Overview
Indigo Protocol Staking is a way to earn passive income by locking up INDY, the token that runs the Indigo DeFi protocol on Cardano. Stake your INDY and you collect a share of the fees the protocol takes in, paid back to you in more INDY. It suits holders who want their tokens working for them while also getting a vote on how the protocol is run.
Indigo is a Cardano-based protocol where users create synthetic assets (called iAssets) that track the price of things like Bitcoin. Every time someone mints an iAsset, pays interest, or has a position closed out, the protocol earns fees. Staking is how INDY holders claim a slice of that activity, and it doubles as the entry point to Indigo's governance, the community-run decision process known as the Indigo DAO.
Key Features
- A cut of protocol revenue. Staked INDY earns a share of the fees Indigo collects from minting, liquidations, redemptions, and interest, so rewards track real usage rather than a flat rate1.
- Rewards paid in INDY. Fee revenue held in the treasury is converted to INDY and paid out to stakers on a monthly schedule, keeping the reward token consistent1.
- No fixed lock-up. There is no set period your INDY must stay staked, so you keep flexibility over your tokens while earning1.
- A vote that comes with the reward. Stakers help steer the protocol by voting on Indigo DAO proposals, from new synthetic assets to fee settings1.
- A second way to earn on the same page. Beyond INDY staking, the Earn hub lets users deposit iAssets into Stability Pools and earn from liquidated collateral and interest2.
What to Expect
The staking experience lives in the Indigo web app on the Earn page, not on the main marketing site. After connecting a Cardano wallet, you stake INDY in a few clicks and start accruing rewards you can claim over time. Because rewards are tied to protocol activity, the amount you earn rises and falls with how much minting, borrowing, and liquidation is happening across Indigo.
To keep receiving staking rewards, you need to cast at least one governance vote every 90 days1. Voting happens in the same app, and proposals are discussed openly on the Indigo governance forum beforehand. If earning from liquidations appeals to you more than fee-sharing, the same Earn hub lets you supply iAssets to a Stability Pool, where you help repay closed-out debt in exchange for a share of the collateral and interest revenue2. Indigo's contracts have been through independent security audits by Tweag and MLabs, and the code is developed in public.
