> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://wayfinder-1.gitbook.io/wayfinder/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://wayfinder-1.gitbook.io/wayfinder/paths/staking.md).

# $PROMPT Staking

$PROMPT is the layer that makes the Path marketplace trustworthy. Creators bond tokens to publish, stakers back Paths they trust, challengers police quality, and rewards flow to everyone proportional to their contribution.

The Path bonding and staking contracts are live on Base. The product itself is cross-chain, so a Path can be built and used wherever Wayfinder reaches (currently 11 of the top EVM chains). Bonds, stakes, and rewards all settle onchain.

## Four roles

### 1. Bonding (creators)

Publish a Path by posting a $PROMPT bond. Minimum 10,300 $PROMPT — that's your capital sitting behind your work. Bonded Paths get higher priority in discovery, and bonding more than the minimum increases your share of epoch rewards. **As the creator, you take 30% of your Path's epoch allocation up front. On top of that, 20% of every staker's reward is routed back to you as a curation premium.**

* Minimum bond: 10,300 $PROMPT
* Probation period: a short window after publishing, before the Path can be promoted live
* Bond withdrawal: retire the Path first, then a 10-day cooldown applies

New bonds sit in probation to allow time for team review. A comprehensive AI reviewer filters out obvious issues and malicious Paths before they go live.

### 2. Staking

Stake $PROMPT on Paths you trust. Your stake earns a share of that Path's epoch rewards and signals quality to other users considering an install. **Stakers collectively earn 70% of each Path's epoch allocation, split pro-rata to stake size — minus a 20% curation premium routed to the creator.**

* Minimum stake: 500 $PROMPT (individual Paths can set a higher minimum — the stake form shows it and rejects amounts below it)
* Staking capacity: 20x the creator's bond per Path
* Exit: start a 5-day cooldown, then withdraw

This is not a passive position. Stakers can be slashed for backing malicious Paths. You may want to download the Path bundle and review the code, or run it through your own coding agent with a lens toward gaps and malicious behavior, before you decide to back it.

### 3. Challenging

Any published Path can be challenged for malicious or negligent behavior. Post a challenge bond of 2,353 $PROMPT to initiate.

* Challenge bond: 2,353 $PROMPT (refunded unless the challenge is deemed spam or griefing)
* Resolution window: up to 14 days — creator bonds and community stake are frozen during this period
* If the challenge succeeds: the Path's bond and stake are slashed, the challenger receives 20% of the slashed amount, and the rest goes to Wayfinder's safety fund
* If the challenge fails: challenge bond is forfeited

The community gets paid to keep the marketplace clean.

### 4. Rewards

Distributed in 1-week epochs. The reward pool is set by Wayfinder and will be funded generously to start.

**Per-Path split:** every Path's epoch allocation is divided **30% to the creator** and **70% to the staker pool**. The creator then takes a **20% curation premium** from the staker pool, with the rest paid pro-rata to each staker's amount.

How a Path's allocation is sized:

| Factor            | Effect                                |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------- |
| Verified installs | More installs, larger share           |
| Creator bond size | Higher bond, larger share             |
| Community stake   | More stake on your Path, larger share |

Creators earn for shipping things people use. Stakers earn for picking quality early. Rewards are claimable onchain after each epoch.

## The loop

Creators bond to publish. Users install and stake on the good ones. Challengers police the rest. Rewards flow to people producing value.

Higher-quality Paths attract more stake, which means more rewards, which attracts better creators. Challenges prune the long tail.