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Staking Redelegation on ZIGChain

TL;DR: Staking redelegation on ZIGChain allows you to move staked ZIG from one validator to another without unbonding. You skip the 21-day wait when you switch validators. Cooldown and per-pair limits still apply on active validators after each move.

Overview​

Staking redelegation on ZIGChain allows you to move staked ZIG from one validator to another. You do not need to unbond first. Tokens stay bonded and keep earning rewards during the move. This helps when uptime, fees, or stake spread goals change.

Read Staking on ZIGChain before you redelegate. That page covers validator roles and how delegators help secure the chain. Staking redelegation adds speed but still uses cooldown rules to protect the network. Those rules cap how often stake can move between active validators in 21 days on mainnet and testnet.

Redelegation works on tokens that are already bonded. You send a redelegate transaction instead of undelegating and waiting for liquid funds. Active validators enforce the 21-day lock and the seven-transaction cap, learn more in later sections. See Key Concepts for the terms used in those rules. The CLI block below shows how to query and submit staking redelegation on each network.

Key Concepts​

  • Redelegation: Move staked ZIG from one validator to another with no unbond step. Stake stays bonded and keeps paying rewards during the move.
  • Unbonding period: A 21-day wait after undelegation before tokens are free to send. Staking redelegation skips this wait when you switch validators.
  • Redelegation lock: After stake lands at a new validator, it cannot redelegate again for 21 days. You can still add stake, undelegate, or claim rewards there.
  • 7-Stack Rule: A wallet may run up to seven staking redelegations between the same validator pair in 21 days. An eighth transaction between that pair fails until the window ends.
  • Serial redelegation: A chain of moves such as A to B to C inside the cooldown window. The chain blocks this while the lock on the target is active.
  • Bonded validator: A live validator on the active set. Staking redelegation limits here apply only when the target validator is bonded. Check validator status on chain before you submit a redelegate transaction to avoid surprise lock behavior.

Benefits of Staking Redelegation​

Staking redelegation on ZIGChain gives a faster path than unbonding when you need a new validator today. Holders use it to skip the 21-day wait and keep rewards flowing. The list below shows the main gains over undelegate-and-wait flows. Each point maps to a real on-chain rule on ZIGChain. Use these benefits to decide when redelegation beats undelegating and rebonding later on the network.

  • No 21-day wait: Instead of unbonding and waiting for your stake to become liquid, you can instantly reallocate it to another validator.

  • Validator flexibility: If your current validator has high downtime, commission changes, or you want to support a different validator, you can act immediately.

  • Continuous rewards: Since your stake is not placed into unbonding, you continue to earn staking rewards without interruption.

  • Network health: Staking redelegation encourages decentralization by making it easier for delegators to move away from over-concentrated validators.

How to Redelegate​

1. Verify to which validators you are delegating:

zigchaind query staking delegations $ACCOUNT_ADDRESS \
--chain-id zigchain-1 --node https://public-zigchain-rpc.numia.xyz

2. Redelegate to a new validator:

zigchaind zigchaind tx staking redelegate $VAL_A $VAL_B $AMOUNT \
  --from $ACCOUNT \
  --chain-id zigchain-1 \
  --node https://public-zigchain-rpc.numia.xyz \
  --gas-prices 0.0025uzig \
  --gas auto \
  --gas-adjustment 1.3

Once submitted, your stake will immediately be delegated to the new validator without entering the unbonding period.

Rules and Limits​

Staking redelegation is fast but not free of rules. The chain sets caps to stop abuse of instant moves. Read the callout below before you pick a target validator. The subsections explain cooldown, pair limits, and serial moves.

warning

These rules apply only when redelegating to bonded (active) validators. If you redelegate to an unbonded validator, these restrictions do not apply, and you may redelegate without limit.

21-Day Cooldown Period​

  • Redelegation lock
    After you redelegate from Validator A → Validator B, the tokens now staked with Validator B cannot be redelegated again for 21 days. You can still claim rewards, delegate more tokens to Validator B, or undelegate, but you cannot redelegate those specific tokens until the cooldown expires.

  • Undelegation transactions
    The same cooldown logic applies to undelegations. You may only perform up to 7 undelegations from the same validator within a 21-day window, and each undelegation counts toward this limit.

7-Stack Rule​

  • Per-wallet redelegation limits
    Each wallet can perform up to 7 redelegations between the same pair of validators within a 21-day window. Once this limit is reached, you must wait until the cooldown period from the first redelegation has expired before initiating another redelegation between those two validators.

  • Applies per validator pair
    This rule is enforced per wallet and per validator pair. For example, if you hit the limit on redelegations from Validator A → Validator B, you may still redelegate from Validator A → Validator C without restriction.

  • Undelegation limits
    Just like with redelegation, undelegations are also capped at 7 per validator within 21 days. This ensures that frequent partial undelegations cannot be abused to bypass cooldown mechanics.

Serial Redelegation​

  • No validator hopping
    You cannot chain redelegations directly (e.g., A → B → C) within the cooldown period. Once tokens are redelegated to a new validator, that validator is locked from further redelegations for 21 days.

  • Re-delegating after fresh delegation
    Even if you undelegate all tokens from a validator and then delegate to it again during the 21-day window, that validator remains locked for redelegation until the cooldown has fully expired.

Practical Explanation​

The samples below show how staking redelegation rules play out in real cases. Each case uses two or three validators named A, B, and C. Read them in order if you are new to redelegation limits. They mirror the rules in the prior section without new params.

To make redelegation rules clearer, let's look at some sample scenarios:

Scenario 1 — Redelegating from Validator A to Validator B
Suppose you have 10 ZIG delegated to Validator A.

  • You may split this and redelegate small portions (e.g., 1 ZIG each time) to Validator B, but only up to 7 redelegation transactions within a 21-day period.
  • Attempting an 8th redelegation during that window will fail.
  • Once 21 days have passed since your first redelegation, you may begin redelegating again from A → B.
  • These same limits also apply when you choose to undelegate instead of redelegate.

Scenario 2 — Redelegation lock on the receiving validator
After your tokens are redelegated to Validator B, that validator becomes "locked" for further redelegations for 21 days:

  • You can still delegate more ZIG, undelegate, or claim rewards with Validator B.
  • However, you cannot redelegate from Validator B to another validator (e.g., C) until the 21-day period ends.
  • Even if you remove all tokens from Validator B and delegate fresh tokens again, the redelegation lock still applies.

Scenario 3 — Resetting the lock

  • If you redelegate from another validator (e.g., C → B) before the 21-day period expires, the countdown resets. This means you'll need to wait a new full 21 days before you can redelegate from Validator B again.

In summary, whenever a redelegation is made, the destination validator (the one receiving the redelegated tokens) is placed under a 21-day redelegation lock. That lock stays even if you later remove stake and bond again during the same window. Treat the target validator as locked until the full 21 days pass. This rule applies to every staking redelegation into an active validator.

Common Questions​

Can I redelegate from validator A to validator B more than once with the same stake?​

Yes, but the 7-Stack Rule limits A → B transaction count, not how often you move your full balance. With 100 ZIG on A, you get up to seven A → B transactions in 21 days—seven partial moves, or one transaction for all 100 ZIG (that counts as one). An eighth A → B transaction fails even if A still has stake; anything already on B cannot go B → C for 21 days.

What staking redelegation rules apply when the destination validator is unbonded?​

The limits in this guide apply only to bonded active validators. If the target is unbonded, the 21-day lock does not bind you. The seven-transfer cap and serial redelegation rules also do not apply in that case. You may run staking redelegation without limit until the validator joins the active set again. Confirm status with a staking query before you sign the transaction on any network.

Does a new incoming redelegation reset the lock on the destination validator?​

Yes. A new staking redelegation into Validator B before 21 days ends resets the timer. You must wait a full new 21 days before you redelegate out of Validator B again. This holds even if you removed all stake and added fresh tokens during the window. Plan moves with this reset rule in mind to avoid surprise lock times on your wallet.