Cardano Staking: Delegate to Stake Pool, Withdraw Rewards

Scalus TxBuilder provides a type-safe API for managing Cardano staking operations. This guide covers the four core staking operations: registering stake keys, delegating to pools, withdrawing rewards, and deregistering stake keys.

Staking operations require interaction with Cardano’s stake address system. All operations support both Byron-era and Conway-era protocol parameters.

Registering Stake Keys

Registering a stake key is the first step to participate in Cardano staking. This operation requires a 2 ADA deposit that is refundable when you deregister the stake key.


val tx = TxBuilder(env)
  .registerStake(stakeAddress)
  .complete(provider, sponsorAddress)
  .build()

In the Conway era, you can specify the deposit amount explicitly:


val tx = TxBuilder(env)
  .registerStake(stakeAddress, Coin.ada(2))
  .complete(provider, sponsorAddress)
  .build()

The 2 ADA deposit is held by the protocol and will be returned when you deregister your stake key.

Delegating to Stake Pools

After registering a stake key, you can delegate it to a stake pool using the pool’s unique Pool ID. Your delegated ADA helps secure the network and earns staking rewards.


val poolId = PoolKeyHash.fromHex("pool1...")
 
val tx = TxBuilder(env)
  .delegateTo(stakeAddress, poolId)
  .complete(provider, sponsorAddress)
  .build()

Registering and Delegating in One Transaction

For efficiency, you can combine registration and delegation into a single transaction:


val poolId = PoolKeyHash.fromHex("pool1...")
val deposit = Coin.ada(2)
 
val tx = TxBuilder(env)
  .stakeAndDelegate(stakeAddress, poolId, deposit)
  .complete(provider, sponsorAddress)
  .build()

Combining operations saves transaction fees and reduces the number of blockchain interactions required.

Withdrawing Staking Rewards

Claim your accumulated staking rewards to your wallet.


val tx = TxBuilder(env)
  .withdrawRewards(stakeAddress, rewardAmount)
  .complete(provider, sponsorAddress)
  .build()

Post-Vasil Era: Stake rewards must be withdrawn fully. Partial withdrawals are not supported.

Post-Chang Era: Rewards are only withdrawable if you have delegated your voting power to a DRep (Delegated Representative). See the Governance guide for more information.

Deregistering Stake Keys

Deregistering a stake key returns your initial 2 ADA deposit and removes your stake key from the blockchain.


val tx = TxBuilder(env)
  .deregisterStake(stakeAddress)
  .complete(provider, sponsorAddress)
  .build()

With explicit refund:


val tx = TxBuilder(env)
  .deregisterStake(stakeAddress, Coin.ada(2))
  .complete(provider, sponsorAddress)
  .build()

Working with Stake Addresses

Creating Stake Addresses from Key Hash

To perform staking operations, you need a properly formatted stake address. Here’s how to create one from a stake key hash:


import scalus.cardano.address.{StakeAddress, StakePayload}
 
val stakeAddress = StakeAddress(
  Network.Mainnet,
  StakePayload.Stake(stakeKeyHash)
)

Extracting Stake Address from Payment Address

You can extract the stake address from a Shelley payment address:


val stakeAddress = shelleyAddress.delegation match {
  case ShelleyDelegationPart.Key(keyHash) =>
    StakeAddress(shelleyAddress.network, StakePayload.Stake(keyHash))
  case _ => throw new Exception("No stake key")
}