Epoch 1 is live on Commons Chain as of 23:00 UTC on October 30th. In Epoch 0, all emissions flowed to the Base Pool as we bootstrapped the system, validated the staking process, and onboarded the first wave of stakers. With those foundations in place, Epoch 1 continues the transition toward the network’s full incentive design—where staking decisions will soon begin shaping how value flows across the appchain ecosystem on the Syndicate Network.

Stake on Commons Chain: https://commons.syndicate.io/.

How Staking Powers the Syndicate Network

The Syndicate Network is designed to be owned by its communities. That means more than just providing infrastructure—it requires an incentive system that ensures the people who stake, build, and use the network are the ones who benefit from it.

As we enter Epoch 1, Syndicate Labs has proposed to take the next step and evolve the SYND tokenomics to match that ambition at the economic layer. The SYND 2.0 proposal introduces a high-level framework for evolving the current model—addressing challenges around emissions, long-term alignment, and infrastructure coordination. The proposal outlines potential updates such as a veNFT-based locking system, infrastructure markets for node coordination, and rebalanced emissions designed to create sustainable, market-driven incentives across the network.

Learn more about the current network design in the SYND Token Litepaper and the proposed changes in the SYND 2.0 blog post.

Looking Back: Epoch 0

Epoch 0 established the core staking system for the Syndicate Network. During that phase, 100% of emissions went to the Base Pool, rewarding stakers pro rata while we established the system’s reliability and prepared for appchain staking to launch.

Those Epoch 0 rewards—the Base Pool emissions—will be distributed at the start of Epoch 1. With that, the bootstrapping phase closes, and the next chapter begins.

What to Expect in Epoch 1

Governance for the Syndicate Network Collective DUNA should go live on or around November 3, marking the start of formal governance for the network. During Epoch 1, proposals can be submitted, and voting will take place using unstaked SYND on Ethereum Mainnet.

Support for voting with staked tokens on Commons Chain is expected to go live in the following epoch. This means that to participate in the upcoming SYND 2.0 proposal expected in November, stakers will need to unstake before the impending epoch flip (and subsequently bridge to Mainnet).

Epoch 1 runs for 30 days—from October 30 at 23:00 UTC through November 30 at 23:00 UTC—with the same emission rate of 1,666,666.67 SYND. This epoch maintains Base Pool staking only, while laying the groundwork for the network’s next phase.

The next phase of staking introduces appchain voting and the Performance and Appchain Pools. These features are currently undergoing final security audits, expected to complete shortly after Epoch 1 begins. The UI is live, and once audits are finalized, SYND holders should be able to vote for appchains they want to support during Epoch 2 (December).

That means Epoch 1 rewards will again flow entirely to the Base Pool, but stakers will gain the ability to direct emissions toward appchains such as Clankermon, Stadium, Commons, and more coming soon. This gives stakers nearly the full epoch to review, explore, and vote before the new pools activate in Epoch 2.

The Current Staking Schedule

Epoch 0 (October): Base Pool staking only. No directed staking available.
Epoch 1 (November): Base Pool staking continues. Directed staking opens for Epoch 2.
Epoch 2 (December): Directed staking goes live with emissions from the Performance Pool and Appchain Pools.
Epoch 3 (January): SYND 2.0 upgrades potentially integrated (pending SNC governance approval).

How the Full Staking Design Currently Works

Staking runs in thirty-day epochs. Before an epoch begins, stakers can bridge SYND to Commons Chain via bridge.syndicate.io and deposit it into the staking contract at commons.syndicate.io. Appchain stake votes—once appchain staking is live—can be set or adjusted before each epoch starts, then remain locked until it ends. If a staker initiates an unstake, tokens stay locked until the epoch closes, after which both principal and rewards become available.

At the start of every epoch, emissions are minted on Ethereum Mainnet, bridged through Base, and deposited to Commons Chain. From there, they flow into a three-pool structure:

Base Pool (30%) rewards all stakers, proportional to stake size and duration.
Performance Pool (30%) mirrors emissions earned by the appchains a staker has backed.
Appchain Pool (40%) flows directly to appchains, based on stake directed toward them and the fees they generate.

Over time, this model will evolve into a self-sustaining economy powered by usage and transaction fees rather than emissions—aligning incentives across stakers, builders, and users.

Stake Today

Epoch 1 represents the bridge between bootstrapping and full participation. It keeps rewards flowing to early stakers while introducing the framework for voting and appchain-level rewards that will define the network’s next phase.

By staking during Epoch 1, you strengthen the foundation for what’s ahead. You’ll continue earning Base Pool rewards while preparing to guide emissions and support specific appchains in Epoch 2.

Epoch 1 is live. Bridge your SYND at bridge.syndicate.io and stake on Commons Chain at commons.syndicate.io.

Commons Chain Staking: Epoch 1 Is Live