# Staking $BASED
Stake your $BASED to earn rewards, unlock trading fee discounts, access the Based Launchpool, and qualify for upcoming benefits including the Based Visa Card.
Staking is available at [basedfoundation.com/genesis](https://basedfoundation.com/genesis).
***
## Benefits Overview
| Benefit | Status |
| -------------------------------- | ------------------------ |
| Staking yield (emission rewards) | Live |
| Trading fee discounts | Live |
| Visa card & cashback | Live (HYPE & Based Gold) |
| Launchpool access | Coming soon |
| On/off-ramp discounts | Coming soon |
| Agentic AI credits | Coming soon |
| Mall discounts | Coming soon |
| Governance | Coming soon |
***
## Staking Tiers
There are three staking tiers. OG and Based have limited capacity. Normie is uncapped.
| Tier | Cap | APR |
| ------ | ----------------: | ------- |
| OG | 40,000,000 $BASED | Highest |
| Based | 40,000,000 $BASED | Mid |
| Normie | Unlimited | Base |
**How tier selection works:**
* You choose which tier to stake into at the time of staking.
* Tiers are first-come, first-served. Once a tier reaches its cap, it is no longer available.
* If a slot opens (e.g., someone unstakes from OG), any user can stake into it manually. There are no automatic tier upgrades.
***
## Emission Rates
Rewards are distributed pro-rata to all stakers based on your staked balance and tier. APR is dynamic — it decreases as more $BASED is staked across the protocol.
The table below is **illustrative** and shows how APR varies by tier and total staked amount:
| Total Staked | OG APR | Based APR | Normie APR |
| -----------: | --------: | --------: | ---------: |
| 10,000,000 | 1,946.67% | 1,825.00% | 1,703.33% |
| 20,000,000 | 1,095.00% | 973.33% | 851.67% |
| 40,000,000 | 669.17% | 547.50% | 425.83% |
| 80,000,000 | 456.25% | 334.58% | 212.92% |
| 120,000,000 | 385.28% | 263.61% | 141.94% |
| 150,000,000 | 356.89% | 235.22% | 113.56% |
These figures are for illustration purposes only. Actual rates depend on real-time protocol conditions.
***
## Unstaking & Claiming
| Parameter | Value |
| ---------------- | ------ |
| Unstake cooldown | 3 days |
| Claim cooldown | 1 hour |
{% hint style="warning" %}
Tokens stop earning rewards during the unstake cooldown.
{% endhint %}
* After initiating an unstake, your tokens are released once the cooldown period ends.
* After claiming rewards, you must wait 1 hour before claiming again.
***
## Trading Fee Discounts
Staking $BASED unlocks tiered discounts on Based builder fees across Hyperliquid perps, spot, and Polymarket. These tiers are based solely on your staked amount and are separate from the staking tiers above (OG/Based/Normie).
| Tier | $BASED Staked | Fee Discount |
| ------- | ------------: | -----------: |
| — | < 60,000 | 0% |
| Silver | 60,000+ | 30% |
| Gold | 300,000+ | 60% |
| Diamond | 600,000+ | 100% |
{% hint style="info" %}
Discounts apply to Based builder fees only. Hyperliquid base exchange fees are set by Hyperliquid and are not affected.
{% endhint %}
**Example** — 0.025% builder fee on perps:
| Tier | Builder Fee | Savings |
| -------------- | ----------: | ------: |
| No stake | 0.025% | — |
| Silver (60K) | 0.0175% | 30% |
| Gold (300K) | 0.010% | 60% |
| Diamond (600K) | 0% | 100% |
***
## Based Visa Card
The only way to get a Based Visa card is through staking $BASED. You must complete KYC before you can stake for a card. Higher staking amounts unlock higher card tiers with greater cashback rates.
When you redeem a card, part of your staked balance is locked for **21 days** from the time of card redemption:
* **Based Gold** locks 100,000 $BASED
* **HYPE** locks 10,000 $BASED
**What this means:**
* Locked tokens cannot be unstaked during the 21-day lock period
* Any staked tokens above the locked amount remain available for unstaking as normal
* After the 21-day lock expires, the previously locked tokens become available for unstaking
* Once unlocked, they still follow the standard **3-day** unstake cooldown after an unstake request is made
{% hint style="warning" %}
All card rewards and benefits (cashback, fee discounts, entertainment rebates, etc.) will cease once unstaking is initiated.
{% endhint %}
| Card | $BASED Lockup | Cashback | Monthly Cap | FX Markup |
| ------------ | ------------: | -------: | ----------: | --------: |
| Based Orange | — | — | — | 2.5% |
| HYPE | 10,000 | 2% | $20 | 1.5% |
| Based Gold | 100,000 | 4% | $100 | 0% |
HYPE and Based Gold cards are available now. Based Orange is coming soon.
**HYPE perks:**
* **AI subscription rebates (up to $10/month):** Eligible for Claude and ChatGPT subscriptions.
**Based Gold perks:**
* **Entertainment rebates (up to $20/month):** Eligible for Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube subscriptions.
* **AI subscription rebates (up to $100/month):** Eligible for Claude and ChatGPT subscriptions.
* **Airport lounge access (4 visits/year):** Details on how to access your lounge visits will be sent via email after successful card application and issuance.
Cashback and rebates are paid out in $BASED at the start of each month, covering the previous cycle (e.g., an **Apr 1** payout covers spending from **Feb 15 – Mar 15**).
**Total value summary** (maximum monthly value at full caps):
| Card | Cashback | Entertainment | AI Rebates | **Monthly Total** | **Annual Total** |
| ------------ | -------: | ------------: | ---------: | ----------------: | ---------------: |
| Based Orange | — | — | — | **—** | **—** |
| HYPE | $20 | — | $10 | **$30** | **$360** |
| Based Gold | $100 | $20 | $100 | **$220** | **$2,640** |
Based Gold holders also receive **4 airport lounge visits per year**.
Every card issued means more $BASED staked and locked. More locked supply reinforces ecosystem value. And stakers unlock even more perks over time. This is the flywheel — you spend, you earn, the ecosystem compounds.
HYPE and Based Gold are just the beginning. More card tiers, more perks, and more reasons to stake are on the way.
See the full [Card Types](/docs/card/card-types.md) page for details.
***
## Other Upcoming Benefits
| Benefit | Details |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| On/off-ramp discounts | Lower fees for moving funds in and out of the ecosystem |
| Agentic AI credits | Stakers will receive AI inference credits powered by the Based AI Gateway |
| Mall discounts | Special offers and merchant discounts in the Based Mall |
| Governance | Direct voice in platform direction and evolution |
***
## How to Stake
### Staking Natively (with $BASED already on Hyperliquid Core)
{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Go to Based Foundation**
Visit [basedfoundation.com/genesis](https://basedfoundation.com/genesis) and connect your wallet.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
**Select a staking tier**
Choose OG, Based, or Normie depending on available capacity.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
**Stake your $BASED**
Enter the amount you want to stake and confirm the transaction.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
**Start earning**
Rewards begin accruing immediately. Trading fee discounts and Launchpool eligibility are active.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}
### Staking from Ethereum
If your $BASED tokens are on Ethereum, you can stake directly at [basedfoundation.com/genesis](https://basedfoundation.com/genesis) — no bridging required. Connect your wallet on Ethereum, choose a tier, and confirm the transaction.
### Staking from BSC
If your $BASED tokens are on BSC, you will need to bridge them to HyperEVM first, then transfer to Hyperliquid Core before staking. $BASED uses the [LayerZero OFT](https://layerzero.network/) standard for cross-chain transfers.
{% hint style="info" %}
For contract addresses on each chain, see the [$BASED Token](/docs/based/based-token.md#contract-addresses) page.
{% endhint %}
{% stepper %}
{% step %}
**Bridge to HyperEVM via Stargate**
Go to [Stargate](https://stargate.finance/?srcChain=bsc\&srcToken=0x1d28D989F9e3CCb8B15D0cec601734514f958E4D\&dstChain=hyperliquid\&dstToken=0x053f6755320d06b8fd6675581b0475B2E32399b1) and connect your wallet. Confirm the source is **BSC** and the destination is **HyperEVM**. Enter the amount of $BASED you want to bridge, approve the token, and confirm the transaction. The transfer typically takes a few minutes.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
**Transfer from HyperEVM to Hyperliquid Core**
{% hint style="warning" %}
You will need a small amount of $HYPE on HyperEVM to pay for the transfer gas fee.
Your Hyperliquid account must be activated before you can transfer to Core. Deposit at least **$1** on [app.based.one](https://app.based.one) or [app.hyperliquid.xyz](https://app.hyperliquid.xyz) to activate your account. This is a Hyperliquid requirement.
{% endhint %}
Go to [app.based.one](https://app.based.one) and connect your wallet. Navigate to the **Portfolio** page, find $BASED in your HyperEVM balance, and click **Transfer** to move your $BASED from HyperEVM to Hyperliquid Core.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
**Stake on Based Foundation**
Go to [basedfoundation.com/genesis](https://basedfoundation.com/genesis) and follow the [staking steps above](#how-to-stake).
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}
***
{% hint style="info" %}
**Disclaimer:** All staking tiers, emission rates, APRs, lockup requirements, cooldown periods, card rewards, rebates, fee discounts, caps, eligibility criteria, and other program terms described on this page are provided for informational purposes only and are subject to change at any time without prior notice. Based reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any feature, benefit, or program at its sole discretion. Participation is subject to applicable program terms and local laws. Check [basedfoundation.com/genesis](https://basedfoundation.com/genesis) for the latest details.
{% endhint %}
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