STON staking at the smart contract level is arranged in a more interesting way than what the interface reveals. The user picks a lock up period, confirms the action and the contract gets to work.

The first thing to grasp is that the tokens stay with you. You are not handing them over to the platform, you retain custody. The contract merely locks them for the chosen period and monitors that the conditions are met. No one but you can withdraw the funds.

Once locked, two types of rewards begin accruing. GEMSTON is a community token, and its amount is calculated according to a formula shown on the screen before confirmation. The future of GEMSTON will be determined through the DAO, meaning the community will decide how to use this token for programs, incentives and access mechanics. Everything is transparent and happens onchain.

ARKENSTON is a soulbound NFT tied to your wallet. It cannot be transferred to anyone else. It serves as a marker of a long term connection to the protocol and a key to governance. The more STON is staked and the longer the lock up period, the higher your voting power in the DAO. In essence ARKENSTON is not a token in the usual sense, but a record of your participation.

A separate point worth noting is the Boost Farm APR. During active campaigns STON staking can provide an APR multiplier for farming in the STON/USDT V2 pool. The boost only works while the campaign is running and while your stake remains active.

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