GlossaryAdvanced
Unbonding
A waiting period required before staked assets can be fully withdrawn after unstaking.
Unbonding is a waiting period, common on many proof-of-stake networks, that must pass after initiating a withdrawal before staked assets become fully liquid and available again.
This delay generally exists to preserve network security — for example, still allowing a validator to be slashed for past misbehavior discovered during the unbonding window, before their stake is fully released.
Examples
- A network might require a multi-day unbonding period before withdrawn staked assets become available.
- The unbonding period gives a network time to detect and penalize any misbehavior before stake is released.