To stake TRX, open a Tron wallet, choose Stake, pick whether you want Energy or Bandwidth, and enter an amount. Under Tron's Stake 2.0, staking gives you two things at once: network resources (which cut or remove fees on transactions like USDT TRC-20 transfers) and TRON Power, which you use to vote for Super Representatives and earn voting rewards. To get your TRX back you unstake and wait 14 days.
This makes TRX staking unusual: it can pay you twice, once in rewards and once in fees you no longer pay. Here's how it works, and how to do it in Virtex Wallet. For the basics of staking in general, see what is crypto staking.
How Tron staking works
Tron uses a delegated proof-of-stake system. 27 Super Representatives (SRs) produce blocks, chosen by votes from TRX stakers. Here's the flow:
- Stake TRX and choose a resource: Energy or Bandwidth.
- You receive that resource, plus TRON Power (TP): 1 TP per staked TRX.
- Vote for one or more SRs (or SR candidates) with your TRON Power.
- SRs share block and voting rewards with their voters.
- Claim rewards, which can be done once every 24 hours.
Important: staking alone doesn't earn voting rewards. You must vote. Many people stake for Energy and forget to vote, leaving rewards on the table.
Energy vs Bandwidth: which should you pick?
| Resource | What it pays for | Pick it if… |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | Smart-contract calls, like sending USDT TRC-20 | You send USDT or other TRC-20 tokens |
| Bandwidth | Basic transactions, like sending TRX | You mostly send TRX |
Every account gets a small free daily Bandwidth allowance. Energy is what makes USDT transfers expensive if you don't have it: without Energy, the network burns your TRX to pay. If you move USDT regularly, staking for Energy can save more than the staking rewards themselves. See USDT TRC-20 wallet guide for why fees on Tron are paid in TRX.
Your Energy and Bandwidth regenerate over 24 hours, so a stake keeps covering you every day.
How to choose a Super Representative
- Reward-sharing ratio. SRs keep a portion of rewards and share the rest. Higher sharing means more for voters.
- Reliability. Established SRs with a public team and steady block production.
- Top-27 status. Active SRs earn block rewards. Candidates outside the top 27 still earn vote rewards, but often less.
You can compare SRs on Tronscan's voting page.
Step-by-step: staking TRX in Virtex Wallet
- Open Virtex Wallet and select Tron (TRX).
- Tap Stake.
- Choose Energy or Bandwidth.
- Enter the amount of TRX to stake. Keep some TRX unstaked for fees.
- Confirm. Your resources and TRON Power appear shortly after.
- Go to Vote, pick one or more Super Representatives and assign your TRON Power.
- Come back to claim rewards periodically (at most once every 24 hours).
In non-custodial mode, every stake, vote and claim is an on-chain transaction from your own address and is visible on Tronscan. In custodial mode, Virtex handles staking and voting for you. (Custodial mode isn't available in the EEA, the UK or the USA.)
How to unstake TRX
- Tap Unstake and choose the amount.
- The unstaked TRX enters a 14-day waiting period. During this time it earns no rewards and gives no resources.
- Your votes are reduced in line with the TRON Power you removed.
- After 14 days, withdraw the TRX to your available balance.
Tron limits how many separate unstake requests can be pending at once, so it's simpler to unstake in one go rather than many small pieces.
Mistakes to avoid
- Staking but not voting. You get resources but no voting rewards.
- Forgetting to claim. Rewards don't auto-compound on Tron. Claim, then stake and vote again to compound.
- Staking all your TRX. You still need free TRX for fees beyond your resources.
- Ignoring the 14-day wait. Don't stake TRX you'll need within two weeks.
Common questions
What is Tron Stake 2.0? The current staking model on Tron, launched in 2023. It replaced "freezing" TRX with staking, introduced the 14-day unstaking period and lets you delegate resources to other addresses.
Can staking TRX make USDT transfers free? If you stake enough TRX for Energy to cover a transfer, you won't burn TRX for it. How much you need depends on network parameters, which change over time. The app shows your available Energy.
Can I give my Energy to another address? Yes. Stake 2.0 lets you delegate Energy or Bandwidth to another account, for example a business wallet that sends USDT.
Is there slashing on Tron? Voters aren't slashed. Your main risks are the 14-day lock and TRX price movements.
Get Energy, vote and earn from one app: download Virtex Wallet on Google Play. This article is general information, not financial advice.