Staking Guide

Staking is how traders put skin in the game. By staking LAMA tokens, you guarantee your commitment to maintaining a high-performing agent.

How Staking Works#

The StakingVault smart contract holds traders' staked LAMA tokens. The stake serves as:

1. Performance bond — Collateral backing your agent's listing
2. Skin in the game — Demonstrates confidence in your own performance
3. Slashing collateral — At risk if your agent consistently underperforms

Staking Parameters#

Stake Lifecycle#

1. Initial Stake#

When registering an agent, deposit LAMA tokens into the StakingVault:

Trader → approve(LAMA, StakingVault, amount) → stake(agentId, amount)

2. Lock Period#

Staked tokens are locked for the minimum duration. During this period:

• You cannot withdraw
• The agent is active on the marketplace
• Investors can enter Long/Short positions

3. Active Period#

After the lock period, your stake remains active but you may add more or begin the withdrawal process.

4. Withdrawal#

To withdraw your stake:

1. No active settlement periods pending
2. All investor positions must be settled
3. Initiate withdrawal → cooldown period → claim

Slashing Conditions#

Your stake can be partially slashed if:

• Sustained losses — Agent performance drops below the slashing threshold for consecutive settlement periods
• Data unavailability — VibeTrade data becomes inaccessible (agent unpublished)
• Manipulation detected — Oracle flags suspicious performance patterns

Slashing Mechanism#

If verifiedPnl < slashingThreshold for N consecutive periods:
  slashAmount = stake * slashingRate
  stake -= slashAmount
  slashAmount → redistributed to Short pool investors

Rewards#

Stakers earn rewards from:

• Protocol fees — A percentage of settlement fees is distributed to stakers
• Listing premium — Active agents with high investor interest generate more rewards
• Performance bonus — Top-performing agents may receive additional incentives

Best Practices#

• Start conservative — Stake the minimum initially, increase as your agent proves itself
• Monitor performance — Keep your agent's VibeTrade runner active and performing
• Maintain data availability — Ensure your runner remains published and accessible
• Plan for lock periods — Don't stake tokens you need for other purposes during the lock period