# How to Stake

Staking ALVA tokens earns you veALVA governance power and staking rewards. All staking happens on Ethereum mainnet.

## Prerequisites

* ALVA tokens on Ethereum mainnet
* ETH on Ethereum mainnet for gas fees
* A connected Web3 wallet

## Staking Steps

### 1. Navigate to the Lock Page

Go to the **Lock** page in the navigation bar.

### 2. Choose Your Lock Type

Select either the **Time Lock** or **Forever Lock** tab.

### 3. Configure Your Lock

**For Time Locks:**

* Select a lock duration from the available periods
* Enter the amount of ALVA to lock
* Review the veALVA you'll receive and the SRV rate

**For Forever Locks:**

* Enter the amount of ALVA to lock
* Review the veALVA you'll receive
* Understand that this is permanent and irreversible

### 4. Approve & Confirm

* First, approve the staking contract to spend your ALVA (one-time per amount increase)
* Then confirm the staking transaction
* Wait for the transaction to be confirmed on Ethereum mainnet

### 5. Verify

Once confirmed, your veALVA balance will update. You can see your lock details, veALVA balance, and staking history on the Lock page.

## Managing an Existing Lock

### Add More ALVA

Increase your locked amount by depositing additional ALVA into an existing lock. This increases your veALVA balance.

### Renew a Time Lock

Extend your lock duration to reset veALVA decay. Your veALVA is recalculated based on the total locked amount and the new duration.

### Withdraw (Time Locks Only)

Once a time lock expires, a **Withdraw** option becomes available. Withdrawing returns your ALVA and reduces your veALVA to zero.

## Network Requirement

Staking requires your wallet to be connected to **Ethereum mainnet**. If you're on a different network (e.g., Base), the app will prompt you to switch before proceeding.

## Real-Time Notifications

The app provides real-time notifications for all staking events (stake, increase, renew, withdraw, claim, compound) so you can track the status of your transactions.