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Pre-Staking KAT

Pre-staking lets you commit KAT before TGE so it is automatically staked into avKAT the moment the network launches. Pre-stakers receive a temporary vote boost and qualify for Founding Staker status.

Goal

By the end of this guide, you’ll understand:

  • What pre-staking is and why it matters
  • How the commitment and auto-execution flow works
  • Commitment requirements and how to update your commitment
  • What happens at TGE

How Pre-Staking Works

Pre-staking is a two-phase process:

  1. Before TGE — You approve a specific amount of KAT for the relayer contract. This on-chain approval is your commitment.
  2. At TGE — The relayer atomically executes all commitments, staking your KAT into avKAT. Largest commitments execute first.

Because avKAT auto-delegates voting power, every pre-staker is immediately productive for the network from block one.

graph LR
    A["Approve KAT\n(pre-TGE)"] --> B["Relayer executes\n(at TGE)"]
    B --> C["Receive avKAT\n(auto-staked)"]
    C --> D["3x vote boost\n+ Founding eligible"]

Commitment Requirements

Requirement Detail
Minimum commitment 100 KAT
Approval type Fixed amount only — no infinite approvals
What counts as your commitment The exact approval amount you set

The approval amount is the commitment. Setting an infinite approval defeats the purpose of pre-staking as a credible signal, so only fixed, user-determined amounts are accepted.

What Happens at TGE

At TGE, the relayer executes all valid commitments atomically:

  1. Your approved KAT is transferred to the avKAT vault
  2. You receive avKAT tokens representing your staked position
  3. Your 3x vote boost activates immediately
  4. You are tracked as a Founding Staker candidate

After TGE, you can continue holding avKAT or convert to vKAT through the in-app flow. Switching between avKAT and vKAT via the app does not reset your vote boost or Founding Staker eligibility — only unstaking to liquid KAT or selling on the open market resets these.

Pre-Staker Benefits

Benefit Detail
Vote boost 3x voting power and reward weight, decaying to 1x over 8 weeks (see Vote Boost)
Founding Staker eligibility Qualify for a share of accumulated exit fees (see Founding Stakers)
Auto-execution No manual action needed at TGE — the relayer handles staking
Immediate productivity avKAT auto-delegates, so you’re voting and earning from block one

What’s Next