What AER staking is — and what it is not
AER staking is a time-bounded incentive program for early network participants. You lock AER for 90 days and receive rewards from two sources: a fixed pool allocated at genesis, and a variable share of gas fees. That is the complete description.
It is not validator bonding. Validators on Aeredium are TEE hardware enclaves running inside AWS, Azure, and GCP — not token holders. Staking AER gives you no influence over consensus, no governance vote, and no claim on network revenue beyond the staking program itself. The Foundation does no buybacks, no price support, and no revenue sharing. Staking is an incentive mechanism, clearly labelled as one.
Staking is also non-custodial. Your AER stays in your own wallet throughout. StablePro Wallet manages the staking interface; you hold your keys.
APY: the two components
The 0–4% APY figure in the tokenomics is the sum of two separate reward streams. Understanding them separately matters because they behave differently and carry different risks.
Component 1: 2% annualized from the Staking Incentive Pool
The 100,000,000 AER Staking Incentive Pool emits at 2% annualized on the total actively staked AER. This component is stable and predictable: as long as the pool has AER in it, you receive 2% per year on your staked balance. The pool cannot be replenished. When it is exhausted, this component drops to zero permanently.
Component 2: up to 2% annualized from gas fees
Gas fees on Aeredium flow to the Fee Router contract. Up to 2% annualized of total staked AER can be routed from gas fees to the Staking Contract as variable rewards. If network gas fees are low — likely in the early months before institutional adoption — this component can be close to zero. It rises with network usage. If fees exceed the target, excess goes to the Foundation Treasury rather than stakers.
The total APY range is therefore 0% (pool empty, minimal gas) to 4% (pool active, strong gas demand). In early mainnet before significant gas demand exists, expect to be closer to the 2% fixed component than the 4% ceiling. The 4% ceiling requires both the pool and the network to be operating at scale simultaneously.
The 100M pool: how long does it last?
The fixed 2% component runs until the 100,000,000 AER Staking Incentive Pool is exhausted. How long that takes depends entirely on how much AER is actively staked, because the emission is proportional to the staked balance, not a fixed monthly amount.
In practice, early staking participation is typically low, which means the pool lasts longer. As AER adoption grows and more holders stake, the pool depletes faster. There is no mechanism to extend or top up the pool — this is an intentional design choice to prevent inflation through perpetual emissions.
The pool depletion timeline is one of the more important long-term considerations for anyone holding AER. Once the fixed component is gone, the only remaining staking reward is the gas-fee variable component. That either becomes a stronger incentive (high network usage) or disappears entirely (low usage). The program transitions from a subsidised early-stage incentive to a purely usage-driven one.
Lock period, adding to stake, and early exit
The 90-day lock is per deposit, with one important wrinkle that catches people out: adding to an existing stake resets the full lock.
90-day lock per deposit
When you stake AER, your deposit is locked for 90 days from the date of that deposit. You cannot withdraw the principal during this period without triggering early exit.
Adding to stake resets the lock
If you add more AER to an existing staking position, the 90-day lock resets to 90 days from the date of the new deposit — not from your original deposit date. If you staked on Day 1 and add more on Day 60, your lock runs until Day 150, not Day 91. Plan deposits accordingly.
Early exit: principal back, rewards forfeited
If you withdraw before the 90-day lock expires, you receive your principal in full. All accrued rewards since your last deposit are forfeited — they do not carry over or become partially claimable. The principal is safe; the yield is the cost of early exit.
How to stake AER
AER staking is managed through StablePro Wallet. The staking interface is not available until AER launches on mainnet, but the wallet itself is live and can be set up in advance.
Step 1 — Get StablePro Wallet. Download the Android beta from stableprowallet.io. iOS availability was described as coming shortly in the official AMA. Only use official download links.
Step 2 — Set up your wallet. StablePro Wallet is non-custodial. You generate your own keys and receive a recovery phrase. Store it securely offline. The wallet uses a 2-of-3 threshold key structure (AEGISKey) where you hold one key, a second is cloud-encrypted, and a third is on-device — meaning you can recover access even if you lose your device, without the project ever controlling your funds.
Step 3 — Acquire AER. AER is not yet listed. Once AER launches on a CEX or DEX at mainnet, you can buy it there and transfer to StablePro Wallet. Subscribe for the listing alert to be notified the moment trading opens.
Step 4 — Stake through the app. Once AER is in your StablePro Wallet and mainnet is live, the staking interface will be accessible within the app. Select the amount to stake, confirm the 90-day lock terms, and submit the staking transaction.
One important note: the exact staking interface, minimum stake amount (if any), and gas cost for staking transactions have not been published in the tokenomics document. These details will be confirmed at or before mainnet launch.
Staking vs not staking
Staking is not obviously the right choice for everyone. The decision depends on your time horizon and how you weigh yield against liquidity.
Reason to stake: If you intend to hold AER for at least 90 days regardless, staking costs you nothing in liquidity terms. You earn 2–4% APY on a position you would have held anyway. At 2% fixed on, say, 10,000 AER, that is 200 AER per year in rewards — compounding if you re-stake at the end of each 90-day period.
Reason not to stake: If AER experiences significant price movement after mainnet launch — either up or down — you may want to respond quickly. The 90-day lock removes that option. Early exit forfeits all accrued rewards but returns principal, so the direct financial loss is the forfeited yield, not the principal itself. The real cost is opportunity cost: being unable to sell at a price you wanted to sell at, or unable to buy more at a lower price during your lock window.
The re-stake question: Adding to your position resets the lock. If you plan to compound by restaking rewards, plan your deposit timing carefully. Restaking at the end of a 90-day period (rather than mid-period) avoids resetting a lock that would otherwise have expired soon.
Risks to understand before staking
Pool depletion. The fixed 2% component ends when the 100M pool is exhausted. There is no announcement, no grace period, no top-up. Once it is gone, the staking math changes permanently. Monitor how much AER is actively staked — high participation depletes the pool faster.
Low gas demand. In the early months after mainnet launch, institutional transaction volumes may be limited. The variable component (up to 2% from gas fees) could be negligible for an extended period, leaving you earning closer to 2% than 4%.
Price risk during lock. Your AER is locked for 90 days. If the price of AER drops significantly during your lock period, you cannot exit without forfeiting rewards. Your principal is safe on-chain, but its market value is not protected.
Smart contract risk. Staking involves interacting with the Staking Contract deployed on Aeredium. No third-party smart contract audit has been published yet. Until an independent audit is confirmed, this is an unquantified technical risk.
Mainnet timing risk. Staking is not live until mainnet. No mainnet date is confirmed. If mainnet is delayed, the window during which the 100M pool is fresh and the fixed 2% is available narrows.
Sources
Tokenomics v3.8 — April 2026
All staking mechanics: 100M pool, 2% fixed rate, gas-fee variable component, 90-day lock, lock reset on addition, early exit rules, non-custodial structure, no governance rights from staking.
White paper v5.5 — January 2026
Fee Router contract design, gas fee routing to Staking Contract, Foundation Treasury overflow mechanics, AEGISKey key architecture for StablePro Wallet.
StablePro Wallet — stableprowallet.io
Primary staking interface. Android beta live. Non-custodial, 2-of-3 AEGISKey threshold structure.
FAQ
Can I stake AER right now?
No. AER staking opens when mainnet launches. The Aeredium testnet is running and the StablePro Wallet Android beta is live, but AER is not yet listed and staking is not yet available. Set up StablePro Wallet now so you are ready the moment mainnet launches.
What is the AER staking APY?
0–4% annualized. The fixed component is 2% from the 100M Staking Incentive Pool. The variable component is up to 2% from gas fees and depends on network activity. In early mainnet, expect closer to 2% than 4% until gas demand grows. Neither component is guaranteed.
What happens if I need my AER before 90 days?
Early exit returns your principal in full. All accrued rewards since your last deposit are forfeited entirely. The principal is never at risk from early exit — only the yield.
Is AER staking the same as being a validator?
No. Validators on Aeredium are TEE hardware enclaves running in cloud infrastructure. Token holders cannot become validators. AER staking is purely an incentive program for early participants — it gives no consensus rights, validator authority, or governance vote.
What is the minimum amount to stake?
No minimum stake amount has been published in the tokenomics documentation. This detail is expected to be confirmed at or before mainnet launch.
Does restaking reset the lock?
Yes. Adding any amount to an existing staking position resets the full 90-day lock from the date of the new deposit. If you plan to compound rewards by restaking, time your additions to coincide with the end of a lock period rather than mid-period.
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