Yes, HBAR can be staked. Staking HBAR involves locking up your tokens to support the security and operation of the Hedera network. By staking, you can earn rewards in the form of additional HBAR tokens while contributing to the network’s decentralization and consensus mechanism. Staking HBAR provides an opportunity for token holders to actively participate in the network and potentially earn passive income.

There is no lock-up period when accounts are staked to a node. Stakers are not required to specify a specific amount of HBAR to stake from their account. Instead, the entire balance of the account is automatically staked to the chosen node or account. In this process, there is no notion of “bonding” or “slashing” of your tokens. Consequently, the staked account balance remains liquid at all times.

When you stake through a centralised exchange, the exchange holds the private keys to your assets on your behalf. With Ledger, your private keys are stored on your hardware device*. You interact with validators and services through the Ledger Wallet app, but the keys, and therefore control of your assets, remain with you.

*Disclaimer: Crypto transaction services are provided by third-party providers. Ledger provides no advice or recommendations on use of these third-party services. Rewards and payout frequency are not guaranteed. Ledger does not provide any financial advice or recommendations. More information on how private keys are stored on your device can be found here.

No. Your Ledger device is only needed when signing a transaction, such as when you initially delegate, switch validator, or un-delegate. Once your stake is active on the blockchain, any potential rewards accumulate without any action required from your device.

Your assets are on the blockchain, not stored on the device itself. Your Ledger can be recovered using your secret recovery phrase, a set of words generated when you first set up the device. With your recovery phrase, you can restore access to your accounts on a new Ledger device. Keeping that phrase secure and offline is essential.

Staking Hedera carries two main risks. First, market risk: the value of your HBAR may change during the staking or un-bonding period. Second, on networks where it applies, slashing risk: if a validator misbehaves, delegators can lose a portion of their staked assets. You can reduce slashing risk by choosing a reputable, well-established validator available via the Ledger Wallet app.