Epoch 0 is live on Commons Chain as of 23:00 UTC September 30th. For this first phase, all emissions flow to the Base Pool—rewarding stakers pro rata while bootstrapping the system and preparing for appchain staking in Epoch 1. By staking now, you help kickstart the network and shape how value flows across the Syndicate Network.

Stake on Commons Chain: https://commons.syndicate.io/.

How Staking Powers the Syndicate Network

The Syndicate Network is designed to be owned by its communities. That means more than just providing infrastructure—it requires an incentive system that ensures the people who stake, build, and use the network are the ones who benefit from it.

Staking on Commons Chain, Syndicate’s flagship appchain, is the foundation of that design. It is the mechanism that connects stakers to appchains, emissions to activity, and communities to the value they create. With staking, the Syndicate Network becomes more than just infrastructure—it becomes a living system where every participant helps shape the network.

Staking on Commons Chain

Staking begins when SYND holders bridge their tokens to Commons Chain and deposit them into the staking contract. From there, staking runs in 30-day epochs. Before each epoch starts, stakers can set or adjust allocations; once it begins, those choices are locked until the epoch ends.

Emissions are distributed based on three factors: the amount of SYND staked, the length of time staked, and the performance of the appchains supported. If a staker initiates an unstake, tokens remain locked until the epoch closes, at which point both principal and any unclaimed rewards return to the staker’s Commons Chain address.

Emissions Designed for Fairness

Staking is sustained by a steady stream of emissions that circulate value back to participants. Over four years, the network will release 80 million SYND—8% of the total supply—across 48 epochs of 30 days each.

Each epoch distributes exactly 1,666,666.67 SYND under a flat schedule. Unlike many networks that front-load emissions to heavily reward only the earliest participants, Syndicate’s design makes every epoch equally valuable. No matter when you stake—whether at launch or years from now—you interact with the same emission curve and the same opportunity to support appchains and earn rewards.

At the start of every epoch, emissions are minted on Ethereum Mainnet, bridged through Base, and deposited to Commons Chain. From there, they flow into a three-pool structure:

  • Base Pool (30%) rewards all stakers, proportional to stake size and duration.
  • Performance Pool (30%) mirrors emissions earned by the appchains a staker has backed.
  • Appchain Pool (40%) flows directly to appchains, based on stake directed toward them and the fees they generate.

This design makes staking accessible and worthwhile throughout the entire emission period, while ensuring that appchains and their communities are consistently incentivized to grow.

Epoch 0: Bootstrapping the Staking System

We are now in Epoch 0, the bootstrapping phase. For this first epoch, 100% of emissions flow to the Base Pool.

Every staker earns rewards pro rata based on their stake size and how long they remain staked during the epoch. This design rewards early participants, circulates SYND back into the community, and validates the staking system before allocations toward appchains go live.

By the end of Epoch 0 (October 30, 23:00 UTC), the foundations of staking shouldbe in place: a tested process for bridging, staking, and emissions, along with an initial community of participants ready to direct value across the network.

Epoch 1: Staking Towards Appchains

With the start of Epoch 1 (October 30, 23:00 UTC), staking towards appchains is expected to go live. Stakers will be able to direct emissions to specific appchains by selecting them before the epoch starts. This unlocks the true alignment mechanism of the Syndicate Network: appchains that attract more stake and generate more usage receive more emissions, while stakers benefit from backing active and growing networks.

From Epoch 1 onward, emissions will be distributed across three pools: a Base Pool that continues to reward all stakers, a Performance Pool that reflects the efficiency and health of the network, and Appchain Pools that channel emissions directly into individual appchains based on both stake and activity.

Future Staking Design

As the network matures, staking is expected to evolve into the mechanism that secures the Syndicate Network itself. Similar to Ethereum’s transition to proof-of-stake, SYND holders will eventually stake to validators that process transactions and secure the network. At that point, we expect transaction fees—rather than emissions—to sustain the system.

This is the long-term vision: a network that begins by circulating emissions back to stakers and appchains, and grows into a self-sustaining economy where usage itself rewards those who build and secure it. 

Stake Today

Epoch 0 is live. By staking SYND on Commons Chain today, you help bootstrap the system and set the foundation for what comes next. In Epoch 1, your staking decisions will not just earn emissions—they will directly shape which appchains grow, thrive, and define the community-owned internet we’re building towards.

Learn more about Syndicate Network Staking and Commons Chain in The SYND Token Litepaper. 

→ Bridge using the Syndicate Bridge at https://bridge.syndicate.io, and stake on Commons Chain at https://commons.syndicate.io/