# Use AVAX staking rewards to pay for AI > Not yet. Gatewayz yield-as-inference supports only ADA today, and AVAX is on the coming list. The plan is to turn Avalanche delegation rewards into the same kind of AI inference discount. Avalanche delegation is native and has no slashing, but it locks AVAX for a fixed period of 2 weeks to 1 year and pays rewards once, when the period ends. **In one line:** AVAX is coming, not live: its fixed lock periods and single end-of-period payout are the main design questions. You cannot use AVAX staking rewards to pay for AI on Gatewayz yet: AVAX is a coming asset, and the program runs on ADA only. The plan is to turn Avalanche's native delegation rewards into the same kind of [inference discount](/yield/glossary#inference-discount-balance) ADA holders get, without taking custody. The design question is timing: Avalanche locks delegated AVAX for a fixed period and pays rewards once, at the end. **Pre-launch.** The program is built and switched off on mainnet. A working demo runs on Cardano's preprod testnet with test ADA, by invitation. Not available to US or Canadian persons. Every participant must confirm they are not a US or Canadian person before linking a wallet. ## Key takeaways - AVAX is not live in yield-as-inference, and no launch date is set. - A holder delegates AVAX on the P-Chain to a validator for a fixed period of 2 weeks to 1 year. - Delegated AVAX is locked for that period: the amount cannot change and the stake cannot be removed early. - Rewards arrive as a single payout when the delegation ends, minus the validator's delegation fee of at least 2%. - No slashing is described, but delegators get no reward if their validator misses the uptime requirement. ## How does native AVAX staking work? A holder delegates AVAX on the P-Chain to a validator for a fixed period. The period has to fit inside that validator's own staking period, so the validator's end date caps how long a delegation can run. While delegated, the AVAX is locked. Neither the amount nor any other parameter can be changed, and the stake cannot be removed early. When the period ends, the tokens come back automatically, and the rewards go to the reward address the holder chose, in one payout, minus the validator's delegation fee (at least 2%). That makes Avalanche delegation a different shape from Cardano [delegation](/yield/glossary#delegation). On Cardano nothing is locked and rewards arrive every [epoch](/yield/glossary#epoch); on Avalanche the holder commits up front and is paid once at the end. ## How long does it take to unstake AVAX? There is no separate unbonding period, because there is no early unstaking. The holder picks a period between 2 weeks and 1 year when delegating, and the AVAX comes back automatically when it ends. The minimum delegation is 25 AVAX on Mainnet. No slashing is described in the Avalanche docs we checked. The risk instead is to rewards: delegators get nothing if the validator misses the uptime requirement, which is 90% for validations starting on or after the Helicon upgrade on 2026-09-22. ## How does AVAX staking compare with ADA delegation? Both are native and neither puts principal at slashing risk. The difference is the lock: ADA can move at any time, while delegated AVAX is committed for the whole period. | | AVAX (native) | ADA (Cardano delegation) | | --- | --- | --- | | Custody | Locked for the chosen period, returned automatically at the end | Stays in your wallet; delegation moves nothing | | Lock-up / unbonding | Fixed period of 2 weeks to 1 year; no early exit, no separate unbonding | None; spend or switch pools at any time | | Minimum | 25 AVAX on Mainnet | None in the sources we checked; a one-time 2 ADA stake address deposit, refunded on deregistration | | Slashing | None described; no reward if the validator misses 90% uptime | None | | Reward cadence | One payout when the delegation ends, minus a fee of at least 2% | Every 5-day epoch; first rewards about 15 to 20 days after delegating | For the general trade-off, read [Non-custodial vs custodial staking](/yield/learn/non-custodial-vs-custodial-staking). ## What would Gatewayz need to support AVAX? A validator for holders to delegate to, a way to link a delegation to a Gatewayz account, and a way for Gatewayz to receive the rewards it converts. On Cardano the rewards arrive as the pool's fees every epoch; on Avalanche they would arrive once per delegation, at its end. That timing matters. Gatewayz credits a discount only from rewards it has actually received, never in advance, so a holder delegating for six months would see no discount until those six months ended. Delegations would also have to fit inside the validator's own staking period. Custody would not change: the AVAX comes back to the holder automatically, and no Gatewayz contract would hold it. The lock itself is the trade-off the [Risks](/yield/risks) page would spell out. Accounting would follow the [ADA model](/yield/how-it-works). ## What can I use today? ADA. It is the one asset the program supports: you delegate from your own wallet, your ADA never moves, and rewards become an inference discount. The program is pre-launch, with a working demo on Cardano's preprod testnet by invitation, and is not available to US or Canadian persons. See [ADA](/yield/assets/ada) and [all assets](/yield/assets). ## Join the AVAX waitlist Waitlist sign-ups tell us which coming asset holders want next. Join the AVAX waitlist at https://www.gatewayz.ai/yield/assets/avax. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I use AVAX staking rewards to pay for AI on Gatewayz today? No. AVAX is a coming asset and no launch date is set. Today the program supports only ADA, and it is pre-launch. ### Can I unstake AVAX early? No. Delegated AVAX is locked for the period you choose, between 2 weeks and 1 year, and the stake cannot be removed early. It comes back automatically when the period ends. ### What is the minimum to delegate AVAX? 25 AVAX on Mainnet. The delegation period also has to fit inside the chosen validator's own staking period. ### Can delegated AVAX be slashed? No slashing is described in the Avalanche docs we checked. Delegators do lose their rewards if the validator misses the uptime requirement, which is 90% for validations starting on or after the Helicon upgrade on 2026-09-22. ### When are AVAX delegation rewards paid? Once, when the delegation ends, to the reward address you chose, minus the validator's delegation fee of at least 2%. ## Sources - [Avalanche Builder Hub: How to stake](https://build.avax.network/docs/primary-network/validate/how-to-stake), as of 2026-10-27 - [Cardano.org: Stake your ada on Cardano](https://cardano.org/stake-pool-delegation/), as of 2026-10-27 - [Cardano.org Glossary: Stake Address Deposit](https://cardano.org/glossary/stake-address-deposit/), as of 2026-10-27 - [Cardano Docs: Cardano node (Slots and epochs)](https://docs.cardano.org/about-cardano/learn/cardano-node), as of 2026-10-27 ## Related - [Which crypto assets can pay for AI inference?](https://www.gatewayz.ai/yield/assets) - [Stake ADA without giving it up, and pay for AI with the rewards](https://www.gatewayz.ai/yield/assets/ada) - [Non-custodial vs custodial staking](https://www.gatewayz.ai/yield/learn/non-custodial-vs-custodial-staking) - [The risks of ADA delegation with Gatewayz](https://www.gatewayz.ai/yield/risks) --- Discounts are a share of staking rewards Gatewayz actually received, can change at any time, and are not a guaranteed return. Not available to US or Canadian persons. Every participant must confirm they are not a US or Canadian person before linking a wallet. Not investment, legal or tax advice. Figures as of 2026-10-27. Updated 2026-10-27. Canonical page: https://www.gatewayz.ai/yield/assets/avax