# Staking rewards vs an inference discount

> Regular Cardano delegation pays staking rewards in ADA that you can hold, sell or spend. Delegating to the Gatewayz pool gives up almost all ADA rewards in exchange for an inference discount worth 95% of the rewards Gatewayz received, which pays 99% of each request's list price. Using offer.json inputs from 2026-10-27, 100,000 ADA comes to roughly $33 to $34 of discount a month.

**In one line:** Take ADA rewards if you want more ADA; take the inference discount only if you would spend that value on AI anyway.

Staking rewards are paid in ADA that you can hold, sell or spend anywhere; an inference discount is paid as a balance that lowers your AI bill on one service. Delegating to the Gatewayz pool means giving up almost all ADA rewards in exchange for a discount worth 95% of the rewards Gatewayz received, which pays 99% of each request's list price while it lasts. Using the published inputs as of 2026-10-27, 100,000 ADA works out to roughly $33 to $34 of discount per month.

## Key takeaways

- Both options keep your ADA in your wallet with no lock-up; only what you receive differs.
- Regular [delegation](/yield/glossary#delegation) pays ADA after the pool's [fixed cost](/yield/glossary#fixed-cost) and [margin](/yield/glossary#margin); the Gatewayz pool's 99% margin leaves delegators almost no ADA.
- The Gatewayz [inference discount balance](/yield/glossary#inference-discount-balance) is 95% of the rewards Gatewayz actually received, credited in USD, and pays 99% of each request's [list price](/yield/glossary#list-price).
- The discount cannot be withdrawn, transferred or exchanged; ADA rewards can.
- Worked example: 100,000 ADA for one month gives about 162 to 169 ADA of value, or $32.91 to $34.45, under the $150 monthly cap.

## How do staking rewards and an inference discount compare?

They start from the same rewards and end in different places. The table puts them side by side.

| | ADA staking rewards (regular pool) | Inference discount (Gatewayz pool) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Where your ADA is | In your wallet | In your wallet |
| Lock-up | None | None |
| What you receive | ADA, after the pool's fixed cost and margin | A USD discount balance worth 95% of the rewards your stake earned Gatewayz |
| ADA rewards while delegated | Most of the pool's rewards | Almost none (99% margin plus minimum fixed cost) |
| Unit | ADA | USD, converted when rewards are recorded |
| Where you can use it | Anywhere ADA is accepted | Only inference on Gatewayz |
| Can you withdraw or sell it? | Yes | No: non-transferable, cannot be cashed out |
| Compounds into your stake? | Yes, automatically | No |
| First payment | About 15 to 20 days after delegating | Roughly two to three weeks after delegating |
| Limits | None from the pool | $5 per account per day, $50 per day program-wide |

## What do you give up?

You give up ADA staking rewards. In an ordinary pool, rewards are split in order: the declared fixed cost to the operator, then the declared margin, then the remainder to delegators by stake. The Gatewayz pool sets its margin at 99% on top of Cardano's minimum fixed cost of 170 ADA, so delegators receive almost no ADA. [Cardano stake pools explained](/yield/learn/cardano-stake-pools-explained) works through that split.

You also give up compounding. Ordinary rewards accrue in your reward account and count toward your delegated stake automatically, so they compound. A discount balance is spent on inference and does not add to your stake.

## What do you get?

You get a discount that pays for AI you would buy anyway. Each day, after a finished epoch's rewards are recorded, Gatewayz splits what it actually received across linked wallets by stake and credits 95% of each wallet's share, in USD at the time of recording, to your discount balance. Every request on Gatewayz then costs 1% of its list price from your normal credits; the other 99% is drawn from the balance until it runs out.

- Non-transferable: held against your Gatewayz account, never traded.
- Usable only for inference on Gatewayz; cannot be withdrawn, exchanged or cashed out.
- Calculated only from rewards Gatewayz has actually received, never in advance and never from a promised rate.
- Discounts already credited stay on your account if you stop delegating.

## Worked example: 100,000 ADA for one month

This example applies the formula published in the Gatewayz offer file, with its default inputs. The inputs are network-wide data with dates, not a Gatewayz rate.

`usd_per_month = min(amount_ada × network_rewards_per_ada_per_epoch × reward_share × epochs_per_month × ada_usd, per_account_daily_usd × 30)`

| Input | Value | Source, as of |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Amount delegated | 100,000 ADA | Example |
| Network rewards per ADA per epoch, low | 0.00028398 | Koios epoch_info, total_rewards / active_stake, mainnet epochs 645-662, 2026-10-27 |
| Network rewards per ADA per epoch, high | 0.00029726 | Same |
| Reward share | 0.95 | Gatewayz offer |
| Epochs per month | 6 | 5-day epochs |
| ADA price | $0.2033 | CoinGecko simple price, 2026-10-27 |
| Monthly cap | $5 × 30 = $150 | Gatewayz launch limit |

| Step | Low | High |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Network rewards on 100,000 ADA per epoch | 28.398 ADA | 29.726 ADA |
| Per month (× 6 epochs), before any pool fees | 170.388 ADA | 178.356 ADA |
| × 0.95 reward share | 161.869 ADA | 169.438 ADA |
| × $0.2033 | $32.91 | $34.45 |
| Cap check (min with $150) | $32.91 | $34.45 |

So 100,000 ADA delegated to the Gatewayz pool would fund roughly $32.91 to $34.45 of discount per month at these inputs. The cap does not bind at this size; at these inputs it would start to bind at around 435,000 to 456,000 ADA for a single account.

For comparison, the 170 to 178 ADA in the second row is the network-wide figure before any pool's fixed cost and margin. A delegator in a low-margin pool would receive close to that in ADA, which they could keep, compound or sell; with the Gatewayz pool they receive the discount instead.

Three caveats apply. The range assumes an established pool; a new or small pool mints blocks less often, so its rewards vary more and an epoch with no blocks has nothing to share. Rewards are converted to USD when recorded, so the dollar figure moves with ADA. And the per-account and program-wide daily limits apply. The [calculator](/yield/calculator) runs the same formula for your own amount.

| Input | Value | Source | As of |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Network rewards per ADA staked per epoch | 0.00028398 to 0.00029726 | Koios epoch_info, total_rewards / active_stake, mainnet epochs 645-662 | 2026-10-27 |
| ADA price (USD) | 0.2033 | CoinGecko simple price | 2026-10-27 |
| Reward share | 0.95 | Gatewayz program | 2026-10-27 |
| Epochs per month | 6 | 5-day epochs | 2026-10-27 |

- The range uses network-wide rewards for an established pool. A new or small pool mints blocks less often, so its rewards vary more from epoch to epoch, and an epoch with no blocks has nothing to share.
- Rewards are converted to USD at the ADA price when they are recorded, so the dollar amount moves with ADA.
- The per-account and program-wide daily limits apply.

## When does each option make sense?

Choose ADA rewards if you want to accumulate ADA, want rewards you can withdraw or sell, or do not spend much on AI. Choose the inference discount if you already pay for [inference](/learn/what-is-ai-inference) every month and would otherwise sell ADA to pay that bill.

| Your situation | Better fit |
| --- | --- |
| You want more ADA over time | ADA staking rewards |
| You rarely use AI | ADA staking rewards |
| You need rewards you can withdraw or move | ADA staking rewards |
| You or your team pay an AI bill every month | Inference discount |
| You would otherwise sell ADA to pay for AI | Inference discount |
| Your agents make many requests on one API key | Inference discount |

You can also split: ADA held under two separate stake keys, for example in two wallets, can be delegated to two different pools, one regular and one Gatewayz. Treasuries weighing this can read [For treasuries](/yield/treasuries); everyone should read [Risks](/yield/risks) first.

## How are they taxed?

This page does not cover tax. How staking rewards and a service discount are treated depends on where you live and your circumstances; consult your tax advisor.

**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.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is an inference discount worth more than staking rewards?

It is built from the same rewards, in a different form. You receive 95% of the rewards your stake earned Gatewayz as a USD discount usable only on Gatewayz, instead of ADA you can hold or sell. It is only worth it if you would spend that value on AI anyway.

### Do I still get ADA rewards with the Gatewayz pool?

Almost none. The pool takes a 99% margin plus Cardano's minimum fixed cost, so very little is left for delegators in ADA. The rewards it keeps fund the inference discount instead.

### How much discount does 100,000 ADA give per month?

Using the published inputs as of 2026-10-27, about $32.91 to $34.45 per month. That comes from network rewards of 0.00028398 to 0.00029726 ADA per ADA per epoch, a 0.95 reward share, six epochs and an ADA price of $0.2033. It is an estimate, not a promised amount.

### Can I convert the discount back to ADA?

No. The discount balance is non-transferable, works only for inference on Gatewayz, and cannot be withdrawn, exchanged or cashed out. Discounts already credited stay on your account if you stop delegating.

### Can I switch back to regular staking later?

Yes, at any time. Redelegate to another pool in your wallet. The new pool takes over from the fourth payout, your old pool covers the three before it, and nothing is locked.

## Sources

- [Cardano Docs: Pledging and rewards](https://docs.cardano.org/about-cardano/learn/pledging-rewards), as of 2026-10-27
- [Cardano.org Glossary: Minimum Pool Cost](https://cardano.org/glossary/min-pool-cost/), as of 2026-10-27
- [Cardano.org: Stake your ada on Cardano](https://cardano.org/stake-pool-delegation/), as of 2026-10-27

## Related

- [ADA staking calculator for AI inference](https://www.gatewayz.ai/yield/calculator)
- [What is a Cardano stake pool?](https://www.gatewayz.ai/yield/learn/cardano-stake-pools-explained)
- [What is inference as yield?](https://www.gatewayz.ai/yield/learn/what-is-inference-as-yield)
- [The risks of ADA delegation with Gatewayz](https://www.gatewayz.ai/yield/risks)
- [Pay your team's AI costs with treasury staking rewards](https://www.gatewayz.ai/yield/treasuries)

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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/staking-rewards-vs-inference-discount