# Staking in CrossCurve

Staking is the simplest way to earn passive income in **CrossCurve**. All you need to do is lock **EYWA** tokens (instructions available [here](https://docs.crosscurve.fi/user-documentation/dao/locker-interface)), which automatically makes you a member of our **DAO** and enables you to receive rewards every epoch.\
\
You can boost your earnings through additional mechanics like longer lock durations, using NFTs, and participating in votes.

## How does staking work in CrossCurve?

Each epoch, a portion of **EYWA** tokens from the **DAO Treasury** is allocated to incentivize protocol activity. Most of these tokens go to [**rewarding DAO participants**](https://docs.crosscurve.fi/crosscurve-dao/staking-mechanics#distribution-of-rewards-among-dao-participants).

To receive these rewards, you must lock **EYWA** tokens in the **DAO Locker**. Once locked, you receive an NFT that records your voting power — **veEYWA**. The more **veEYWA** you hold, the larger your share of the rewards.

Each epoch runs from **Thursday 00:00 UTC** to **Wednesday 24:00 UTC**. At the start of each new epoch, rewards from the previous one are [distributed](https://docs.crosscurve.fi/user-documentation/dao/locker-interface).

***

## How to maximize your APR?

Formulas:

* **veEYWA** = ((EYWA amount × lock period in weeks) ÷ 156
* **User share** = your veEYWA ÷ total veEYWA in DAO
* **Reward** = User share × total reward pool (EYWA)
* **Weekly Return Rate (WRR)** = Reward ÷ locked EYWA amount

For example, if you lock 156 EYWA for 1 week, then you will get:

* **1 veEYWA**

If total **veEYWA** in the **DAO** is 1 000, and the reward pool is 1 000 **EYWA**, then your reward is:

* **0.1% of the pool = 1 EYWA**

Weekly return rate (WRR): **0.64%**

Your income depends directly on your share of **veEYWA**. To increase it, you can:

1. **Lock more EYWA tokens**
2. **Extend your lock duration**
3. **Use EYWA NFT with a** [**veEYWA multiplier**](https://docs.crosscurve.fi/crosscurve-dao/nfts/eywa-nft-collection#veeywa-voting-multiplier)

These methods can be combined. Here are strategy examples:

### **1. Increasing EYWA amount**

Locking **1560 EYWA for 1 week** will get you:

* **10 veEYWA (10 times more)**

If total **veEYWA** in **DAO** is **1009**, then your share is:

* **0.99% of the pool = 9.9 EYWA  (9.9 times more)**
* **Weekly return rate (WRR): 0.63% (almost no change)**

{% hint style="info" %}
*Increasing the amount boosts total rewards, but return per token remains almost the same.* 
{% endhint %}

### **2. Increasing lock duration**

Locking **156 EYWA for 3 years (156 weeks)** will get you:

* **156 veEYWA (156 times more than when locking for 1 week)**

If total **veEYWA** in **DAO** is **1 155**, and the reward pool equals to **1 000 EYWA**, then your share is:

* **13.5% of the pool = 135 EYWA (135 times more)**
* **Weekly return rate (WRR): 86.5% (135 times higher)**

{% hint style="success" %}
*Locking for a longer period significantly boosts both rewards and returns — the most efficient strategy without extra spending.*
{% endhint %}

### **3. Using NFT with x3 multiplier**

Locking **156 EYWA for 1 week** and using **NFT with the x3 multiplier** will get you:

* **3 veEYWA (3 times more than without an NFT)**

If total **veEYWA** in **DAO** is **1002**, and the reward pool equals to **1 000 EYWA**, then your share is:

* **0.29% of the pool = 2.9 EYWA (2.9 times more)**
* **Weekly return rate (WRR): 1.9% (approximately 3 times higher)**

{% hint style="success" %}
*NFTs give an instant boost — same amount and duration, but 3x higher veEYWA and rewards. This is a great option to multiply your profits.* 
{% endhint %}

### 4. Combined strategy: increasing lock duration + utilizing NFTs

Locking **156 EYWA for 156 weeks** and applying **NFT x3** will get you:

* **468 veEYWA (468 times more)**

If total **veEYWA** in **DAO** is **1467**, and the reward pool equals to **1 000 EYWA**, then your share is:

* **31.9% of the pool = 319 EYWA (319 times more)**

Weekly return rate (WRR): **204.5% (319 times higher)**

{% hint style="success" %}
*Combining max lock duration and NFT multiplier creates a compounding effect, giving a 468x increase in veEYWA compared to the base case. This leads to significant return and relative profit growth.* 
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
***Note**: All values are illustrative. Actual results depend on total veEYWA distribution across participants. However, the core logic of these calculations remains accurate.*
{% endhint %}

## How other participants affect your APR

In addition to the steps you can take to maximize your **APR**, it’s important to consider “external” conditions. In the section “How to increase staking income,” we looked at examples where the **veEYWA** volume of other **DAO** participants was static. But in reality, this figure is constantly changing. One important point: **how other participants lock their EYWA also affects your final yield**.

#### **Reward distribution specifics depending on veEYWA amounts**

Let’s consider a few simple scenarios with two **DAO** participants. Suppose that in the previous epoch, only two users participated in the DAO:

**Scenario 1**: both locked 75 000 EYWA for the maximum term (3 years)

* veEYWA of participant A = 75 000
* veEYWA of participant B = 75 000
* Total veEYWA = 150 000
* Shares are equal — both participants receive 50% of the rewards
* APY = 7 906%

**Scenario 2**: both have 75 000 EYWA, but:

* Participant A locks for 3 years → 75 000 veEYWA
* Participant B locks for 1 year → 25 000 veEYWA
* Total veEYWA = 100 000
* Participant A receives 75% of all rewards
* Participant B — 25%

Based on the [table](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13S_nSQ5yGw007FdrZ62JbbtEESJtxMPAjFfDIVpcJ9o?gid=2059672431) the total reward pool for the week (epoch) is **13 190.73 EYWA**, therefore:

* Reward A: (75 000 / 100 000) × 13 190.73 = **9 892.5 EYWA**
* Reward B: (25 000 / 100 000) × 13 190.73 = **3 297.5 EYWA**

**Weekly Return Rate (WRR)**:

* WRR A = (9 892.5 ÷ 75 000) × 100% = 13.19%
* WRR B = (3 297.5 ÷ 75 000) × 100% = 4.37%

**APY calculation**:

* APY A = ((1 + 13.19% ÷ 100%)^52 – 1) × 100% ≈ 62 700%
* APY B = ((1 + 4.37% ÷ 100%)^52 – 1) × 100% ≈ 824%

***

## “Compound” button and APY

To receive staking rewards each epoch, you must press the “**Compound**” button. This action adds the accrued reward to the lock amount.

Increasing the lock amount raises your **veEYWA** share and, accordingly, your reward in the next epoch. The yield displayed on the locker page (**APY**) is shown assuming regular use of **Compound** — based on the principle of bank compound interest.

If you do not press **Compound**, your yield will be lower than what is shown in the interface. Therefore, to earn income that matches the displayed **APY**, you must manually add the reward to the lock each epoch.

***

## How to maximize earnings

1. Lock EYWA for the maximum term
2. Use NFTs with a high multiplier
3. Press “**Compound**” **each epoch**
4. Participate in incentive voting

***

## Conclusion

Staking in **CrossCurve** is more than just passive income. It includes many mechanics that allow you **to earn returns far beyond traditional staking**.

You’re not just earning — you’re helping shape the **CrossCurve** ecosystem and receiving real rewards for it.