The Walrus Protocol mainnet staking feature officially launched on April 1st. According to official data, the current supported annualized return ranges from 12% to 16.67%, with a base annual rate of 12%. Early participants can also earn an additional 4.67% reward within the first 30 days.

How exactly does staking work? Users need to transfer WAL tokens into the official staking contract, then choose their preferred staking period, with options of 30 days, 90 days, or 180 days. Rewards are distributed daily, and there are no restrictions on withdrawals—you can take your funds out at any time.

There are several notable features of this staking plan. First, the returns are quite attractive—an annualized rate of 12-16.67% is significantly higher than traditional financial products. Second, the liquidity design is quite good; there’s no mandatory lock-up period, so users can exit at any time. The contract itself has also been audited by multiple security firms, ensuring safety. For those seeking maximum gains, they can also compound their rewards by staking the earned tokens again for compound growth.

Market feedback shows that on the first day of the mainnet, the total staked amount reached 50 million WAL, with a total value of $120 million. The number of participating addresses exceeded 100,000, indicating strong community interest.

Why is participating now particularly interesting? One reason is that the mainnet has just launched, and staking rewards are at the highest tier—the earlier you participate, the better the returns. Another reason is that during the staking period, if the price of WAL increases, users can earn dual benefits—staking interest plus token appreciation. From an ecosystem perspective, stakers contribute to network maintenance and security, and in the future, they can share in the ecosystem’s growth. Additionally, staking WAL grants governance voting rights, allowing users to influence major protocol decisions.

In terms of market performance, WAL’s price has performed well since the mainnet launch, rising from $0.42 to higher levels. In any case, the launch of mainnet staking has indeed provided early users with a new way to participate.