Tutorials for acquiring, managing, and staking ICP
Basic steps and concepts
When someone says that they are staking within the Internet Computer, they mean they have created a **neuron with locked ICP**. To vote and to earn rewards, the neuron must have a lock-up period, a **dissolve delay**, greater than six months.
To stake, these steps will not change, but the tools, commands, or methods you use may be different depending on your needs or software changes to tools.
To stake, there are three steps:
1. Generate a **private key** to control your neuron 2. Create a **neuron** with a **dissolve delay** and at least 1 locked ICP 3. *Optional*: Add more ICP to the Neuron (“top up the neuron”)
Once you stake, you can do any of the following four activities:
1. Set your neuron to vote by ***following*** other neurons 2. Collect your neuron’s ***rewards*** 3. ***Dissolve*** your neuron to get the ICP locked inside 4. Become a vote leader: ***vote*** with your neuron
Options: Maximum ease or maximum control?
To stake, you have many options, each with different security and usability trade-offs. Choosing your setup is usually where people get most stuck.
Below is a summary of the range of options available to you depending on your comfort level. <img src="../assets/images/want-max-control-of-keys.png" alt="drawing"/>
- Fig. 1: staking options*
Examples if you prefer to have a third party custody your keys. <img src="../assets/images/3rd-party-solutions.png" alt="drawing"/>
- Fig. 2: third party solutions*
Examples if you prefer to have maximum control of your keys. <img src="../assets/images/self-custody-staking-options-2.png" alt="drawing"/>
- Fig. 3: self-custody staking options*
- This documentation is for people who choose self-custody.**
This chapter summarizes your self-custody options from **maximum ease** to **maximum control**.
- * *
Maximum Ease Option
Use [Internet Identity](https://medium.com/dfinity/internet-identity-the-end-of-usernames-and-passwords-ff45e4861bf7) with the [NNS frontend dapp](https://nns.ic0.app/)
Traits
- Most convenient. Entirely web-based. No need to download or install anything.
- [NNS frontend dapp](https://nns.ic0.app/) has all the functionality you need
- This is a very common method
- Ideal for people who want to want the easiest path to control their ICP
If you choose this, go to [Chapter 3: Maximum Ease Staking Option](../docs/3-maximum-ease-staking-option)
- * *
Maximum Control Option
Use your `seed phrase` directly with a few options for self-custody tools.
Traits
- This option requires more technical understanding
- You have most control over your ICP.
- This is the *safest* option from a software point of view because you are relying on less software surface area, but it is the *riskiest* from a human point of view in that it puts the risk of your `seed phrase` and `private key` custody on you.
- Ideal for people who want as much control over their ICP as possible