Managing Stake Accounts with Solana CLI

Overview

Stake accounts allow you to delegate SOL tokens to validators, helping secure the network and earning rewards. When you stake tokens, you give validators more influence in determining valid blocks, and in return, you earn newly generated SOL periodically as rewards.

For a comprehensive overview of staking concepts, see the Staking and Inflation FAQ and Staking documentation.

Prerequisites

Solana CLI tools installed
A funded wallet with SOL tokens
Cluster configured (Devnet recommended for testing)

Create a Stake Account

Creating a stake account involves generating a keypair for the account address and transferring tokens into it.

Generate stake account keypair

Create a keypair for the new stake account:

solana-keygen new --no-passphrase -o stake-account.json

Output:

Generating a new keypair

For added security, enter a BIP39 passphrase

NOTE! This passphrase improves security of the recovery seed phrase NOT the
keypair file itself, which is stored as insecure plain text

BIP39 Passphrase (empty for none):

Wrote new keypair to stake-account.json
================================================================================
pubkey: GKvqsuNcnwWqPzzuhLmGi4rzzh55FhJtGizkhHaEJqiV
================================================================================
Save this seed phrase and your BIP39 passphrase to recover your new keypair:
[seed phrase displayed here]
================================================================================

Save the public key (pubkey) - you’ll need it to reference this stake account.

Create the stake account

Transfer SOL into a new stake account:

solana create-stake-account --from <KEYPAIR> stake-account.json <AMOUNT> \
    --stake-authority <KEYPAIR> --withdraw-authority <KEYPAIR> \
    --fee-payer <KEYPAIR>

Example:

solana create-stake-account --from ~/my-wallet.json stake-account.json 5 \
    --stake-authority ~/my-wallet.json --withdraw-authority ~/my-wallet.json \
    --fee-payer ~/my-wallet.json

This creates a stake account with 5 SOL.

Discard keypair file

The stake-account.json file can now be safely deleted. All future operations use the stake account address (pubkey) and the authority keypairs.

View stake account

Check the new stake account:

solana stake-account <STAKE_ACCOUNT_ADDRESS>

Output:

Total Stake: 5000 SOL
Stake account is undelegated
Stake Authority: EXU95vqs93yPeCeAU7mPPu6HbRUmTFPEiGug9oCdvQ5F
Withdraw Authority: EXU95vqs93yPeCeAU7mPPu6HbRUmTFPEiGug9oCdvQ5F

Use ALL Keyword

Transfer all available SOL from the funding account:

solana create-stake-account --from <KEYPAIR> stake-account.json ALL \
    --stake-authority <KEYPAIR> --withdraw-authority <KEYPAIR> \
    --fee-payer <KEYPAIR>

Stake and Withdraw Authorities

Stake accounts have two types of authorities:

Stake Authority - Can delegate stake, deactivate stake, and split stake accounts
Withdraw Authority - Can withdraw tokens from the stake account

Set Authorities During Creation

Specify authorities when creating the account:

solana create-stake-account --from ~/funding.json stake-account.json 100 \
    --stake-authority ~/stake-authority.json \
    --withdraw-authority ~/withdraw-authority.json \
    --fee-payer ~/funding.json

Change Stake Authority

Update the stake authority after creation:

solana stake-authorize <STAKE_ACCOUNT_ADDRESS> \
    --stake-authority <KEYPAIR> --new-stake-authority <PUBKEY> \
    --fee-payer <KEYPAIR>

Example:

solana stake-authorize GKvqsuNcnwWqPzzuhLmGi4rzzh55FhJtGizkhHaEJqiV \
    --stake-authority ~/old-authority.json \
    --new-stake-authority 8nP3jDvPwhTzv8VpE4pRi8pJGhhtC5T9kB8aU9Ltzfsg \
    --fee-payer ~/fee-payer.json

Change Withdraw Authority

Update the withdraw authority:

solana stake-authorize <STAKE_ACCOUNT_ADDRESS> \
    --withdraw-authority <KEYPAIR> --new-withdraw-authority <PUBKEY> \
    --fee-payer <KEYPAIR>

Delegate Stake

Delegating stake assigns your tokens to a validator, giving them voting weight and earning you rewards.

Find a validator

List all validators and their vote accounts:

solana validators

Output:

Identity                                     | Vote Account                                 | Commission | Last Vote    | Stake
---------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+------------+--------------+-------------------
8nP3jDvPwhTzv8VpE4pRi8pJGhhtC5T9kB8aU9Ltzfsg | 9QU2QSxhb24FUX3Tu2FpczXjpK3VYrvRudywSZaM29mF | 10%        | 98765432     | 1234567.890 SOL

The first column is the validator identity, the second is the vote account address. Choose a validator and copy its vote account address.

Delegate to validator

Delegate your stake account to the chosen validator:

solana delegate-stake --stake-authority <KEYPAIR> <STAKE_ACCOUNT_ADDRESS> <VOTE_ACCOUNT_ADDRESS> \
    --fee-payer <KEYPAIR>

Example:

solana delegate-stake --stake-authority ~/my-wallet.json \
    GKvqsuNcnwWqPzzuhLmGi4rzzh55FhJtGizkhHaEJqiV \
    9QU2QSxhb24FUX3Tu2FpczXjpK3VYrvRudywSZaM29mF \
    --fee-payer ~/my-wallet.json

Verify delegation

Check the stake account to confirm delegation:

solana stake-account <STAKE_ACCOUNT_ADDRESS>

Output:

Total Stake: 5000 SOL
Credits Observed: 147462
Delegated Stake: 4999.99771712 SOL
Delegated Vote Account Address: 9QU2QSxhb24FUX3Tu2FpczXjpK3VYrvRudywSZaM29mF
Stake activates starting from epoch: 42
Stake Authority: EXU95vqs93yPeCeAU7mPPu6HbRUmTFPEiGug9oCdvQ5F
Withdraw Authority: EXU95vqs93yPeCeAU7mPPu6HbRUmTFPEiGug9oCdvQ5F

Note the “Delegated Vote Account Address” and “Stake activates starting from epoch” fields.

Stake activation is not immediate. It takes effect at the beginning of the next epoch. Epochs typically last 2-3 days.

Deactivate Stake

To undelegate stake (stop staking with a validator), deactivate the stake account.

solana deactivate-stake --stake-authority <KEYPAIR> <STAKE_ACCOUNT_ADDRESS> \
    --fee-payer <KEYPAIR>

Example:

solana deactivate-stake --stake-authority ~/my-wallet.json \
    GKvqsuNcnwWqPzzuhLmGi4rzzh55FhJtGizkhHaEJqiV \
    --fee-payer ~/my-wallet.json

Deactivation with Derived Address

If the stake account was created at a derived address (see Derived Addresses), include the seed:

solana deactivate-stake --stake-authority <KEYPAIR> --seed <STRING> <STAKE_ACCOUNT_ADDRESS> \
    --fee-payer <KEYPAIR>

Deactivate from Delinquent Validator

Force deactivation from a delinquent (non-voting) validator:

solana deactivate-stake --stake-authority <KEYPAIR> --delinquent <STAKE_ACCOUNT_ADDRESS> \
    --fee-payer <KEYPAIR>

Stake takes several epochs to “cool down” after deactivation. You cannot redelegate or withdraw until the cool-down period completes.

Withdraw Stake

Withdraw tokens from a stake account to another account.

solana withdraw-stake --withdraw-authority <KEYPAIR> <STAKE_ACCOUNT_ADDRESS> <RECIPIENT_ADDRESS> <AMOUNT> \
    --fee-payer <KEYPAIR>

Example:

solana withdraw-stake --withdraw-authority ~/my-wallet.json \
    GKvqsuNcnwWqPzzuhLmGi4rzzh55FhJtGizkhHaEJqiV \
    8nP3jDvPwhTzv8VpE4pRi8pJGhhtC5T9kB8aU9Ltzfsg \
    100 \
    --fee-payer ~/my-wallet.json

This withdraws 100 SOL to the recipient address.

Withdrawal Amount Keywords

ALL - Withdraw the maximum amount allowed:

solana withdraw-stake --withdraw-authority <KEYPAIR> <STAKE_ACCOUNT_ADDRESS> <RECIPIENT> ALL \
    --fee-payer <KEYPAIR>

AVAILABLE - Withdraw only the currently withdrawable portion:

solana withdraw-stake --withdraw-authority <KEYPAIR> <STAKE_ACCOUNT_ADDRESS> <RECIPIENT> AVAILABLE \
    --fee-payer <KEYPAIR>

The withdrawable amount depends on whether stake is active, cooling down, fully inactive, and any applicable lockups.

Split Stake

Transfer part of a stake account to a new stake account. Useful for delegating to multiple validators while stake is active or cooling down.

solana split-stake --stake-authority <KEYPAIR> <STAKE_ACCOUNT_ADDRESS> <NEW_STAKE_ACCOUNT_KEYPAIR> <AMOUNT> \
    --fee-payer <KEYPAIR>

Example:

solana-keygen new --no-passphrase -o new-stake.json
solana split-stake --stake-authority ~/my-wallet.json \
    GKvqsuNcnwWqPzzuhLmGi4rzzh55FhJtGizkhHaEJqiV \
    new-stake.json \
    1000 \
    --fee-payer ~/my-wallet.json

This moves 1000 SOL from the existing stake account to a new stake account.

Split Requirements

The split amount must be at least the cluster’s minimum delegation (typically 1 SOL)
The new account must be rent-exempt
Both accounts will have the same authorities and delegation state

Specify Rent-Exempt Reserve

When signing offline transactions, explicitly provide the rent-exempt amount:

solana split-stake --stake-authority <KEYPAIR> <STAKE_ACCOUNT_ADDRESS> <NEW_STAKE_ACCOUNT_KEYPAIR> <AMOUNT> \
    --rent-exempt-reserve-sol <RENT_EXEMPT_AMOUNT> --fee-payer <KEYPAIR>

Derived Stake Account Addresses

For managing multiple stake accounts, derive addresses from a base keypair and seed instead of creating separate keypair files.

Create with Seed

solana create-stake-account --from <KEYPAIR> <STAKE_ACCOUNT_KEYPAIR> --seed <STRING> <AMOUNT> \
    --stake-authority <PUBKEY> --withdraw-authority <PUBKEY> --fee-payer <KEYPAIR>

Example:

solana create-stake-account --from ~/my-wallet.json ~/base-keypair.json --seed "0" 100 \
    --stake-authority ~/my-wallet.json --withdraw-authority ~/my-wallet.json \
    --fee-payer ~/my-wallet.json

The <STRING> is an arbitrary string up to 32 bytes. Common practice is to use sequential numbers: “0”, “1”, “2”, etc.

Calculate Derived Address

Preview the derived address before creating:

solana create-address-with-seed --from <PUBKEY> <SEED_STRING> STAKE

Example:

solana create-address-with-seed --from EXU95vqs93yPeCeAU7mPPu6HbRUmTFPEiGug9oCdvQ5F "0" STAKE

Output:

3F2KkdLLXJHBvYJnqDWwHqVh3aEqrKDjHb7Ws4qNxcJh

Split to Derived Address

Split stake to a derived address:

solana split-stake --stake-authority <KEYPAIR> <STAKE_ACCOUNT_ADDRESS> \
    <BASE_KEYPAIR> --seed <STRING> <AMOUNT> \
    --fee-payer <KEYPAIR>

Check Stake Activation

Monitor stake activation status:

solana stake-account <STAKE_ACCOUNT_ADDRESS>

Look for:

“Stake account is undelegated” - Not yet delegated
“Stake activates starting from epoch: N” - Will activate at epoch N
“Delegated Stake: X SOL” - Currently active stake amount

View All Stake Accounts

List all stake accounts owned by a wallet:

solana stakes <WALLET_ADDRESS>

Output:

Stake Account                                | Validator                                    | State     | Stake (SOL)
---------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------+-----------+-------------
GKvqsuNcnwWqPzzuhLmGi4rzzh55FhJtGizkhHaEJqiV | 9QU2QSxhb24FUX3Tu2FpczXjpK3VYrvRudywSZaM29mF | active    | 5000.000000

Stake Rewards

Rewards are automatically added to your stake account balance each epoch. View accumulated rewards by checking your stake account balance over time.

Calculate Expected Rewards

The reward rate depends on:

Total network stake
Inflation rate
Validator commission
Validator performance

Typical annual percentage yield (APY) on Solana ranges from 5-7%.

Claim Rewards

Rewards are automatically added to your stake account. No manual claiming required. To access rewards:

Deactivate stake
Wait for cool-down period
Withdraw funds

Stake Account Management Strategies

Single Validator

Simplest approach - delegate all stake to one validator:

# Create and delegate
solana create-stake-account --from wallet.json stake.json 1000 \
    --stake-authority wallet.json --withdraw-authority wallet.json
solana delegate-stake --stake-authority wallet.json stake-address vote-address

Multiple Validators

Spread stake across multiple validators for diversification:

solana create-stake-account --from wallet.json base.json --seed "0" 500 \
    --stake-authority wallet.json --withdraw-authority wallet.json
solana delegate-stake --stake-authority wallet.json stake-address-0 vote-address-1

Redelegate Without Downtime

Switch validators without unstaking:

Split stake account

solana split-stake --stake-authority wallet.json existing-stake new-stake.json 500

Delegate to new validator

solana delegate-stake --stake-authority wallet.json new-stake-address new-vote-address

Deactivate original (optional)

solana deactivate-stake --stake-authority wallet.json existing-stake

Common Operations

Check Balance

solana balance <STAKE_ACCOUNT_ADDRESS>

Merge Stake Accounts

Merge two stake accounts (must be delegated to same validator or both inactive):

solana stake-merge <STAKE_ACCOUNT_1> <STAKE_ACCOUNT_2> \
    --stake-authority <KEYPAIR> \
    --fee-payer <KEYPAIR>

Set Lockup

Lock stake until a specific time:

solana stake-set-lockup <STAKE_ACCOUNT_ADDRESS> \
    --lockup-epoch <EPOCH> \
    --lockup-date <UNIX_TIMESTAMP> \
    --new-custodian <PUBKEY> \
    --withdraw-authority <KEYPAIR>

Best Practices

Separate Authorities: Use different keypairs for stake and withdraw authorities
Hardware Wallets: Store withdraw authority on hardware wallet
Diversify: Delegate to multiple validators to reduce risk
Monitor Performance: Regularly check validator performance and commission
Secure Backups: Maintain secure backups of authority keypairs
Test on Devnet: Practice stake operations on Devnet before mainnet
Track Rewards: Monitor stake account balance to track reward accrual

Troubleshooting

Insufficient Funds

Ensure the funding account has enough SOL for:

Stake amount
Rent-exempt minimum (~0.00228 SOL)
Transaction fees (~0.000005 SOL per transaction)

Stake Not Activating

Stake activates at the beginning of the next epoch. Check:

Current epoch: solana epoch-info
Activation epoch shown in solana stake-account

Cannot Withdraw

Reasons withdrawal might fail:

Stake is still active (must deactivate first)
Still in cool-down period (wait for next epoch)
Lockup period hasn’t expired
Attempting to withdraw below minimum rent-exempt amount

Authority Errors

Verify you’re using the correct authority:

Delegation operations require stake authority
Withdrawals require withdraw authority
Check current authorities: solana stake-account <ADDRESS>

Next Steps

Vote Accounts

Create and manage validator vote accounts

Cluster Selection

Learn about different Solana clusters

Get Started

Architecture

Running a Validator

CLI Tools

Development

​Overview

​Prerequisites

​Create a Stake Account

​Use ALL Keyword

​Stake and Withdraw Authorities

​Set Authorities During Creation

​Change Stake Authority

​Change Withdraw Authority

​Delegate Stake

​Deactivate Stake

​Deactivation with Derived Address

​Deactivate from Delinquent Validator

​Withdraw Stake

​Withdrawal Amount Keywords

​Split Stake

​Split Requirements

​Specify Rent-Exempt Reserve

​Derived Stake Account Addresses

​Create with Seed

​Calculate Derived Address

​Split to Derived Address

​Check Stake Activation

​View All Stake Accounts

​Stake Rewards

​Calculate Expected Rewards

​Claim Rewards

​Stake Account Management Strategies

​Single Validator

​Multiple Validators

​Redelegate Without Downtime

​Common Operations

​Check Balance

​Merge Stake Accounts

​Set Lockup

​Best Practices

​Troubleshooting

​Insufficient Funds

​Stake Not Activating

​Cannot Withdraw

​Authority Errors

​Next Steps

Vote Accounts

Cluster Selection

Overview

Prerequisites

Create a Stake Account

Use ALL Keyword

Stake and Withdraw Authorities

Set Authorities During Creation

Change Stake Authority

Change Withdraw Authority

Delegate Stake

Deactivate Stake

Deactivation with Derived Address

Deactivate from Delinquent Validator

Withdraw Stake

Withdrawal Amount Keywords

Split Stake

Split Requirements

Specify Rent-Exempt Reserve

Derived Stake Account Addresses

Create with Seed

Calculate Derived Address

Split to Derived Address

Check Stake Activation

View All Stake Accounts

Stake Rewards

Calculate Expected Rewards

Claim Rewards

Stake Account Management Strategies

Single Validator

Multiple Validators

Redelegate Without Downtime

Common Operations

Check Balance

Merge Stake Accounts

Set Lockup

Best Practices

Troubleshooting

Insufficient Funds

Stake Not Activating

Cannot Withdraw

Authority Errors

Next Steps