March 31, 2025

Introducing Data Validator Staking: Powering Data Markets for the Future

Since Vana mainnet went live just 12 weeks ago, DataDAO staking successfully bootstrapped massive amounts of data into the Vana ecosystem. 12 million+ data points onboarded, active data sales, and the first wave of user-owned data tokens.

Now, we enter the market phase.

Data Validator Staking replaces DLP staking, shifting incentives toward the long-term health of the protocol. Staking rewards are now tied to ensuring uptime, security, and liquidity—the pillars of a sustainable data economy.

At the core of this transition are Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs), which power Validator Staking. TEEs ensure that data remains accessible and secure, enforcing onchain permissions without exposing raw datasets. This means:

Data Liquidity Pools (DLPs) retain full control over their data. Queries and AI models run inside TEEs, ensuring data isn’t leaked or misused.
AI training and analytics can happen without data leaving the network. Sensitive datasets remain protected, even while being monetized.
Data Validators ensure constant uptime. Without a functioning infrastructure, there is no data market. Data Validator Staking keeps everything online and available.

This transition not only reinforces the integrity of the protocol but also strengthens the role of data tokens as financial assets.

What this means for Current DLP Stakers

If you’re currently staking in a DLP, you have the option to migrate your staked tokens to Data Validator Staking to continue earning rewards.

Your tokens remain actively staked, now securing uptime instead of emissions.
To migrate existing stakes, head to datahub.vana.com
To stake directly in the new Data Validator Staking program head to stake.vana.com

You can migrate your stake from Datahub to Data Validator Staking at any time.

This ensures a smooth transition while aligning incentives with the long-term health of the data economy.

How Data Validator Staking Works

Data Validator Staking secures Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs)—specialized infrastructure that ensures data integrity, query execution, and market reliability.

Users stake to Data Validators to support continuous network uptime.
Data Validators process data queries and enforce onchain permissions, ensuring secure, permissioned access.
Rewards are fixed at a 6% APY, reflecting the value of maintaining network security of TEEs. In a future technical upgrade, APY will be updated to be dynamic based on data access fees.
Emissions from Data Validator Staking will be distributed immediately upon staking and will compound instantly, even if the user stakes in the middle of an epoch.
Rewards compound automatically - no additional claiming is needed.

Unlike emissions-based rewards, staking incentives now scale with the health of the market—ensuring sustainable long-term participation.

Why Data Validator Staking Matters

A data economy cannot function without reliable access.

Data Validator Staking ensures:

Guaranteed 24/7 uptime for data markets. If data isn’t available, the market doesn’t function.
Security and integrity. TEEs enforce access rules, ensuring compliance and trust in the system.
Data authenticity and quality. Data Validators verify the uniqueness, ownership, and integrity of each data point, ensuring high-quality contributions.
Aligned incentives. A fixed 6% APY reward reinforces long-term participation and network stability.
Attracts and retains liquidity. Data Validator staking locks capital into the network, strengthening security while creating yield opportunities for participants

This is the foundation of Vana’s market phase—where data tokens, liquidity, and market efficiency take center stage.

To migrate existing stakes, head to datahub.vana.com. To stake directly in the new Data Validator Staking program head to stake.vana.com