# What is Lantern? Lantern is a Solana validator. It provides staking infrastructure for the Solana network and builds tools that make staking more accessible and useful for everyday users. Lantern operates a high-performance validator node and offers both native and liquid staking. When you stake SOL with Lantern, either natively or through the liquid staking token lanternSOL, your SOL helps secure the Solana network while earning staking rewards. ## lanternSOL lanternSOL is Lantern's liquid staking token. When SOL is staked through Lantern's SPL stake pool, lanternSOL is minted in return. It appreciates in value relative to SOL over time as staking rewards accrue to the pool. You can use lanternSOL across DeFi while your underlying SOL remains staked and earning rewards. ### Commission and rewards The Lantern validator charges a **4% commission** on staking rewards, but lanternSOL holders pay an **effective 0% commission**. All commission collected by the validator is returned to the lanternSOL reserve account each epoch, so it flows straight back into the value backing lanternSOL rather than being kept as a fee. On top of this, **10% of all the validator's block rewards** are returned to the lanternSOL reserve address. Together, the returned commission and block reward share continuously add SOL to the reserve, lifting the lanternSOL/SOL exchange rate for every holder. ## Products Lantern builds tools on top of its staking infrastructure: * [**Wick**](/wick/wick) — A yield-swap protocol that lets you deposit SOL and receive staking yield in a token of your choice (USDC, USDT, CRT, HYPE, ZEC, xSOL, WBTC, EURC or USD\*). * [**Stake Manager**](/stake-manager/stake-manager) — A tool for managing all your Solana stake accounts in one place. Works with any validator, not just Lantern. # What is Wick? Wick is a yield-swap protocol built on Solana by Lantern. It lets you deposit SOL and receive your staking yield in a token of your choice, like USDC, USDT, CRT, HYPE, ZEC, xSOL, WBTC, EURC or USD\*. Here's the basic idea: when you deposit SOL into Wick, your SOL gets staked through Lantern's validator (via the lanternSOL liquid staking token). The staking rewards that accumulate over time are then converted into whichever target token you selected. Your original deposit stays intact and keeps earning, while you collect yield in the token you actually want. ## How it works 1. You deposit SOL into Wick 2. Behind the scenes, your SOL is converted to lanternSOL (Lantern's liquid staking token) and placed into the Wick vault 3. As staking rewards accrue, the protocol converts them into your chosen target token 4. You can claim your accumulated yield at any time 5. You can withdraw your principal whenever you want ## Why use Wick? **Get yield in stablecoins.** If you want exposure to SOL staking rewards but prefer receiving USDC or USDT, Wick handles the conversion for you automatically. **Pick your payout token.** You're not limited to one option. You can open multiple positions with different target tokens at the same time. **Keep your principal liquid.** Your deposit can be withdrawn at any time. You're not locked in. You can pull out as lanternSOL, swap to SOL instantly through Jupiter, or unstake through the stake pool. **Single transaction deposits.** The entire flow from SOL to staked position happens in one transaction. No need to manually mint lanternSOL first. ## Key concepts **lanternSOL** is the liquid staking token you receive when staking SOL with Lantern's validator. It appreciates in value relative to SOL as staking rewards accrue. Wick uses lanternSOL under the hood for all deposits. **Target token** is the token you want to receive your yield in. When you open a position, you pick a target token and all future yield from that position will be denominated in it. **Position** is your individual deposit in Wick. Each position is keyed by your wallet and the target token you chose. If you deposit again with the same target token, it adds to your existing position rather than creating a new one. **Claimable yield** is the amount of target tokens that have accumulated in your position and are ready to be claimed to your wallet. # Getting Started ## What you need To use Wick, you'll need: * A Solana wallet (Phantom, Solflare, Backpack, or any wallet that supports Solana dApps) * Some SOL in your wallet for the deposit and a small amount for transaction fees * Access to the Wick app at [lantern.one/wick](https://lantern.one/wick) ## Connecting your wallet When you open the Wick page, you'll see a "Connect Wallet" button. Click it and select your wallet provider. Once connected, the app will display your SOL balance and any existing positions you have. ## Your first deposit 1. Enter the amount of SOL you want to deposit 2. Choose which token you want to receive yield in (CRT, USDC, USDT, HYPE, ZEC, xSOL, WBTC, EURC or USD\*) 3. Click "Deposit SOL" 4. Approve the transaction in your wallet That's it. Your SOL gets staked and deposited into the Wick vault in a single transaction. You'll start accumulating yield in your chosen token right away. ## What happens next After depositing, you'll see your position appear below the deposit form. It shows: * How much SOL (denominated in lanternSOL) you have deposited * The estimated APY you're earning * Any claimable yield that's ready to collect As yield accumulates, you can claim it to your wallet whenever you want. There's no minimum claim amount and no lockup period on your principal. # Depositing SOL ## How deposits work When you deposit SOL into Wick, a few things happen in a single atomic transaction: 1. Your SOL is transferred to an ephemeral account 2. That SOL is deposited into Lantern's SPL stake pool, which mints lanternSOL back to your wallet 3. The lanternSOL is immediately deposited into the Wick vault under your position You don't need to hold lanternSOL beforehand. The entire process from SOL to active position happens in one transaction. ## Choosing a target token Before depositing, you pick a target token. This is the token your staking yield will be converted into. The available options are: * **CRT** (Carrot) * **USDC** * **USDT** * **HYPE** (Hyperliquid) * **ZEC** (Zcash) * **xSOL** (Hylo Leveraged SOL) * **WBTC** (Wrapped BTC) * **EURC** (Euro Coin) * **USD**\* (Perena USD Star) You can change this choice later by opening a new position with a different target token. If you deposit again with the same target token, it adds to your existing position. ## Adding to an existing position If you already have a position for a given target token and deposit more SOL with that same target selected, the app will add to your existing position. You'll see a note below the token selector letting you know. ## Deposit amount You can deposit any amount of SOL. The app reserves 0.05 SOL when you click "Max" to make sure you have enough left for transaction fees. ## Exchange rate The deposit uses the current lanternSOL/SOL exchange rate from the stake pool. Since lanternSOL appreciates over time relative to SOL (as staking rewards accrue), you may receive slightly less than 1 lanternSOL per SOL deposited. This is normal and expected. The value is equivalent. ## Estimated yield After selecting a target token, the app displays estimated APY figures: * **Est. Staking APY** shows the current lanternSOL staking rate * **Est. Combined APY** (shown for CRT positions) reflects the compounding of staking yield on top of the CRT vault's own yield These are estimates based on recent performance and can fluctuate. # Positions & Yield ## Understanding positions A position in Wick represents your deposit in the vault paired with a specific target token. Each position is uniquely identified by your wallet address and the target token you chose. You can have multiple positions open at once, each with a different target token. For example, you could have one position earning yield in USDC and another earning yield in CRT at the same time. ## Position details When you expand a position card, you'll see: * **Deposited**: The amount of lanternSOL in the vault, along with the equivalent SOL value based on the current exchange rate * **Claimable Yield**: How much of your target token has accumulated and is ready to claim * **Est. Staking APY**: The current lanternSOL staking rate * **Est. Combined APY**: For CRT positions, this shows the compounded rate of staking yield plus the CRT vault yield ## How yield accumulates Wick works on a harvest/distribute model. The protocol's cranker periodically: 1. Calculates how much the lanternSOL exchange rate has increased since the last harvest 2. Converts that yield into the target tokens for each position 3. Credits the converted amount to each position's claimable balance The yield shown in your position reflects what's already been converted and is ready to claim. ## Claiming yield To claim your accumulated yield, expand your position card and click the "Claim" button. This sends the target tokens from the vault to your wallet. You need to sign one transaction. If you have multiple positions with claimable yield, you can use the "Claim All" button at the top of the positions list. This batches all claims into a single transaction so you only need to sign once. ## Viewing wick history To see a record of all past yield harvests and swaps for a position, expand the position card and click "See wick history." This opens a modal showing every harvest that has been processed for that position. Each entry shows: * **Harvest number**: A sequential count of harvests for the position * **Date and time**: When the harvest was processed * **Yield (SOL)**: The SOL-equivalent yield generated in that harvest (net of fees) * **Fee (SOL)**: The protocol fee taken on that harvest * **Received**: The amount of your target token you received from the swap * **Transaction link**: A link to the transaction on Solscan Records are loaded in pages. Click "Load more" at the bottom to fetch older harvests. ### Downloading as CSV Click the "Download CSV" button at the top of the history modal to export all loaded records as a `.csv` file. The file includes the date, yield in SOL, fee in SOL, received amount in your target token, and a transaction link for each harvest. The file is named `wick-history-.csv` (e.g., `wick-history-USDC.csv`). ## Protocol fee The protocol charges a fee on yield, expressed in basis points. You can see the current fee rate at the bottom of the page (e.g., "Fee: 5%" means 500 bps). This fee is taken before yield is credited to your position, so the claimable amount you see is already net of fees. ## Protocol status At the bottom of the page, you'll see whether the protocol is active or paused. When paused, new deposits and claims are temporarily disabled. Withdrawals may still be available depending on the situation. # Withdrawing You can withdraw your deposit from Wick at any time. There's no lockup period. When you expand a position card, you'll see the withdraw section with three options. ## Withdraw options ### lanternSOL (Instant) This returns your deposit as lanternSOL directly to your wallet. It's the simplest and fastest option. One transaction, and you have liquid lanternSOL that you can hold, trade, or use elsewhere in DeFi. ### SOL via Instant Swap This is a two-step process that happens back to back: 1. Your lanternSOL is withdrawn from the Wick vault 2. The lanternSOL is swapped to SOL through Jupiter You'll need to sign both transactions. The app fetches a Jupiter quote before you confirm, so you can see roughly how much SOL you'll receive. There's a small amount of slippage (0.5% max by default) since it's a market swap. ### SOL via Unstake This option burns your lanternSOL through the stake pool's WithdrawStake instruction, which creates a deactivating stake account. After the current Solana epoch ends, you can withdraw the SOL from that stake account using the Stake Manager page. This method has zero slippage since you're going through the native unstaking process, but it takes time. Solana epochs are roughly 2-3 days long, and you need to wait until the epoch boundary. The app shows you an estimate of how long until the current epoch ends. The entire flow (Wick vault withdraw + stake pool WithdrawStake + deactivation) happens in a single atomic transaction. ## Partial withdrawals You don't have to withdraw everything. Enter a specific amount of lanternSOL in the withdraw field and only that amount will be pulled from your position. The rest stays in the vault and keeps earning yield. If you leave the amount field empty or click "Max," the full position will be withdrawn. ## Full withdrawal When you withdraw your entire position: * All deposited lanternSOL is returned to you * Any claimable yield is also transferred in the same transaction * The position account is closed Make sure you have the associated token account for your target token if you have claimable yield. The app handles this automatically by including an idempotent ATA creation instruction in the transaction. ## After unstaking If you used the unstake option, head to the [Stake Manager](https://github.com/LanternStake/beacon/blob/main/stake?tab=manager/README.md) after the epoch ends. You'll see your deactivated stake account there and can withdraw the SOL to your wallet. # Supported Tokens Wick currently supports eight target tokens. When you open a position, you choose one of these as the token you want to receive your yield in. ## CRT (Carrot) — Deprecated > **CRT has been removed as a target token for new deposits** following the Drift protocol exploit that affected CRT's underlying yield sources. Existing CRT positions can still be viewed, withdrawn, and yield can still be claimed. [CRT](https://deficarrot.com) is a liquid yield-bearing stablecoin token on Solana. It earns yield by dynamically routing deposited stablecoins across lending protocols like Kamino, MarginFi, and Drift. CRT uses Token-2022 (Token Extensions). **Mint address:** `CRTx1JouZhzSU6XytsE42UQraoGqiHgxabocVfARTy2s` ## USDC USDC is a widely used stablecoin on Solana, issued by Circle. Choosing USDC means your yield is received as a dollar-denominated stablecoin. **Mint address:** `EPjFWdd5AufqSSqeM2qN1xzybapC8G4wEGGkZwyTDt1v` ## USDT USDT is Tether's stablecoin. Like USDC, it provides dollar-denominated yield. **Mint address:** `Es9vMFrzaCERmJfrF4H2FYD4KCoNkY11McCe8BenwNYB` ## HYPE [HYPE](https://hyperliquid.xyz) is the native token of Hyperliquid, a high-performance decentralized exchange built on its own Layer-1 blockchain. Choosing HYPE means your yield is received in HYPE, giving you exposure to the Hyperliquid ecosystem. **Mint address:** `98sMhvDwXj1RQi5c5Mndm3vPe9cBqPrbLaufMXFNMh5g` ## ZEC (Zcash) ZEC is the native token of the Zcash blockchain, available on Solana as a wrapped token. Choosing ZEC means your yield is received in ZEC. **Mint address:** `A7bdiYdS5GjqGFtxf17ppRHtDKPkkRqbKtR27dxvQXaS` ## xSOL (Hylo Leveraged SOL) [xSOL](https://hylo.so) is Hylo Leveraged SOL, a leveraged SOL token on Solana. Choosing xSOL means your yield is received in xSOL, giving you leveraged exposure to SOL. **Mint address:** `4sWNB8zGWHkh6UnmwiEtzNxL4XrN7uK9tosbESbJFfVs` ## WBTC (Wrapped BTC) WBTC is a wrapped version of Bitcoin on Solana. Choosing WBTC means your yield is received in WBTC, giving you exposure to Bitcoin. **Mint address:** `3NZ9JMVBmGAqocybic2c7LQCJScmgsAZ6vQqTDzcqmJh` ## EURC (Euro Coin) EURC is Circle's fully collateralized euro stablecoin, backed 1:1 by euros held in reserve. Choosing EURC means your yield is received as a euro-denominated stablecoin, giving you exposure to EUR instead of USD. **Mint address:** `HzwqbKZw8HxMN6bF2yFZNrht3c2iXXzpKcFu7uBEDKtr` ## USD\* (Perena USD Star) [USD\*](https://perena.org) is a yield-bearing stablecoin by Perena. It earns yield through Perena's stablecoin infrastructure. Choosing USD\* means your yield is received in USD\*, giving you exposure to both Wick staking yield and USD\*'s native APY. **Mint address:** `star9agSpjiFe3M49B3RniVU4CMBBEK3Qnaqn3RGiFM` ## Token programs Most tokens on Solana use the original SPL Token program. CRT (deprecated) is an exception and uses Token-2022 (Token Extensions). Wick handles this difference automatically when building transactions. You don't need to do anything different, but it's worth knowing if you're interacting with the protocol programmatically. ## Multiple positions You can hold positions in more than one target token at the same time. Each target token gets its own independent position with separate deposit and claimable balances. Depositing more SOL with the same target token selected adds to the existing position rather than creating a new one. # Security Wick is designed with defense-in-depth, ensuring that no single point of failure can compromise user funds. This page covers the protocol's audit history, upgrade controls, and on-chain safety mechanisms. ## Audit Wick has been audited by [Frank Castle](https://x.com/0xcastle_chain), a Rust Solana auditor and security researcher. [View the audit report here](https://files.gitbook.com/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2Fgoz7TrqfHhYY9ctaIA3q%2Fuploads%2FqbSjt6vUl0TgeFYFeE2U%2FWick_Final_report.pdf?alt=media\&token=54e48a53-054a-4675-afc9-53acb5ca926f) ## Upgrade Authority The Wick program's upgrade authority is held by a **5-address multisig** that requires **3-of-5 signatures** to approve any program upgrade. This means no single address can push a malicious or accidental upgrade to the protocol, a majority of keyholders must independently sign off on every change. The upgrade authority multisig has a **24-hour timelock** on transaction execution, giving users additional time to review any pending upgrade before it can be applied. **Upgrade Authority Multisig:** `3bAHFKgJx7mHeyo2VmDCGp4QmKxTbPdtF5MfPF16R19P` ## Key Hygiene All signer addresses in both the upgrade authority and admin multisigs are used exclusively for the operation of Wick. They are not shared with other protocols or used for general-purpose transactions. This reduces the risk of cross-protocol key compromise and simplifies on-chain monitoring. ## Admin Timelocks All privileged admin actions in Wick follow a **two-step propose-then-accept pattern** with enforced timelocks. This gives users advance notice and time to withdraw before any change takes effect. The admin key is also held by a **3-of-5 multisig**. **Admin Multisig:** `2oAqxeLqDe55ND3HTrkfHLurZVa4yYHRTuhHwmMHsFrs` ### Admin Key Rotation (48-hour timelock) Transferring the protocol admin role requires two separate transactions: 1. **Propose:** The current admin submits a proposal naming the new admin address. This creates an on-chain `PendingAdmin` record with a timestamp. 2. **Wait 48 hours:** The proposal cannot be accepted until 48 hours (172,800 seconds) have elapsed. 3. **Accept:** After the timelock expires, the proposed admin signs a transaction to accept the role. The current admin can **cancel** the proposal at any time before it is accepted. ### Cranker Key Rotation (24-hour timelock) Rotating the cranker (the off-chain bot that harvests yield) follows the same two-step pattern with a 24-hour timelock. The new cranker must **co-sign** the acceptance transaction to prove ownership of the proposed key. ### Fee Changes (24-hour timelock) Fee updates are proposed by the admin and can only be accepted after a 24-hour waiting period. Fees are capped at a maximum of 10% (1,000 basis points) and cannot exceed this limit regardless of the proposal. ### Harvest Limit Changes (24-hour timelock) Increases to the global harvest-per-window cap require a 24-hour timelock. Decreases take effect instantly, and any pending increase proposal is automatically invalidated when a decrease is applied. ### Stake Pool Changes (24-hour timelock) Changing the underlying stake pool is a high-impact operation that controls all yield calculations. These changes require a 24-hour timelock to give users time to evaluate and exit if needed. ### Monitoring Pending Proposals When an admin proposes a change, the program creates a temporary on-chain account at a fixed address. When the proposal is accepted or cancelled, the account is closed. You can check whether any proposal is active by looking up these addresses on any Solana explorer (e.g. Solscan, Solana Explorer): | Proposal Type | Address | | ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------- | | Admin Transfer | `AgZpzVQiCAEH9HNqBXWeRjCsYVaNhyNPc1W5auxaUzCV` | | Cranker Rotation | `5tuQNgPWFw6WnhvdDQq4euG2aAqwpcpNPvHrZkTSB11g` | | Fee Change | `59bNA3hmaTe2onF5sWQFUCBTRyX4fvz5aKFKSDeDNi8C` | | Harvest Limit | `7VN6oCXKjxm3VosuydBj2HG8JNsZWu6hm7oKQkVrKqCt` | | Stake Pool | `9urMSD9i5SJHakLJpAoCEezsmyK2LPvgdgiKbfGq4Zmb` | **If an account exists at one of these addresses, a proposal is active.** If the account does not exist, there is no pending change of that type. You can bookmark these addresses and check them periodically, or use a Solana explorer's notification feature to alert you when an account is created at any of these addresses. ## Pause Mechanisms Wick has a two-level pause system: * **Level 1: Pause:** The admin can instantly pause deposits and harvests. Withdrawals and yield claims always remain available so users can exit at any time. * **Level 2: Emergency Pause:** In the event of a critical issue the admin can activate an emergency pause that halts all operations including withdrawals. This pause **automatically expires after 24 hours** to prevent indefinite lockups, and the admin can lift it early. ## Rate Limiting The cranker can **only** extract accrued yield and has no ability to touch user principal. Yield is calculated on-chain from exchange-rate appreciation (the difference between the current stake-pool rate and the position's last-harvested rate), and the cranker cannot influence or override this calculation. Even if the cranker key were compromised, on-chain rate limits further bound the damage: * **Per-call rate increase cap:** The exchange rate can advance by at most 0.1% (10 basis points) per harvest call relative to the position's last checkpoint. This directly bounds how much yield can be extracted from any position in a single call, regardless of position size, and prevents sudden rate manipulation. * **Global rolling-window cap:** Total LST harvestable across all positions is capped within a 2-hour rolling window, limiting aggregate extraction. ## Additional Safety Measures | Mechanism | Purpose | | ------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Per-position vault isolation | Limits blast radius, each position's funds are held in a separate vault | | Strict harvest-then-deposit ordering | Cranker must complete each harvest cycle before starting another | | On-chain rate reading | Exchange rate is read directly from the stake pool on-chain, not supplied by the cranker, preventing rate manipulation | | Checked arithmetic | All math uses `checked_add/sub/mul/div` with u128 intermediates to prevent overflows | | Token-2022 compatibility | All transfers use `transfer_checked` via the token interface | | Account distinctness checks | Prevents duplicate mutable account attacks | | SOL balance checks around CPI | Detects unexpected lamport drain during cross-program calls | | Comprehensive event logging | All admin and security transitions emit on-chain events for off-chain monitoring | # FAQ ## Is my SOL locked when I deposit? No. You can withdraw your deposit at any time. There's no lockup period or unbonding delay on the Wick side. If you choose the unstake withdrawal method, you'll need to wait for the Solana epoch to end before you can access the SOL, but that's a Solana network constraint, not a Wick one. ## Do I need to hold lanternSOL before depositing? No. When you deposit SOL, the app mints lanternSOL for you in the same transaction. Everything happens atomically. ## Can I have more than one position? Yes. You can open a separate position for each target token. If you want yield in both USDC and CRT, or any other combination of supported tokens, just make separate deposits with different target tokens selected. ## What happens if I deposit twice with the same target token? The second deposit adds to your existing position. You won't end up with two separate positions for the same target token. ## How often does yield accumulate? Yield is credited to positions when the protocol's cranker runs the harvest cycle. The frequency depends on protocol operations, but the yield itself is based on the continuous appreciation of lanternSOL relative to SOL. ## What is the "Combined APY" shown for CRT? When you select CRT as your target token, the app shows a Combined APY. This reflects the lanternSOL staking yield compounded on top of the CRT vault's own performance. The formula is: `Combined APY = Staking APY * (1 + CRT Vault APY / 100)` For example, if the staking APY is 8% and the CRT vault APY is 5%, the combined rate would be roughly 8.4%. ## Why is my lanternSOL balance less than the SOL I deposited? lanternSOL appreciates in value over time. 1 lanternSOL is worth more than 1 SOL because it includes accumulated staking rewards. So when you deposit 10 SOL, you might receive 9.8 lanternSOL, but that 9.8 lanternSOL is still worth 10 SOL. The app shows both the lanternSOL amount and the equivalent SOL value. ## What fees does Wick charge? The protocol takes a fee on yield, shown at the bottom of the page in basis points. The claimable yield you see in your position is already net of this fee. ## What does "Protocol Paused" mean? If the protocol status shows "Paused," new deposits and claims are temporarily disabled. This could be for maintenance, upgrades, or emergency situations. Your funds remain safe in the vault and withdrawals may still be available. ## Which wallets are supported? Wick works with any Solana wallet that supports standard dApp connections: Phantom, Solflare, Backpack, and others. If your wallet supports the Solana Wallet Adapter standard, it should work. ## What if my transaction fails? Transaction failures can happen due to network congestion, insufficient SOL for fees, or stale data. Try refreshing the page and attempting the action again. Make sure you have at least 0.05 SOL in your wallet for transaction fees. ## Can I convert a stake account directly into a Wick position? Yes, if your stake account is delegated to the Lantern validator. Open the Stake Manager, expand the account, and click **"Convert to Wick"**. Choose your target yield token and amount. The conversion happens atomically in a single transaction — your stake account is deposited into the lanternSOL pool and the resulting lanternSOL goes straight into a Wick position. ## Can I migrate a position to a different target token? The protocol supports position migration, which lets you close a fully-settled position and open a new one with a different target token. Make sure to claim any remaining yield before migrating. # Stake Manager The Stake Manager is a tool for managing all your Solana stake accounts in one place. It works with any validator on the Solana network, not just Lantern. ## What you can do * **View** all your stake accounts with their status, balance, delegated validator, and lockup info * **Create** new stake accounts and delegate to any validator * **Split** a stake account into two separate accounts * **Merge** stake accounts that share the same validator and status * **Send** stake accounts (full or partial) to another wallet * **Deactivate** stake accounts to begin the unstaking cooldown * **Withdraw** SOL from inactive stake accounts back to your wallet * **Lock** stake accounts with a time-based lockup * **Instant Unstake** any active stake account to SOL immediately, no epoch wait * **Convert to lanternSOL** stake accounts delegated to the Lantern validator * **Convert to Wick** stake accounts delegated to the Lantern validator into a Wick yield position ## Getting started To use the Stake Manager, you need: * A Solana wallet (Phantom, Solflare, Backpack, or any wallet that supports Solana dApps) * Access to the Stake Manager at [lantern.one/stake](https://www.lantern.one/stake?tab=manager) Connect your wallet and you'll see all your existing stake accounts displayed automatically. # Creating Stake Accounts ## How it works To stake SOL natively on Solana, you need a stake account. The Stake Manager lets you create one, fund it, and delegate it to a validator in a single flow. ## Creating a new stake account 1. Click the **"+ Stake SOL"** button 2. Enter the amount of SOL you want to stake 3. Select a validator to delegate to from the list 4. Optionally set a lockup time if you want to lock the account 5. Approve the transaction in your wallet The app reserves a small amount of SOL for transaction fees. Your stake account will be created and immediately delegated to the selected validator. ## Activation After creating a stake account, it enters the **activating** state. Your stake becomes active at the next epoch boundary. Solana epochs are roughly 2 days long. While activating, your stake is not yet earning rewards. Once the epoch turns over, the account transitions to **active** and begins earning. ## Choosing a validator The Stake Manager shows a list of available validators. You can search by name or vote address. Consider factors like commission rate, uptime, and total stake when choosing a validator. # Managing Accounts ## Account overview The Stake Manager displays all your stake accounts in a list. Each card shows: * **Address**: The public key of the stake account * **Status**: Active, activating, deactivating, or inactive * **Balance**: The amount of SOL in the account * **Validator**: The validator the account is delegated to You can filter accounts by status, search by address or validator name, and sort by balance or validator. ## Splitting Splitting divides one stake account into two. Enter the amount of SOL to split off and a new stake account is created with that balance. The original account retains the remainder. This is useful when you want to partially unstake, redelegate a portion to a different validator, or send part of your stake to another wallet. The minimum stake account balance on Solana is approximately 0.01 SOL (the rent-exempt minimum). Both accounts must meet this minimum after the split. ## Merging Merging combines two stake accounts into one. Both accounts must: * Be delegated to the **same validator** * Have the **same status** (both active or both inactive) * Have **compatible lockup** settings The Stake Manager detects mergeable groups automatically. You can merge individual pairs or use the **"Merge All"** batch action to consolidate all mergeable accounts at once. Merging is useful for reducing clutter when you have many small accounts delegated to the same validator. ## Sending You can transfer a stake account to another wallet. There are two options: * **Full send**: Transfers the entire stake account by reassigning both the stake and withdraw authorities to the recipient address. The account keeps its delegation status. * **Partial send**: Splits off a specified amount into a new stake account, then transfers that new account to the recipient. The recipient receives a stake account, not liquid SOL. They will need to deactivate and withdraw if they want SOL. ## Converting Stake accounts delegated to the Lantern validator have additional options: * **Convert to lanternSOL**: Deposit your stake account into the lanternSOL stake pool. You receive lanternSOL in your wallet, which continues earning staking yield as a liquid token. * **Convert to Wick**: Deposit your stake account into a Wick yield position. Choose a target token (USDC, USDT, etc.) and your staking yield is automatically converted to that token. Both operations support partial conversion — specify an amount and only that portion is converted while the rest stays staked. Any active stake account (regardless of validator) also has an **Instant Unstake** option that converts the full account to SOL immediately via the Sanctum liquidity pool. See [Conversions & Instant Unstake](/stake-manager/conversions-and-instant-unstake) for full details. ## Redelegating To move your stake from one validator to another, you can delegate an inactive or newly created stake account to a different validator. If your account is currently active, you'll need to deactivate it first, wait for the epoch to end, then delegate to the new validator. # Conversions & Instant Unstake The Stake Manager provides several ways to convert active stake accounts without waiting for the standard epoch-long deactivation cooldown. ## Instant Unstake Available on **any active stake account**, regardless of validator. Instantly converts your entire stake account to SOL via the Sanctum unstake.it liquidity pool. * No epoch cooldown required — SOL arrives in the same transaction * A small pool fee is deducted (typically around 0.1%, varies with pool liquidity) * The stake account is transferred to the liquidity pool and closed from your perspective To use it, expand an active stake account in the Stake Manager and click **"Instant Unstake"**. Confirm the transaction and your SOL is returned to your wallet immediately. ## Convert to lanternSOL Available on active stake accounts delegated to the **Lantern validator**. Converts part or all of your stake directly into lanternSOL (Lantern's liquid staking token) in a single transaction. * Supports partial conversion — split off a specific amount and convert just that portion while the rest stays staked * Uses the Sanctum stake deposit interceptor to deposit your stake account into the lanternSOL stake pool * lanternSOL is sent to your wallet's associated token account After conversion, lanternSOL continues appreciating in value as the underlying stake earns rewards. You can hold it, use it in DeFi, or deposit it into Wick. ## Convert to Wick Available on active stake accounts delegated to the **Lantern validator**. Converts part or all of your stake directly into a Wick yield position in a single atomic transaction. * Choose a target yield token (USDC, USDT, HYPE, ZEC, xSOL, WBTC, EURC, or USD\*) * Supports partial conversion — specify an exact SOL amount or use the percentage buttons * The transaction atomically: splits the stake (if partial), deposits it into the lanternSOL stake pool, then deposits the resulting lanternSOL into the Wick vault Once converted, your position appears on the Wick page where you can track accumulated yield and claim it at any time. ## How it works All three conversion features use the Sanctum stake deposit interceptor program. This program acts as a universal router for stake accounts: * **Instant Unstake** routes your stake account to the Sanctum unstake.it liquidity pool, which buys the stake account and returns SOL * **Convert to lanternSOL** and **Convert to Wick** route your stake account to the lanternSOL SPL stake pool via DepositStake, which absorbs the stake account and mints lanternSOL in return For partial conversions, the Stake Manager first splits the specified amount into a new stake account, then performs the conversion on the split portion. The original account retains the remaining balance and continues earning staking rewards. ## Availability | Action | Validator requirement | Stake status | | --------------------- | ---------------------- | ------------ | | Instant Unstake | Any validator | Active | | Convert to lanternSOL | Lantern validator only | Active | | Convert to Wick | Lantern validator only | Active | # Deactivating & Withdrawing ## Deactivating Deactivating a stake account begins the unstaking process. The account transitions to the **deactivating** state and stops earning rewards after the current epoch ends. Once the epoch boundary passes, the account becomes **inactive** and the SOL can be withdrawn. ### Full deactivation Click the deactivate action on an active stake account. The entire account enters the deactivating state. ### Partial deactivation You can deactivate a portion of your stake. Enter a specific SOL amount and the app will split that amount into a new stake account and deactivate only the split portion. Your remaining stake stays active and keeps earning. ### Cancel deactivation If you change your mind before the epoch ends, you can cancel a deactivation. This re-delegates the account to its validator and returns it to the activating state. ### Batch deactivate If you have multiple active stake accounts and want to unstake everything, use the **"Deactivate All"** batch action. This deactivates all active accounts in a single flow. ## Instant Unstake If you don't want to wait for the epoch cooldown, you can use **Instant Unstake** on any active stake account. This converts your stake to SOL immediately via the Sanctum liquidity pool, with a small fee. See [Conversions & Instant Unstake](/stake-manager/conversions-and-instant-unstake) for details. ## Withdrawing Once a stake account is **inactive**, you can withdraw the SOL back to your wallet. Click the withdraw action on an inactive account. The SOL is transferred to your wallet and the stake account is closed. ### Batch withdraw If you have multiple inactive accounts, use the **"Withdraw All"** batch action to withdraw from all of them at once. Locked accounts are automatically skipped. ## Epochs and timing Solana operates on an epoch schedule. Epochs are roughly 2 days long. The Stake Manager shows the current epoch number, a progress bar, and an estimated countdown to the next epoch boundary. Key timing considerations: * **Activation**: Takes effect at the next epoch boundary * **Deactivation**: Stops earning at the end of the current epoch, SOL becomes withdrawable after the epoch turns * **Delegation changes**: Take effect at the next epoch boundary # Locking ## What is locking? Locking a stake account sets a time-based lockup. While locked, the account cannot be withdrawn, deactivated, or split. The stake remains active and continues earning rewards, but you cannot access the SOL until the lockup expires. ## Setting a lockup 1. Expand a stake account card and select the lock action 2. Choose a lockup date and time 3. Approve the transaction The lockup is enforced on-chain. The Stake Manager displays a lock icon on locked accounts and shows the unlock date. ## Locked account restrictions While a stake account is locked: * **Cannot withdraw**: The SOL stays in the account until the lockup expires * **Cannot deactivate**: You cannot begin the unstaking process * **Cannot split**: The account cannot be divided * **Can still merge**: Two locked accounts with identical lockup settings and the same validator can be merged * **Batch actions skip locked accounts**: Batch withdraw and batch deactivate automatically exclude locked accounts ## After the lockup expires Once the lockup time passes, the account behaves like any other stake account. You can deactivate, withdraw, split, or send it normally. The lock icon will no longer appear.