Increment Staked FLOWPrice

(STFLOW)

stFlow is the liquid-staked version of the FLOW token. When you stake FLOW via the protocol, you receive stFlow, which represents your original stake plus accrued rewards. Unlike traditional staking where you manually claim rewards, stFlow is interest-bearing. This means you do not receive additional tokens in your wallet; instead, the exchange rate of stFlow to FLOW increases every epoch. Over time, 1 stFlow becomes worth more than 1 FLOW as rewards accumulate within the token's value.

There are two primary methods for unstaking. Normal Unstaking involves burning stFlow for a redemption ticket, requiring a wait of approximately 7–14 days (1–2 epochs) for the FLOW to become withdrawable due to network unbonding requirements. Alternatively, Instant Unstaking allows users to swap stFlow for FLOW directly on a Decentralized Exchange (DEX). This provides immediate access to funds, though it may involve a slight price difference compared to the protocol's mathematical exchange rate depending on market liquidity.

The waiting period is a fundamental characteristic of the underlying Flow blockchain's staking protocol. To maintain network security and stability, the blockchain requires an 'unbonding period' before tokens can be officially released from a validator node. This ensures that assets are not moved instantly during critical consensus phases, protecting the integrity of the staking ecosystem.

The Migrate feature allows users who are already staking FLOW through traditional methods or supported non-custodial wallets to move their positions to the liquid staking protocol without unstaking first. This unique feature enables a seamless transition to liquid staking, allowing users to obtain stFlow and maintain reward continuity. While generally straightforward, users with specific locked accounts from early distributions may need to follow specialized procedures.

The 'Stake' button is temporarily disabled during the 'Epoch Setup & Commit' phase of the Flow network. This occurs approximately once a week and lasts for a few hours. During this period, the blockchain locks all staking operations to finalize the current epoch and prepare for the next. This is a standard network procedure, and functionality returns to normal as soon as the new epoch begins.

The protocol employs several strategies to ensure user safety. It has been audited by leading security firms such as Quantstamp and Semafor, and its code is open-source for transparency. To minimize validator risk, the protocol distributes staked FLOW across multiple high-performance node providers. While these measures mitigate risks like slashing or node failure, users should remain aware of general smart contract risks inherent in decentralized finance applications.