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Nominate

A nominator bonds ORB and chooses up to 16 validators to back. At each election the chain spreads the bond over the chosen validators that get elected; each era they earn, the nominator receives a share of their reward after commission. Rewards arrive on their own.

What you need
  • At least the minimum nominator bond — 10 ORB on testnet, 100 ORB on mainnet — plus a little for fees.
  • An account that does not validate and is not in a pool: an account takes one role at a time.

1. Open Nominator and connect​

In the app, open Staking → Nominator and connect your wallet: Talisman or SubWallet for Substrate accounts, MetaMask or another EVM wallet, or a Solana wallet. EVM and Solana wallets sign a readable text of each action; compare it with the panel in the bottom-right corner before approving.

The page is a two-step setup: Bond, then Choose validators.

2. Bond​

Step 1 of the nominator setup: the Bond card with the amount available to bond

Press Bond, enter the amount, and choose where rewards go:

The Bond dialog with the amount and the Rewards go to selector
Rewards go toEffect
CompoundAdded to your bond, so they earn too
This accountPaid to your free balance
Another accountPaid to an address you enter
No rewardsNot paid

Leave some balance unbonded: bonded ORB cannot pay fees.

3. Choose validators​

The validator picker: a table of validators with commission, estimated return, performance, stake and status, and the selection counter

The table lists every candidate with its commission, estimated return, recent performance, total stake, number of nominators and status. Filter by All, Yours or Active, sort by any column, and tick up to 16. Candidates that cannot be nominated are greyed out.

Mark up to three with Compare to see them side by side:

The Compare validators dialog showing three validators side by side

Click a validator to open its public record — stake, commission, estimated return, eras, nominators, and any slashes or offences:

A validator's public record: total stake, commission, estimated return, paid out, and the Overview tab with the reward estimate

Press Nominate. The footer says from which era the change counts.

What to look for​

  • Commission is taken before your share; a low one is not worth much from a validator that is often not elected or misses blocks.
  • Performance and status: you earn only from validators that are elected and author blocks.
  • Slashes and offences: a validator's equivocation slashes you too — see Slashing.
  • Spread: backing several validators lets the election use your bond where it is needed.

When it starts to count​

Your nomination is read at the next election, about two hours before the current era ends, and earns from the era that election starts. The election only counts the 100,000 voters with the most stake; a bond below that cutoff earns nothing that era.

4. Manage your stake​

Once you nominate, the page becomes your dashboard: Staked, Nominating N of 16 and Unlocking, with three tabs.

The nominator dashboard: staked, nominating and unlocking figures, with Your stake and Rewards cards
  • Overview — Your stake: Bond more, Unbond, Rebond, Withdraw and Reward destination; and Rewards: what automatic payment is doing, and any era still pending with Claim.
  • Validators — the same picker, to change your nominations (Update nominations) or Stop nominating.
  • History — rewards, nominations and slashes, era by era.
The History tab with rewards per era

Unbonding​

Unbond starts a 28-era (about 28 days) unbonding. The funds stay at stake and can be slashed until they unlock; Rebond returns them to the bond before then. When they unlock, Withdraw moves them to your free balance. Withdrawals wait while a slash from the previous era is still pending.

5. Stop nominating​

Validators → Stop nominating (staking.chill) ends your nominations from the next election; your bond stays bonded. Unbond and withdraw to recover it.