STA Staking & Voting
What are the benefits of staking STA?
Staking STA within Soneta offers a compelling dual-reward mechanism. As a staker, you not only gain governance power to influence the PIL. but you also continue to earn 25% of the protocol yield from borrowing fees. This section is the third out of three currently available sections in the Soneta App.
Is there a lock-up?
No, there is no lock-up. You can withdraw the STA at any time. Be mindful however, that as you withdraw you lose the accumulated “extra” voting power.
Can I stake more or partially reduce my STA stake later?
Yes, you can both increase and partially reduce an existing STA stake.
When adding to an existing stake, the newly staked amount initially carries zero voting power. This design prevents potential abuse through short-term staking (e.g., flash-loan-like behaviour). As a result:
Your total voting power remains unchanged at the moment of re-staking.
However, the rate of voting power accumulation (slope) increases, reflecting the larger stake over time.
When un-staking, there is an immediate reduction in voting power (a discontinuity), along with a decrease in the future accumulation rate.
Notably, reducing your stake does not reset the age of the remaining portion—you retain the original staking age for what remains staked.
Vote on Incentives
The voting system allows you to direct protocol resources by allocating your staked STA tokens across governance initiatives. Your voting power is derived directly from your staked STA—the more you stake, the more influence you have over where protocol rewards are directed.
How do I vote?
Stake STA first — You must have STA tokens staked to participate in voting. Your voting power equals your staked amount.
Browse active initiatives — Navigate to the Voting section within Staking to see all currently active initiatives. Each initiative displays its name, current vote percentage, and any available bribes.
Choose your position — For each initiative you want to vote on, select either: - Upvote (thumbs up): Support directing rewards to this initiative - Downvote (thumbs down): Oppose this initiative receiving rewards
Allocate your voting power — Enter a percentage (0-100%) for each initiative you've selected. Your total allocation must equal exactly 100%.
Cast your votes — Review your allocations in the confirmation screen, then submit the transaction. All your votes are processed in a single transaction.
What are initiatives?
Initiatives are governance proposals that determine where protocol revenue and rewards are directed. Examples include gauge rewards for various DeFi platforms like Curve or Beets. When you vote for an initiative, you're helping decide how the protocol's resources are distributed across the ecosystem.
What's the difference between upvoting and downvoting?
Upvoting signals your support for an initiative to receive a larger share of protocol rewards. The more voting power allocated to upvotes, the more rewards that initiative receives.
Downvoting (also called vetoing) signals your opposition to an initiative. This reduces the share of rewards the initiative receives. Downvotes are available all week, while upvotes have specific voting windows.
When can I vote?
Voting operates on weekly epochs. Upvotes can be cast from Thursday through Tuesday. Downvotes can be cast throughout the entire week. Plan your voting strategy accordingly—if you want to support an initiative, make sure to vote before the upvote window closes.
Do I need to allocate 100%?
Yes. When casting votes, you must allocate exactly 100% of your voting power across your selected initiatives. This ensures your full stake is represented in governance decisions. If you only want to vote on one initiative, allocate 100% to that single initiative.
Can I change my votes?
Yes. You can modify your vote allocations at any time during the voting window. When you submit new votes, your previous allocations are automatically reset and replaced with your new selections—all in a single transaction.
What happens to my voting power if I stake more or unstake?
Your voting power adjusts with your staked amount:
Adding more stake: Your total voting power increases, but your allocation percentages remain the same. You may want to resubmit your votes to ensure your new tokens are allocated as intended.
Unstaking partially: Your voting power decreases proportionally. Your allocation percentages still apply to your reduced stake.
What are bribes?
Some initiatives offer bribes—additional token rewards distributed to voters who support that initiative. When an initiative has an active bribe, you'll see the bribe amount and value displayed alongside the initiative. This provides an extra incentive beyond influencing protocol governance.
Why can't I vote?
Common reasons voting may be disabled:
No staked STA: You must stake at least 1 STA token to participate in voting
Allocation not 100%: Your total allocation must equal exactly 100%
Zero allocation: All selected initiatives must have an allocation greater than 0%
No selection: You must select at least one initiative to vote on
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