# Delegation Lifecycle

**Delegation** is the process by which users **assign their staking NFT to an active or queued validator** on the VeChainThor network. In doing so, they contribute to the validator's total weight and, in return, receive a portion of the **VTHO rewards** generated by the validator's block production.

A delegation lifecycle consists of three main states: **pending**, **active**, and **exited**. The delegation process is directly **tied to the selected validator,** including its period length (7, 15, or 30 days) and auto-renewal settings. Delegation auto-renews by default unless explicitly exited by the user or if the validator exits validation.

Delegators cannot act independently of their validator's period. They follow the validator's timing and **enter or exit delegation only at the start or end of a validator period.**

***

### Starting a Delegation

To delegate, a user must possess a **matured staking NFT**. This can occur in four ways:

* **Standard stake flow**: The user stakes VET and waits for the maturity period to complete before selecting a validator.
* **Boosted flow**: The user pays a Boost fee in VTHO to skip the maturity period and delegate immediately during staking.
* **Migrated flow**: The user migrates an existing legacy node, which is exempt from the maturity period and can delegate right away.
* **Bootstrapping phase matured flow**: The use already owns a mature StarGate NFT, previously acquired during the bootstrapping phase, and needs to select a validator and delegate to continue earning rewards.

Delegation is only possible if:

* The NFT is **matured** or **boosted**.
* The validator is either **active** or **queued**.
* The validator is **not exiting** or **already exited**.

Delegating to queued validators is allowed, but the NFT will remain in a **pending state** until the validator becomes active.

***

### Delegation States

**Pending**

A delegation enters the **pending state** when the user initiates delegation but the validator’s current period has not yet started or the validator is still in the queue. In this state:

* No **rewards** are accumulated
* User actions allowed:
  * **Cancel** delegation
  * **Change** to a different validator
  * **Unstake** (burn NFT and recover VET)
* Switching validators is instantaneous
* Boosted delegations also begin in this state and await validator activation or period start

**Active**

A delegation **becomes active** at the start of the validator's next period. During this state:

* The NFT accumulates **rewards** on every validated block
* Rewards are locked and **claimable** only at the **end of the period**
* Delegation **auto-renews by default**, matching the validator’s period
* The only way to **exit** is to r**equest a delegation exit**, which takes effect at the end of the current period or wait for your selected **validator to exit validation**
* The **delegation** remains **active** even if the NFT is **transferred or sold**

**Exited**

Delegation **exits the active state** in one of the following ways:

* The user **requests an exit**
* The **validator exits** validation (either voluntarily or forcibly)
* The **pending delegation** is **cancelled**

Once exited, the NFT:

* **Stops** generating rewards
* Can be **unstaked** or delegated again

***

### Validator Selection and Timing

Users should carefully **choose their validator**, as delegation timings are **bound** to the validator’s activity. Specifically:

* A delegator can **only enter** a delegation at the start of the validator’s next period.
* A delegator can **only exit** at the end of the current period.
* **Auto-renew** is enabled by default, meaning users stay in delegation unless they or the validator choose to exit.

If the validator enters an exit phase, the delegator will automatically follow and exit with them.

***

### Reward Mechanics

* Rewards begin **accruing** only after delegation becomes **active**.
* They are distributed in **VTHO** and locked during each validator period.
* Rewards from **completed periods**are **claimable**.
* When a user switches validator or unstakes, **any pending claimable rewards are automatically claimed**.
* If an NFT is **transferred**, the active **delegation remains in place**, and the new owner gains access to all **unclaimed** and **locked rewards**.

***

### Changing Validator

Users can switch their delegation to a different validator at any time:

* From pending state: The **change is immediate**, and VET is simply redirected to the new validator
* From active state: The user needs to **exit delegation first** then initiate a new one.

***

### Exiting delegation

When a user wants to stop delegating, they request a **delegation exit**:

* Pending delegation: The exit is **immediate**
* Active delegation: The exit is **scheduled** and will complete at the **end of the validator's** **current** **period**
* After exit: Users must make an additional transaction to **unstake their VET** and the NFT will be burned

 It's important to note that **once an exit is declared, it cannot be reversed.**

***

### Important Considerations

* **Timing matters:** Delegations don't activate instantly. Users must wait for the validator's next period to begin (typically varies by validator)
* **Exit delay**: Exiting an active delegation also requires waiting for the next period
* **Automatic reward claims**: When switching validators or unstaking, any pending rewards are automatically claimed
* **Validator selection**: Users should carefully choose their validator. **If a validator stops mining or exits the network, reward accumulation stops**
* **NFT transfers**: If a user transfers their NFT to another address, the delegation remains active and all lcoked rewards transfers with it

<br>


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.stargate.vechain.org/overview/delegation-lifecycle.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.