Learn about yield-as-inference and Cardano staking

These guides teach yield-as-inference and the Cardano staking it is built on, from first principles. Yield-as-inference means the rewards your staked assets earn are turned into AI compute instead of being paid out as tokens; Gatewayz runs one version of it for ADA. Read them in the order below, or jump to the question you have.

What is yield-as-inference?

Start here. What is inference as yield? defines the category, explains why it appeared now that AI spend is a recurring bill, and lays out the possible designs: rewards converted to credits or to a discount, a custodial deposit or a delegation. It ends with who the idea suits and who it does not.

How does Cardano staking work?

Next, learn the chain mechanics. How Cardano staking works covers the delegation certificate, the 2 ADA stake address deposit, where rewards come from (monetary expansion, fees and the treasury cut), compounding, saturation and the DRep step needed to withdraw rewards since the Plomin hard fork.

What is a stake pool and how are its rewards split?

Cardano stake pools explained shows what an operator runs, what fixed cost, margin and pledge mean, and why small pools' rewards vary more. A worked example splits one illustrative epoch's rewards for a low-margin pool and for a near-100%-margin pool like the Gatewayz pool.

When do staking rewards arrive?

Cardano epochs and reward timing walks through slots, 5-day epochs, stake snapshots and the four-epoch path from delegating to being paid. It also explains why your old pool keeps paying after you switch, and how this timing sets when the first Gatewayz discount appears.

Should I take staking rewards or an inference discount?

Staking rewards vs an inference discount puts the two side by side and works through 100,000 ADA for one month using the same formula and inputs as the calculator. Read it before deciding.

Does custody matter when you stake?

Yes. Non-custodial vs custodial staking compares Cardano delegation with staking on Ethereum, Solana, Polkadot and TON and with exchange staking, across custody, lock-ups and slashing, and explains why Gatewayz started with ADA.

How else can you pay for AI with crypto?

Paying for AI with crypto compares buying credits with crypto, selling holdings to pay a card bill, and paying from staking rewards while keeping the principal, with a short decision guide.

Where do I look up a term?

Every term used in these guides is defined in the glossary. For the AI side, What is AI inference?, What are AI tokens? and What is Gatewayz? explain what the discount is spent on.

Frequently asked questions

What should I read first?

Start with What is inference as yield?, then How Cardano staking works. Those two explain the idea and the chain mechanics that every other guide builds on, and together they take about fifteen minutes to read.

Do I need to know Cardano to use these guides?

No. Each guide defines its terms the first time they appear and links them to the glossary, so you can read them with no prior knowledge of Cardano or staking.

Are these guides advice?

No. They explain how the mechanisms work, using sourced facts with dates. They are not financial, legal or tax advice; for tax questions, consult your tax advisor.

Is the Gatewayz program live?

Not on mainnet. The program is pre-launch: a working demo runs on Cardano's preprod testnet by invitation, and it is not available to US or Canadian persons.

Sources

• Cardano.org: Stake your ada on Cardano, as of 2026-10-27
• Cardano.org Glossary: Stake Address Deposit, as of 2026-10-27