Warm-up Period

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Pronunciation

[wawrm-uhp peer-ee-uhd]

Analogy

Imagine joining a new gym. During your first week (the warm-up period), you might have limited access to certain advanced classes or equipment, and you might not yet be eligible for loyalty program points. This allows you to get accustomed to the gym and the gym to integrate you smoothly before you're considered a full, active member. A warm-up period is similar for new entering the system.

Definition

In some systems, a defined period after tokens are initially staked during which they are not yet eligible to earn full rewards or participate fully in validation. This period might be used to prevent certain gaming strategies or to allow the network to adjust to new .

Key Points Intro

A warm-up period can be a feature in mechanisms to manage the onboarding of new .

Key Points

A duration after staking during which rewards might be reduced or non-existent.

May also apply to participation rights (e.g., not being immediately eligible for validator selection).

Helps to stabilize the staking pool and prevent rapid fluctuations or exploitation.

The length of the warm-up period varies between protocols.

Example

Some protocols or newer chains might implement a warm-up period where newly staked tokens only start accruing full rewards after, for instance, one or 24 hours. This can discourage very short-term aimed at quickly claiming rewards without long-term commitment.

Caveat

Not all systems have a warm-up period. It's important for stakers to understand the specific rules of the they are using, including any warm-up or cool-down (unbonding) periods, as these affect liquidity and reward expectations.

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