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

# Programmatic Solana Staking with Helius SDK

> Build seamless Solana staking experiences with the Helius SDK. Complete guide from setup to withdrawal with 0% commission validator integration.

<Info>
  **Zero-Commission Validator**: Stake with the Helius validator and keep 100% of your staking rewards with our 0% commission rate.
</Info>

## Quick Overview

The Helius SDK provides simple methods to handle the complete SOL staking lifecycle programmatically. Perfect for building staking interfaces, DeFi protocols, or automated staking strategies.

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Create & Delegate" icon="plus">
    Set up new stake accounts and delegate to validators in one transaction
  </Card>

  <Card title="Monitor & Manage" icon="chart-line">
    Track rewards, check status, and manage existing stake accounts
  </Card>

  <Card title="Withdraw & Redeem" icon="money-bill">
    Deactivate stakes and withdraw SOL after cooldown periods
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Installation & Setup

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash npm theme={"system"}
  npm install helius-sdk @solana/web3.js bs58
  ```

  ```bash yarn   theme={"system"}
  yarn add helius-sdk @solana/web3.js bs58
  ```

  ```bash pnpm theme={"system"}
  pnpm add helius-sdk @solana/web3.js bs58
  ```
</CodeGroup>

<CodeGroup>
  ```typescript Setup theme={"system"}
  import { Helius } from 'helius-sdk';
  import { Keypair, Transaction } from '@solana/web3.js';
  import bs58 from 'bs58';

  // Initialize Helius client
  const helius = new Helius('YOUR_API_KEY');

  // Your wallet keypair (load from your secure storage)
  const payer = Keypair.fromSecretKey(/* your secret key */);
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Staking Basics

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How Solana Staking Works">
    **Stake Account**: A special account that locks SOL and delegates it to a validator. Each stake account points to exactly one validator.

    **Rewards**: Validators earn rewards for securing the network. These rewards are distributed to all stake accounts delegated to that validator.

    **Lifecycle**: Create → Delegate → Earn Rewards → Deactivate → Withdraw
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why Choose Helius Validator">
    * **0% Commission**: Keep 100% of your staking rewards
    * **High Performance**: Reliable block production and minimal downtime
    * **Easy Integration**: Optimized for the Helius SDK with built-in helpers
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Timing & Epochs">
    * **Activation**: Stakes become active at the start of the next epoch (\~2 days)
    * **Deactivation**: Takes effect at the end of the current epoch
    * **Cooldown**: Deactivated stakes can be withdrawn immediately after epoch end
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Getting Started

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Quick Start">
    Stake SOL in just 3 lines of code:

    ```typescript theme={"system"}
    // 1. Create the staking transaction
    const { serializedTx, stakeAccountPubkey } = 
      await helius.rpc.createStakeTransaction(payer.publicKey, 1.5);

    // 2. Sign and send
    const tx = Transaction.from(bs58.decode(serializedTx));
    tx.partialSign(payer);
    const signature = await helius.connection.sendRawTransaction(tx.serialize());

    console.log(`Staked! Transaction: ${signature}`);
    console.log(`Stake Account: ${stakeAccountPubkey}`);
    ```

    <Info>
      The SDK automatically handles rent calculation and stake account creation. The `1.5` parameter is the amount in SOL you want to stake.
    </Info>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Complete Example">
    Full staking implementation with error handling:

    ```typescript theme={"system"}
    async function stakeSOL(amountInSol: number) {
      try {
        // Create staking transaction
        const { serializedTx, stakeAccountPubkey } = 
          await helius.rpc.createStakeTransaction(payer.publicKey, amountInSol);
        
        // Deserialize and sign transaction
        const transaction = Transaction.from(bs58.decode(serializedTx));
        transaction.partialSign(payer);
        
        // Send transaction
        const signature = await helius.connection.sendRawTransaction(
          transaction.serialize(),
          { 
            skipPreflight: false,
            preflightCommitment: 'confirmed'
          }
        );
        
        // Wait for confirmation
        await helius.connection.confirmTransaction(signature, 'confirmed');
        
        return {
          signature,
          stakeAccount: stakeAccountPubkey,
          amount: amountInSol
        };
        
      } catch (error) {
        console.error('Staking failed:', error);
        throw error;
      }
    }

    // Usage
    const result = await stakeSOL(2.5);
    console.log(`Successfully staked ${result.amount} SOL`);
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## SDK Methods Reference

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="createStakeTransaction(owner, amount)">
    Creates a complete staking transaction that can be signed and sent.

    **Parameters:**

    * `owner` (PublicKey): The wallet that will own the stake account
    * `amount` (number): Amount of SOL to stake

    **Returns:**

    ```typescript theme={"system"}
    {
      serializedTx: string,        // Base58 encoded transaction
      stakeAccountPubkey: string   // New stake account address
    }
    ```

    **Example:**

    ```typescript theme={"system"}
    const result = await helius.rpc.createStakeTransaction(
      payer.publicKey, 
      1.5  // 1.5 SOL
    );
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="getStakeInstructions(owner, amount)">
    Returns just the instructions for staking (useful for custom transaction building).

    **Returns:**

    ```typescript theme={"system"}
    {
      instructions: TransactionInstruction[],
      stakeAccount: Keypair
    }
    ```

    **Example:**

    ```typescript theme={"system"}
    const { instructions } = await helius.rpc.getStakeInstructions(
      payer.publicKey, 
      1.5
    );

    // Use with Smart Transactions
    const signature = await helius.rpc.sendSmartTransaction(
      instructions, 
      [payer]
    );
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="getHeliusStakeAccounts(wallet)">
    Retrieves all stake accounts delegated to the Helius validator for a wallet.

    **Example:**

    ```typescript theme={"system"}
    const accounts = await helius.rpc.getHeliusStakeAccounts(
      payer.publicKey.toBase58()
    );

    accounts.forEach(account => {
      const delegation = account.account.data.parsed.info.stake.delegation;
      console.log(`Account: ${account.pubkey}`);
      console.log(`Stake: ${delegation.stake / LAMPORTS_PER_SOL} SOL`);
    });
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="createUnstakeTransaction(owner, stakeAccount)">
    Creates a transaction to deactivate (begin unstaking) a stake account.

    **Example:**

    ```typescript theme={"system"}
    const tx = await helius.rpc.createUnstakeTransaction(
      payer.publicKey,
      stakeAccountPubkey
    );

    const transaction = Transaction.from(bs58.decode(tx));
    transaction.partialSign(payer);
    await helius.connection.sendRawTransaction(transaction.serialize());
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="getWithdrawableAmount(stakeAccount, includeRent?)">
    Check how much SOL can be withdrawn from a deactivated stake account.

    **Parameters:**

    * `includeRent` (boolean): Whether to include rent-exempt amount

    **Example:**

    ```typescript theme={"system"}
    const available = await helius.rpc.getWithdrawableAmount(stakeAccountPubkey);
    const total = await helius.rpc.getWithdrawableAmount(stakeAccountPubkey, true);

    console.log(`Available now: ${available / LAMPORTS_PER_SOL} SOL`);
    console.log(`Total balance: ${total / LAMPORTS_PER_SOL} SOL`);
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="createWithdrawTransaction(owner, stakeAccount, destination, amount)">
    Creates a transaction to withdraw SOL from a deactivated stake account.

    **Example:**

    ```typescript theme={"system"}
    const tx = await helius.rpc.createWithdrawTransaction(
      payer.publicKey,
      stakeAccountPubkey,
      destinationPubkey,
      withdrawAmount  // in lamports
    );
    ```
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Complete Staking Workflow

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create and Delegate">
    ```typescript theme={"system"}
    // Stake 2 SOL to Helius validator
    const { serializedTx, stakeAccountPubkey } = 
      await helius.rpc.createStakeTransaction(payer.publicKey, 2.0);

    const tx = Transaction.from(bs58.decode(serializedTx));
    tx.partialSign(payer);

    const signature = await helius.connection.sendRawTransaction(tx.serialize());
    console.log(`Stake created: ${stakeAccountPubkey}`);
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Monitor Your Stakes">
    ```typescript theme={"system"}
    // Get all your Helius stake accounts
    const accounts = await helius.rpc.getHeliusStakeAccounts(
      payer.publicKey.toBase58()
    );

    console.log(`You have ${accounts.length} active stake accounts`);

    accounts.forEach((account, index) => {
      const info = account.account.data.parsed.info;
      const delegation = info.stake.delegation;
      
      console.log(`Stake ${index + 1}:`);
      console.log(`  Amount: ${delegation.stake / LAMPORTS_PER_SOL} SOL`);
      console.log(`  Activated: Epoch ${delegation.activationEpoch}`);
      console.log(`  Status: ${info.meta.lockup.unixTimestamp === 0 ? 'Active' : 'Locked'}`);
    });
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Deactivate (Start Unstaking)">
    ```typescript theme={"system"}
    // Begin the unstaking process
    const unstakeTx = await helius.rpc.createUnstakeTransaction(
      payer.publicKey,
      stakeAccountPubkey
    );

    const tx = Transaction.from(bs58.decode(unstakeTx));
    tx.partialSign(payer);

    await helius.connection.sendRawTransaction(tx.serialize());
    console.log('Deactivation started. Will be withdrawable next epoch.');
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Withdraw SOL">
    ```typescript theme={"system"}
    // Check withdrawable amount
    const withdrawable = await helius.rpc.getWithdrawableAmount(
      stakeAccountPubkey, 
      true  // include rent
    );

    if (withdrawable > 0) {
      // Create withdrawal instruction
      const withdrawInstruction = helius.rpc.getWithdrawInstruction(
        payer.publicKey,
        stakeAccountPubkey,
        payer.publicKey,  // withdraw to same wallet
        withdrawable
      );
      
      // Send using Smart Transactions for better reliability
      const signature = await helius.rpc.sendSmartTransaction(
        [withdrawInstruction], 
        [payer]
      );
      
      console.log(`Withdrawn ${withdrawable / LAMPORTS_PER_SOL} SOL`);
    }
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Advanced Patterns

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Browser Integration">
    For browser applications using wallet adapters:

    ```typescript theme={"system"}
    // Get instructions instead of full transaction
    const { instructions, stakeAccount } = await helius.rpc.getStakeInstructions(
      wallet.publicKey,
      stakeAmount
    );

    // Let the wallet handle transaction building and signing
    const transaction = new Transaction().add(...instructions);

    // Sign with wallet adapter
    const signature = await wallet.sendTransaction(transaction, connection);

    console.log(`Stake account: ${stakeAccount.publicKey.toBase58()}`);
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Batch Operations">
    Stake for multiple wallets efficiently:

    ```typescript theme={"system"}
    async function batchStake(wallets: Keypair[], amount: number) {
      const promises = wallets.map(async (wallet) => {
        try {
          const { serializedTx, stakeAccountPubkey } = 
            await helius.rpc.createStakeTransaction(wallet.publicKey, amount);
          
          const tx = Transaction.from(bs58.decode(serializedTx));
          tx.partialSign(wallet);
          
          return helius.connection.sendRawTransaction(tx.serialize());
        } catch (error) {
          console.error(`Failed to stake for ${wallet.publicKey.toBase58()}:`, error);
          return null;
        }
      });
      
      const results = await Promise.allSettled(promises);
      const successful = results.filter(r => r.status === 'fulfilled').length;
      
      console.log(`Successfully staked for ${successful}/${wallets.length} wallets`);
    }
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Smart Transactions">
    Use Smart Transactions for better reliability and optimization:

    ```typescript theme={"system"}
    // Get individual instructions
    const { instructions } = await helius.rpc.getStakeInstructions(
      payer.publicKey,
      2.5
    );

    // Send with Smart Transaction features:
    // - Automatic priority fee optimization
    // - Retry logic with backoff
    // - Better error handling
    const signature = await helius.rpc.sendSmartTransaction(
      instructions,
      [payer],
      {
        skipPreflight: false,
        maxRetries: 3
      }
    );

    console.log(`Smart transaction sent: ${signature}`);
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Important Notes

<Warning>
  **Epoch Timing**: Solana epochs last \~2 days. Stakes activate at the next epoch start, and deactivation takes effect at the current epoch end.
</Warning>

<Note>
  **Rent Considerations**: Stake accounts need rent-exempt reserves (\~0.00228 SOL). Withdrawing the full balance closes the account.
</Note>

<Tip>
  **Hardware Wallets**: Users will see two signature prompts - one for the stake account (pre-signed) and one for the fee payer. Design your UX accordingly.
</Tip>

## Quick Reference

Need a quick reminder? Here are the essential methods:

```typescript theme={"system"}
// Stake SOL
await helius.rpc.createStakeTransaction(owner, amountInSol);

// Check your stakes  
await helius.rpc.getHeliusStakeAccounts(ownerAddress);

// Start unstaking
await helius.rpc.createUnstakeTransaction(owner, stakeAccount);

// Check withdrawable amount
await helius.rpc.getWithdrawableAmount(stakeAccount, includeRent);

// Withdraw SOL
helius.rpc.getWithdrawInstruction(owner, stakeAccount, destination, amount);
```

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Helius SDK Documentation" icon="code" href="https://github.com/helius-labs/helius-sdk">
    Complete SDK reference with all available methods
  </Card>

  <Card title="Smart Transactions" icon="bolt" href="/sending-transactions/optimizing-transactions">
    Optimize your transactions with priority fees and retry logic
  </Card>

  <Card title="Join Discord" icon="discord" href="https://discord.com/invite/6GXdee3gBj">
    Get help from our developer community
  </Card>

  <Card title="Validator Dashboard" icon="chart-bar" href="https://www.validators.app/validators/EKgWgpJY5BtX7TeJfhKbqcJT7gzLKFFtj7cjX1XY6CxA">
    Monitor Helius validator performance and rewards
  </Card>
</CardGroup>