> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.x402layer.cc/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Why Stake $SGL

> What staking secures, why it carries economic weight, and what it unlocks across the Singularity network.

Staking locks `$SGL` into an on-chain program to put **skin in the game** behind the network. It turns "holding a token" into a verifiable economic commitment that the protocol — and other participants — can rely on.

## What staking secures

The Singularity Layer is a decentralized confidential-compute network. Work is done by independent operators, and buyers need a reason to trust them. Staking provides that reason:

* **Compute nodes** must stake before they can accept jobs — a bonded operator has something to lose for misbehaving.
* **Validators** stake to vouch for marketplace products and (in future) ERC-8004 reputation; their stake backs their attestations.
* **Yield** stakers add depth to the secured pool and earn a share of revenue for it.

## Why it has weight

* **Real lockup.** Tokens move into a program-owned vault. They are not a soft "snapshot" balance — they are committed until you unstake and wait out a cooldown.
* **Penalizable.** Provable protocol violations can be slashed (see [Slashing & Safety](/staking/safety/slashing)). Honest participation is never penalized.
* **Rewarded.** Stakers receive **10% of network revenue** in USDC + \$SGL, distributed pro-rata. See [Rewards](/staking/rewards/overview).

## What it unlocks

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Run a node" icon="server" href="/staking/types/compute">Serve confidential-compute jobs.</Card>
  <Card title="Validate" icon="shield-check" href="/staking/types/validator">Back marketplace products.</Card>
  <Card title="Earn yield" icon="coins" href="/staking/types/yield">Pure rewards, no operations.</Card>
</CardGroup>

<Note>Staking is **non-custodial** — only you can withdraw your stake, and only after its cooldown. The platform can never move your principal to itself. See [Non-Custodial Design](/staking/safety/non-custodial).</Note>