# When do Cardano staking rewards arrive?

> Cardano staking rewards arrive about 15 to 20 days after you first delegate, then every 5-day epoch. A delegation made in epoch N is counted in the stake snapshot at the start of N+1, becomes active in N+2, has its rewards calculated during N+3 and is paid at the start of N+4, provided the pool mints blocks.

**In one line:** Expect the first Cardano reward 15 to 20 days after delegating, then one payment every 5-day epoch.

Cardano staking rewards arrive about 15 to 20 days after you first delegate, and then once every 5-day [epoch](/yield/glossary#epoch). The delay exists because the protocol pays from a [stake snapshot](/yield/glossary#stake-snapshot), not live delegations: a delegation made in epoch N is paid for the first time at the start of epoch N+4. The first Gatewayz inference discount follows the same clock, roughly two to three weeks after you delegate.

## Key takeaways

- A [slot](/yield/glossary#slot) lasts one second and an epoch has 432,000 slots, which is 5 days.
- The protocol elects block producers and pays rewards from a snapshot taken at an epoch boundary.
- Delegate in epoch N: counted at the start of N+1, active in N+2, calculated during N+3, paid at the start of N+4.
- After the first payment, rewards arrive every epoch and compound automatically.
- When you switch pools, your old pool pays for three more payouts and the new pool takes over from the fourth, with no gap.
- Gatewayz accounts daily, after a finished epoch's rewards are recorded, so the first discount appears roughly two to three weeks after you delegate.

## What are slots and epochs?

They are Cardano's units of time. Each slot lasts one second and is a chance for a block to be produced. An epoch currently has 432,000 slots, which is exactly 5 days (432,000 seconds divided by 86,400 seconds per day).

Epochs are Cardano's accounting period. Stake snapshots, block producer elections and reward payments all happen per epoch, and so does the Gatewayz discount accounting. Six epochs make 30 days, which is why the [calculator](/yield/calculator) uses six epochs per month.

## What is a stake snapshot?

A stake snapshot is a frozen record of every account's delegation, taken at an epoch boundary. The protocol does not use live delegations: it uses the snapshot to decide which pools are elected to produce blocks and how rewards are divided. A delegation you make in the middle of an epoch therefore does nothing until it appears in a snapshot.

This is also why moving your ADA after delegating does not change the epoch already in progress. What counts is the stake recorded in the snapshot for that epoch.

## When do staking rewards arrive after you delegate?

At the start of epoch N+4, where N is the epoch you delegate in. That is about 15 to 20 days, depending on how far into epoch N you delegate, and it assumes the pool mints blocks.

| Epoch | What happens | Days after delegating (approx.) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| N | You submit the [delegation certificate](/yield/glossary#delegation-certificate) | 0 |
| N+1 | Your stake is counted in the snapshot taken at the start of this epoch | 0 to 5 |
| N+2 | Your stake is active: the pool can be elected and mint blocks with it | 5 to 10 |
| N+3 | Rewards for epoch N+2 are calculated | 10 to 15 |
| N+4 | Rewards for epoch N+2 are paid at the start of this epoch | 15 to 20 |

From then on the pipeline is full: each new epoch pays for the epoch that was active two epochs earlier, so you receive a payment every 5 days. Rewards accrue in your reward account and automatically count toward your delegated stake, so they compound without any action from you. Withdrawing them requires your [stake key](/yield/glossary#stake-key) to also delegate its vote to a [DRep](/yield/glossary#drep), abstain or no confidence, a rule in place since the Plomin hard fork.

## What happens when you switch pools?

Your new delegation follows the same clock, and there is no gap. A redelegation becomes active in the epoch after next. Your old pool still earns you rewards for three more payouts, and the new pool takes over from the fourth.

| Payout after you redelegate in epoch N | Paid for | Paid by |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Start of N+1 | Epoch N-1 | Old pool |
| Start of N+2 | Epoch N | Old pool |
| Start of N+3 | Epoch N+1 | Old pool |
| Start of N+4 | Epoch N+2 | New pool |

This matters for the Gatewayz program in both directions. If you move from a pool that pays ADA to the Gatewayz pool, you keep receiving ADA rewards from the old pool for three payouts while your stake becomes active with Gatewayz. If you leave the Gatewayz pool, the epochs in which your stake was still active there are still counted.

## Why can the first reward be late or missing?

Because rewards depend on blocks. A pool earns only for the blocks it mints, and small pools mint blocks less often, so their rewards vary more from epoch to epoch. A pool that is offline when elected misses that block and its rewards, and an epoch with no blocks has nothing to share. The 15 to 20 day figure is the timing when the pool produces; it is not a promise that any given epoch pays.

## How does this map to the Gatewayz discount?

The Gatewayz discount follows the same timeline plus a short accounting step. Gatewayz can only share rewards it has actually received, so it waits for a finished epoch's [pool fees](/yield/glossary#pool-fees) to be recorded. Each day, after those rewards are recorded, it splits what it received across linked wallets in proportion to their stake for that epoch and credits 95% of each wallet's share, in USD at the time of recording, to the linked account's [inference discount balance](/yield/glossary#inference-discount-balance).

| Event | Timing |
| --- | --- |
| You delegate to the Gatewayz pool and link your wallet | Epoch N |
| Your stake becomes active in the pool | Epoch N+2 |
| The pool's rewards for N+2 are recorded | Start of N+4 |
| Gatewayz credits your share to your discount balance | The next daily run after recording |
| First discount visible on your account | Roughly two to three weeks after delegating |

After that, a new credit arrives roughly every 5 days, one per finished epoch, subject to the launch limits. You can check each epoch's numbers yourself on [Verify your discount](/yield/verify).

Launch limits: at most $5 of discount per account per day, and at most $50 per day across the whole program. Limits may change.

## Frequently asked questions

### How long is a Cardano epoch?

Five days. An epoch currently has 432,000 slots and each slot lasts one second, so one epoch is 432,000 seconds, or exactly 5 days.

### Why does my first Cardano reward take so long?

Because the protocol pays from snapshots, not live delegations. A delegation made in epoch N is counted at the start of N+1, active in N+2, calculated during N+3 and paid at the start of N+4, which is about 15 to 20 days later.

### Do I lose rewards when I switch Cardano stake pools?

No. A redelegation becomes active in the epoch after next, your old pool keeps paying for three more payouts, and the new pool takes over from the fourth, so there is no gap in rewards.

### When will I see my first Gatewayz discount?

Roughly two to three weeks after you first delegate to the Gatewayz pool and link your wallet. Gatewayz waits until a finished epoch's rewards are recorded, then credits your share in its next daily run.

### Why did an epoch pay nothing?

Most likely the pool minted no blocks in the epoch your stake was active. Small pools mint blocks less often, so their rewards vary more, and an epoch with no blocks has nothing to share. A pool that misses its declared pledge also earns zero for that epoch.

## Sources

- [Cardano Docs: Cardano node (Slots and epochs)](https://docs.cardano.org/about-cardano/learn/cardano-node), as of 2026-10-27
- [Cardano.org Glossary: Stake Snapshot](https://cardano.org/glossary/stake-snapshot/), as of 2026-10-27
- [Cardano.org: Stake your ada on Cardano](https://cardano.org/stake-pool-delegation/), as of 2026-10-27
- [Cardano Docs: Pledging and rewards](https://docs.cardano.org/about-cardano/learn/pledging-rewards), as of 2026-10-27

## Related

- [How Cardano staking works](https://www.gatewayz.ai/yield/learn/how-cardano-staking-works)
- [How yield-as-inference works](https://www.gatewayz.ai/yield/how-it-works)
- [Stake ADA without giving it up, and pay for AI with the rewards](https://www.gatewayz.ai/yield/assets/ada)
- [Verify your discount from public chain data](https://www.gatewayz.ai/yield/verify)
- [Yield-as-inference FAQ](https://www.gatewayz.ai/yield/faq)

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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/learn/cardano-epochs-and-reward-timing