10.7 Stake Activation and Participation Lifecycle

Following successful staking, the tokens enter an activation phase governed by epoch-based lifecycle rules.

During this phase:

• the stake is registered in the system

• eligibility for participation is established

• actual participation begins at the next activation boundary

This separation between staking and activation ensures coordinated participation across the network and prevents abrupt changes in validator composition.

Once activated:

• Sync nodes begin validating transactions and blocks

• Vault nodes begin cryptographic verification

• Cluster nodes (if applicable) participate in block production