, and the staking rewards are shared between the user and the staking service provider. BTC Staking via Binance offers various options for users to stake their Bitcoin and earn rewards through products like Flexible Savings, Locked Staking, and DeFi Staking. Binance Earn One of the options available is Flexible Savings, where users can earn rewards on their Bitcoin without a fixed-term commitment. To start staking Bitcoin, users must log in to their Binance account and access the "Finance" or "Earn" section on the website or app. From there, they can select the "Flexible Savings" option and choose Bitcoin as the asset to stake. After entering the desired amount of Bitcoin, users confirm the transaction to begin earning rewards. Locked Staking is another option, requiring users to commit their Bitcoin for a fixed period, usually from a few days to several months. In return, they receive higher rewards compared to Flexible Savings. To stake Bitcoin through Locked Staking, users follow a similar process as Flexible Savings but select the "Locked Staking" option instead. They must choose the lock-up duration and confirm the transaction. It's important to note that once Bitcoin is locked, users typically can access or withdraw it once the lock-up period ends. Additionally, Binance collaborates with various DeFi (Decentralized Finance) projects to offer DeFi Staking opportunities. Users can stake their Bitcoin in specific DeFi projects, potentially rewarding them more than traditional staking methods. Participating in DeFi Staking involves: Navigating to the "DeFi Staking" section on Binance's platform. Selecting a desired project that supports Bitcoin staking. Following the provided instructions. Once users have staked their Bitcoin using any of these methods, they will earn rewards over time. The distribution of rewards varies based on the staking product chosen. For Flexible Savings, rewards are usually credited daily, while for Locked Staking, rewards are distributed at the end of the lock-up period. DeFi Staking reward distribution may depend on the rules of the specific project. BTC Staking via Babylon Stanford University professor David Tse co-founded a Babylon protocol that aims to use Bitcoin (BTC) to secure Proof-of-Stake blockchains. According to their , users can stake their Bitcoin without bridging to the PoS network; instead, the BTC is locked into a contract on the Bitcoin network. The process is called remote staking; let's take a look at it in detail. lite paper As mentioned above, the BTC is locked into a contract on the Bitcoin blockchain, and when a user acts maliciously, the coins are lost or "slashed." While Proof-of-Work blockchains can't slash a user's staked tokens, Babylon claims to be able to do so via their protocol when it is used with a PoS blockchain like Ethereum (ETH), Polkadot (DOT), Cosmos (ATOM), or Solana (SOL). Due to the absence of a smart contract layer on Bitcoin, staking contracts must be expressed using UTXO (Unspent Transaction Output) transactions written in the Bitcoin script. According to the , a staking contract has four transactions: litepaper The staking transaction - Where the address for the staked Bitcoin is added. The un-bonding transaction - Allows the staking user to spend the output after a relative lock duration. This is one of the ways the UTXO can be spent. The slashing transaction - Enables the Bitcoin to be sent to a burn address. This is the second way the UTXO can be used. The un-staking transaction - Consumes the un-bonding transaction output after the relative timelock expires. When penalizing individuals engaging in malicious activities, the process typically unfolds as follows. Slashing is made possible by extractable one-time signatures (EOTS) since they enable private keys to be compromised when they are used to sign two messages. Extractable one-time signatures refer to a cryptographic method where a person uses their private key to sign two different messages. The unique characteristic of these signatures is that if the same private key is used for both signatures, the private key itself becomes vulnerable and can be revealed or "extracted" from the signed messages. This vulnerability arises because signing two messages with the same private key exposes information that could be exploited to determine the private key. By using extractable one-time signatures, the idea is to create a mechanism for penalizing and discouraging equivocation. If someone engages in double-spending or other forms of exploitation, using the same private key for conflicting transactions could expose that private key. This concept of extractable one-time signatures has been put forward as a solution to address issues related to equivocation, which involves intentionally providing conflicting information. In the context of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, equivocation could involve attempting to spend the same bitcoin twice in separate transactions, a form of double-spending fraud. This exposure then enables others to create a "slashing transaction" that essentially destroys or "burns" the cryptocurrency associated with that private key, thereby deterring malicious behavior and reinforcing the security of the blockchain network. So, if a user is found to be acting maliciously, for example, by more than 1/3 of the staked BTC being signed at the same height, then the user's private keys will be leaked, and anyone can send a slashing transaction that will burn their staked BTC. Conclusion As the crypto community continues to explore and adopt staking as a viable option, it remains to be seen how widespread this practice will become. Staking aligns with the ethos of decentralization and opens doors for more users to participate in shaping the future of blockchain technology. Whether to stake Bitcoin or not is a matter of personal strategy and risk tolerance. Individuals should carefully consider the options and implications as the ecosystem evolves before participating. Will crypto users take this approach and start staking their Bitcoin? Only time will tell.
