Anyone can participate in securing and validating network operations on Cardano blockchain. It takes technical knowledge, experience and sufficient level of commitment to run a validator/stake pool. Alternatively, one can also pledge their ADA through official Cardano wallets and choosing validator/stake pool to stake your holdings on behalf of you, e.g. CryptoFay.

 

There virtually is no minimum amount - you can stake as little as ten ADA or even a million. ADA held on the Cardano network represents a stake in the network, with the size of the stake proportional to the amount of ADA held. The ability to delegate or pledge a stake is fundamental to how Cardano works. Find out more >>

 

But wait, what is ADA, you may ask?

ADA is the native token of Cardano. It is named after Ada Lovelace, a 19th-century mathematician who is recognised as the first computer programmer. Find out more >>

It is highly recommended to transfer your tokens into your private wallet where you are in full custody of them. There are also options to keep your tokens on exchanges (online wallets) but there is a third-party risk involved. Learn more about storage options here on Ledger Academy.  Presently, there are two official software type of ADA wallets where you can safely stake your ADA: Daedalus and Light wallet Yoroi.