Zama Mainnet Staking Goes Live: 18 Nodes Ready to Validate and Distribute Rewards

The cryptography innovator Zama has officially launched its mainnet staking feature, marking a significant milestone for token holders seeking to participate in the network’s validation and reward infrastructure. As reported on January 20th, the platform now enables $ZAMA token holders to delegate their assets to 18 active nodes, creating new earning opportunities while strengthening network security through decentralized validation.

Revolutionary FHE Architecture Empowers Zama’s Dual-Node System

At the heart of Zama’s staking infrastructure lies a sophisticated two-tier node architecture designed to optimize cryptographic operations. The network distinguishes between FHE nodes and KMS nodes, each handling distinct computational responsibilities. FHE nodes focus on fully homomorphic encryption computations—the core technology enabling privacy-preserving blockchain applications—while KMS nodes manage threshold decryption operations. This separation of concerns ensures efficient resource allocation and specialized security handling for each critical function.

The architectural choice reflects Zama’s commitment to building state-of-the-art privacy solutions. By distributing the computational burden across specialized node types, the platform maintains both performance and security standards essential for production blockchain environments.

Understanding the Reward Distribution Model

The incentive structure for Zama’s staking program balances contributions across node types through a weighted distribution system. FHE nodes receive 40% of total staking rewards, while KMS nodes capture 60%, with allocations weighted according to the square root function to ensure fair representation regardless of individual stake sizes.

Participants maintain significant flexibility in managing their positions. Staking tokens represent a direct claim on rewards that can be withdrawn at any time, and the network enforces a 7-day unbinding period to prevent system manipulation. This design prioritizes user sovereignty while maintaining network stability during token transitions.

How to Participate: Timeline and Next Steps

Token holders interested in joining Zama’s staking ecosystem now have clear pathways to engagement. The staking portal is currently accessible, providing an entry point for interested participants. For those who acquired tokens during the public sale phase, the claiming and staking process becomes available starting February 2nd, offering a defined timeline for onboarding.

The launch represents a maturation of Zama’s mainnet infrastructure, transforming the $ZAMA token from a speculative asset into an operational component of network governance and validation. As more participants delegate tokens across the 18 operational nodes, the network strengthens its decentralization while creating economic incentives aligned with protocol security.