Understanding the nomination process
One slot lasts approximately 6 seconds.
One Epoch has 2400 slots, approximately 4 hours
One Era consists of six epochs and lasts around 24 hours.
To nominate your Polkadot (DOT) you can vote up to 16 validators.
Nomination Process Explained
The network elects an active validator set for an upcoming era. Elected validators validate blocks and can earn rewards. After an era, anyone can trigger an eligible payout on Polkadot Hub (Asset Hub), and the protocol pays recipients directly. Payment timing depends on when the payout is triggered.
Validators are selected through a stake-weighted NPoS election, not simply ranked by nominated stake. The active-set size can change; see the staking dashboard for current information. Shared validator rewards vary with era points earned. A separate validator-only incentive depends on self-stake weight and era points and is not shared with nominators. If a validator has greater era points, they will receive greater rewards. There is an element of randomness in how validators get era points, so it is normal to see variations in rewards from one era to the next.
The election may allocate your stake to one of the validators you nominated, or in some cases more than one. Nominating an elected validator does not guarantee rewards: you must be included in the election solution and actively back an elected validator. The minimum active bond amount changes and differs from the minimum required to submit a nomination. Rewards also depend on the validator earning era points and an eligible payout being triggered.
With Polkadot staking, it is important to monitor your nominations as their conditions may change. We have created an article providing you more information about polkadot staking mechanics as well as factors to consider to help you nominate the right validators for you.
For more information on staking Polkadot (DOT) with P2P.org and our special offer for large DOT delegations, visit https://p2p.org/polkadot.
For additional staking support, visit the P2P.org Polkadot Help Centre.
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