Plain English Guide
No yield farming. No liquidity pools. No impermanent loss. Just a simple explanation of how staking works in Spirit Protocol.
Part 1
Staking = parking your tokens for a while to show you're committed.
Think of it like a certificate of deposit (CD) at a bank. You agree not to touch your money for a certain time. In return, you get better interest rates. Simple as that.
NORMAL HOLDING STAKING
============== =======
You have tokens You have tokens
| |
v v
You can sell You LOCK them
anytime for 1 week - 3 years
| |
v v
No multiplier You get GOVERNANCE WEIGHT
(the longer you lock,
the bigger your influence)
The key insight: staking is voluntary. You choose how long to lock. You gain governance weight for commitment.
Part 2
Three reasons:
1. It Prevents Dumping
If tokens are locked, they can't be panic-sold. This creates price stability. Artists can plan their future without worrying about wild market swings.
2. It Aligns Incentives
People who lock longer get more governance weight. This means people who believe in Spirit's long-term vision have the most influence. Short-term speculators have less.
3. It Recognizes the Believers
We want Spirit to be governed by people who care about AI agents having fair revenue infrastructure. Staking gives governance weight to those who commit.
SPECULATORS BELIEVERS
=========== =========
Want quick gains Want to see Spirit succeed
Won't lock tokens Happy to lock for years
Get 1x weight Get up to 36x weight
Small influence Big influence on governance
Not a pump. It's a pilgrimage. Staking is how we filter for fellow pilgrims.
Part 3
Spirit has two ways to stake. They're related but different.
+------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| TYPE 1: STAKE AGENT TOKENS --> RECEIVE SPIRIT |
| |
| You have: $ABRAHAM, $SOLIENNE, etc. (agent tokens) |
| You stake: Lock your agent tokens |
| You receive: SPIRIT governance tokens |
| |
| Example: Lock 100 $ABRAHAM for 1 year |
| Receive SPIRIT governance tokens monthly |
| |
+------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| TYPE 2: HOLD SPIRIT --> RECEIVE AGENT TOKENS |
| |
| You have: $SPIRIT (the protocol token) |
| You hold: Just keep it in your wallet |
| You receive: Agent tokens automatically "airdropped" |
| |
| Example: Hold 10,000 SPIRIT |
| Receive $ABRAHAM, $SOLIENNE, etc. monthly |
| |
+------------------------------------------------------------------+
Type 1: Support Specific Agents
If you believe in Abraham specifically, stake $ABRAHAM tokens. You're betting on that agent's success.
Type 2: Support the Whole Ecosystem
If you believe in the Spirit Protocol vision overall, hold SPIRIT. You'll receive tokens from all agents in the network.
Part 4
These two staking types create a self-reinforcing loop:
THE FLYWHEEL
============
+---------------------------+
| |
v |
HOLD SPIRIT |
| |
v |
RECEIVE AGENT TOKENS |
(automatic airdrops) |
| |
v |
STAKE THEM |
(Type 1 staking) |
| |
v |
RECEIVE SPIRIT ------------------+
(governance tokens)
The more SPIRIT you hold, the more agent tokens you receive.
The more agent tokens you stake, the more SPIRIT you receive.
Round and round it goes.
Real Example: Abraham Supporter
You hold 10,000 SPIRIT. Each month, you automatically receive some $ABRAHAM tokens (because Abraham routes revenue through Spirit). You stake those $ABRAHAM tokens for 1 year. Now you're receiving SPIRIT governance tokens. Next month, you get more $ABRAHAM. Stake again. Your governance weight compounds over time.
This isn't complicated DeFi magic. It's just: hold → receive → stake → receive → repeat.
Part 5
The longer you lock, the bigger your governance multiplier:
+------------------+------------------+------------------+
| LOCK DURATION | MULTIPLIER | WHAT IT MEANS |
+------------------+------------------+------------------+
| 1 week | 1x | Base weight |
+------------------+------------------+------------------+
| 1 month | 4x | 4x weight |
+------------------+------------------+------------------+
| 3 months | 9x | 9x weight |
+------------------+------------------+------------------+
| 6 months | 10x | 10x weight |
+------------------+------------------+------------------+
| 1 year | 12x | 12x weight |
+------------------+------------------+------------------+
| 3 years | 36x | 36x weight |
+------------------+------------------+------------------+
What "Multiplier" Means
If the base distribution is 1% per month, a 12x multiplier means you effectively receive 12% per month. You're not getting more tokens total—you're getting a bigger share of the distribution pool.
Why 36x for 3 Years?
Spirit is building infrastructure for decades, not quarters. Abraham alone has a 13-year commitment. People who lock for 3 years are committing to that long-term vision. They receive the most governance weight.
Important: You Can't Unlock Early
Once you lock for 3 years, those tokens are locked for 3 years. No exceptions. No emergency withdrawals. This is by design—it's what makes the commitment meaningful. Only lock what you're truly willing to hold.
Part 6
When artists join Spirit, their tokens are automatically staked for 52 weeks:
ARTIST JOINS SPIRIT
|
v
Receives creator allocation
(50% goes to artists)
|
v
Tokens AUTO-LOCKED for 52 weeks
(12x multiplier automatically applied)
|
v
After 52 weeks: tokens unlock
|
v
Artist can hold, sell, or re-stake
Why Auto-Stake Artists?
Artists are the most important people in Spirit. We want them aligned with long-term success, not short-term token prices. Auto-staking ensures every artist has skin in the game for at least a year.
What Artists Receive
During the 52-week lock, artists receive governance tokens proportional to their commitment. They're not just waiting—they're building governance weight. After 52 weeks, they have built significant governance influence in the protocol.
Example: Gene Kogan (Abraham's Trainer)
Gene receives his creator allocation when Abraham joins Spirit. Those tokens auto-stake for 52 weeks at 12x governance weight. During that year, Abraham generates revenue, Gene receives governance tokens, and his position grows. After 52 weeks, Gene can choose to re-stake for another 3 years (36x) or hold liquid. His choice.
Part 7
You can't withdraw early. That's the whole point. The lock is enforced by a smart contract—there's no "unlock" button for us to press even if we wanted to. Only stake what you're truly willing to lock for the full duration.
Your staked tokens can't be "slashed" or taken away (unlike some other protocols). But the value of those tokens can go up or down while locked. If the token price drops 90% during your lock period, you still get your tokens back—they're just worth less. This is crypto. Prices are volatile. Never stake more than you can afford to lose.
A portion of the total SPIRIT supply is allocated for governance token distributions. This isn't new tokens being printed—it's a predetermined pool being distributed over time to stakers. The more people stake, the smaller each person's share. The longer you lock, the bigger your share.
Holding means tokens sit in your wallet. You can sell anytime but get no governance multiplier. Staking means tokens are locked in a smart contract. You can't sell during the lock period but you receive governance token distributions. Both have their place—liquid holdings let you react to opportunities; staked holdings build governance weight.
No. Spirit staking is much simpler. You're not providing liquidity to a trading pool. There's no impermanent loss. No complex strategies. You just lock tokens, choose a duration, and receive governance tokens. It's closer to a traditional CD than to DeFi yield farming.
Yes. Token distributions accrue over time but you need to claim them (which costs a small transaction fee). We recommend claiming periodically—maybe monthly—rather than daily, since each claim costs gas. Your unclaimed tokens don't expire.
Yes. Spirit staking works with any Ethereum-compatible wallet, including Ledger and Trezor hardware wallets. In fact, we recommend using a hardware wallet for any significant holdings.
Your tokens become withdrawable. You can claim them back to your wallet anytime after the lock expires. Or you can re-stake them for a new lock period (and continue receiving governance tokens). Your choice. There's no penalty for waiting to withdraw.
Reference
+---------------------------+---------------------------+
| | |
| LOCK PERIODS | MULTIPLIERS |
| | |
| Minimum: 1 week | 1 week: 1x |
| Maximum: 3 years | 1 month: 4x |
| | 3 months: 9x |
| | 6 months: 10x |
| | 1 year: 12x |
| | 3 years: 36x |
| | |
+---------------------------+---------------------------+
| | |
| ARTIST AUTO-STAKE | TOKEN SOURCE |
| | |
| Duration: 52 weeks | Pre-allocated pool |
| Multiplier: 12x | (not new inflation) |
| Applies to: 50% | |
| creator allocation | |
| | |
+---------------------------+---------------------------+
Staking is just one part of Spirit Protocol. Explore the full picture.