> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://basedapp.gitbook.io/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://basedapp.gitbook.io/docs/~/revisions/NAKTAcMV9VJt5myfN5mQ/based/staking.md).

# 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).

{% hint style="warning" %}
Staking will be paused on 30 March 2026, 0000 UTC in preparation for TGE and airdrop. Staking will reopen on 30 March 2026, 1000 UTC.
{% endhint %}

***

## Key Dates

| Event                         | Date                     |
| ----------------------------- | ------------------------ |
| Pre-TGE staking opens         | 27 March 2026, 1200 UTC  |
| Rewards start accruing        | 28 March 2026, 0000 UTC  |
| Unstaking & claiming opens    | 30 March 2026, 1000 UTC  |
| TGE                           | 30 March 2026            |
| Trading fee discounts go live | 30 March 2026 (post-TGE) |

***

## Benefits Overview

| Benefit                          | Status                   |
| -------------------------------- | ------------------------ |
| Staking yield (emission rewards) | Live on 28 March         |
| Trading fee discounts            | Live post-TGE (30 March) |
| 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                  |
| Earliest unstake/claim | 30 March 2026, 1000 UTC |

{% 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 — paid in both USD and $BASED.

| Card         | $BASED Lockup | Cashback (USD) | Cashback ($BASED) | Monthly Cap | FX Markup |
| ------------ | ------------: | -------------: | ----------------: | ----------: | --------: |
| Based Orange |             — |             0% |                 — |           — |      2.5% |
| HYPE         |        10,000 |             1% |                2% |         $20 |      1.5% |
| Based Gold   |       100,000 |             2% |                4% |        $100 |        0% |

HYPE and Based Gold cards are available now. Based Orange is coming soon.

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/~/revisions/NAKTAcMV9VJt5myfN5mQ/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

1. Go to [basedfoundation.com/genesis](https://basedfoundation.com/genesis)
2. Connect your wallet
3. Select a tier (OG, Based, or Normie) depending on available capacity
4. Enter the amount you want to stake
5. Confirm the transaction
6. Rewards begin accruing from 28 March 2026, 0000 UTC
7. Trading discounts and Launchpool eligibility apply after TGE (30 March 2026)

***

{% hint style="info" %}
Tiers, rates, and mechanics described on this page are subject to change. Check [basedfoundation.com/genesis](https://basedfoundation.com/genesis) for the latest details.
{% endhint %}