Staking BIO
Last updated
Last updated
Staking BIO is a fundamental way to participate in the Bio Protocol's governance and earn BioXP. By locking your BIO tokens in the staking contract, you receive veBIO (vote-escrowed BIO), which represents your voting power in the ecosystem.
The amount of veBIO you receive is determined by both the amount of BIO you stake and the duration of your lock-up period. The longer you commit to locking your tokens, the more governance power you have.
You can choose to lock your BIO for any duration between 1 week and 2 years.
veBIO CalculationThe calculation for veBIO is based on the remaining time in your lock. For every BIO you stake, you receive a proportional amount of veBIO based on the following logic:
veBIO per BIO = Number of Weeks Remaining in Lock / 104
This means your veBIO balance will linearly decrease as your lock approaches its end date.
To maintain a consistent veBIO balance without your voting power degrading over time, you can use the auto-renewal feature. By toggling this on, your stake's lock-up period will automatically reset at regular intervals, keeping your veBIO balance constant. If you toggle auto-renewal off, your veBIO will begin to degrade as the lock-up period counts down.
Initially, veBIO staking will only be available on the Base network. Support for other chains will be added in the future.
Q1: What is a vote escrow (VE) token system? A vote escrow (VE) system is a mechanism where you lock up a protocol's native token (like BIO) for a set period. In return, you receive a non-transferable "vote-escrowed" token (like veBIO). The longer you lock your tokens, the more VE tokens you get, which translates to greater voting power in governance and, typically, a larger share of rewards.
Q2: Why do protocols like Bio use VE models? VE models are designed to foster a community of long-term supporters. By rewarding users who lock their tokens, the protocol discourages short-term speculation ("mercenary capital") and ensures that the most influential voters are those with a significant, long-term vested interest in the project's success.
Q3: What's the main difference between just staking a token and turning it into a VE token? The key difference is the time-lock commitment. Standard staking might allow you to unstake at any time (perhaps with a short delay). A VE model requires you to lock your tokens for a variable, pre-determined duration (from weeks to years). Your rewards and voting power are directly proportional to the length of this lock, a feature not typically found in simple staking.
veBIO SpecificsBIO for veBIOQ4: What is veBIO and how do I get it? veBIO is vote-escrowed BIO. You get it by staking your BIO tokens in the official staking contract for a duration of your choice, ranging from 1 week to a maximum of 2 years.
Q5: What is the difference between veBIO and the vBIO? They are completely separate. vBIO is a vesting token that purely remains for existing vBIO holders to claim their tokens as they unlock. veBIO is the vote-escrowed token for staking, earning BioXP (, and soon participating in governance). You cannot turn vBIO into veBIO; only BIO can be staked for veBIO. All vBIO will be unlocked by the end of the year (with the exception of investors and core contributors)
Q6: How is my veBIO balance calculated? How does it change over time? Your veBIO balance is based on both the amount of BIO you stake and the remaining duration of your lock. The balance degrades linearly as your lock approaches its end.
Example: If you stake 100 BIO for 2 years (104 weeks), you start with 100 veBIO. After one year (52 weeks), your balance will have decayed to 50 veBIO. A user who stakes 100 BIO for only 1 year will also start with 50 veBIO.
Q7: What is "auto-renewal" and why should I use it? Auto-renewal continuously resets your lock duration. This prevents your veBIO balance from degrading over time, allowing you to maintain maximum voting power and BioXP earning potential from your staked BIO. Once you toggle it off, the decay on your veBIO balance will begin from that point.
Q9: Can I unstake my BIO before my lock-up period ends? No. Once BIO is staked for veBIO, the tokens are locked and cannot be withdrawn until the chosen duration expires.
Q10: How is staking ecosystem tokens different from staking BIO? Staking ecosystem tokens (like Agent tokens) is more flexible. There is no variable lock-up duration. However, when you decide to unstake, there is a mandatory 2-week unstaking period. During these two weeks, your tokens will no longer earn BioXP, and you can only claim them back after the period is over.
Q11: Why would I stake my ecosystem tokens? Staking ecosystem tokens is expected to be the primary way to earn BioXP, which are essential for participating in new token launches. It allows you to generate earning power from your successful investments within the Bio ecosystem.
Staking an ecosystem token does not yield veBIO Or any form of vote escrow ecosystem token.
Q12: What are BioXP and what is their main purpose? BioXP is a points system that rewards onchain and social engagement. Its primary purpose is to secure an allocation in new token launches. The more BioXP you pledge to a sale, the larger your potential purchase allocation will be.
Q13: How do I earn BioXP? You can earn BioXP through several activities:
Staking BIO to get veBIO.
Staking ecosystem tokens (Agents, DAOs, IPTs).
Engaging on social media (e.g., "Yapping on X").
Increasing your "DeSci Score" by holding ecosystem assets, participating in governance, and avoiding the quick sale of launchpad tokens.
Q14: Do my BioXP expire? Yes. Generally, BioXP expire 14 days after they are earned. The special retroactive points distributed to early supporters will expire one month after the first Launchpad V2 launch.
Q15: How does my BioXP pledge determine my allocation in an oversubscribed sale? Your allocation is calculated pro-rata. It’s based on the share of BioXP you pledged relative to the total BioXP pledged by all participants. For example, if you pledge 10% of the total BioXP in a sale, you are entitled to purchase up to 10% of the tokens for sale (up to the maximum cap of 0.5% of total supply per user). Unused points and committed BIO are returned.
Q16: What happens if a launch I commit BIO to fails? If the Ignition sale does not meet its goal, the launch fails. All participants will have their committed BIO and pledged BioXP returned to them.
Token Information:
BIO Token Guide - Complete guide to acquiring and using BIO
veBIO Token Guide - Detailed veBIO mechanics and governance
BioXP Guide - How to earn and use BioXP
Staking & Protocol:
Staking Other Assets - Alternative staking strategies for ecosystem tokens
Staking Overview - Complete staking system overview
BioXP System - Detailed points mechanics and usage
Launching & Participation:
The Launcher - How Ignition sales work
Launchpad FAQ - Common questions about participation