Risk and terms
What you are agreeing to, written so it can actually be understood before you open an account.
- Rewards are not guaranteed
- What a network pays depends on its inflation, how much is staked across it in total, and how well the validator performs. That amount varies and can fall. Sentinel pays out at a daily rate it sets per pool and reviews. That rate is not a guarantee, it can be changed, and the reserve behind it is finite. Any indicative network APR shown is an estimate of what the chain itself paid, not a commitment by Sentinel.
- What you delegate is at risk
- Delegating is not a deposit account and your starting balance is not protected. It can be reduced by slashing, or simply outweighed by fees and time if a pool underperforms. Nothing you delegate is guaranteed, implicitly or explicitly, anywhere in this service.
- Slashing risk
- Proof-of-stake networks can destroy a portion of a validator's staked tokens as a penalty for downtime or for signing conflicting blocks. If it happens to a validator Sentinel runs, the loss is shared proportionally by every delegator in that pool. We operate carefully to avoid it, but it cannot be guaranteed never to happen.
- Custodial risk
- Sentinel holds delegated assets and cash balances on your behalf; you do not hold the private keys. Your ability to withdraw depends on Sentinel continuing to operate and meet its obligations. This is a real counterparty risk, not a formality. The validator addresses we actually operate are published on the validators page, so you can verify our stake independently rather than relying on this disclosure alone.
- Deposits and withdrawals are on-chain only
- Funds move only on-chain, by sending USDT to or from an address on the network we specify, through our payment provider. Sending to the wrong network, to the wrong address, or after an issued deposit address has expired can result in an unrecoverable loss. Confirming the network and address shown before you send anything is your responsibility.
- Unbonding lock-up
- Once you exit a position, the amount you delegated is locked for that network's unbonding period, which differs by network and is shown on each pool before you delegate. During it you earn nothing, and the funds cannot be withdrawn, moved, or cancelled early, because the underlying network itself enforces the delay.
- This is not investment advice
- Nothing on this platform is a recommendation to delegate, or to choose one pool over another. Descriptions of each pool are factual, not advice. You are responsible for deciding whether delegating, and which pool, suits your own circumstances.
- Regulatory status may change
- Rules covering custodial crypto services differ by country and continue to evolve. Access to the platform, to specific pools, or to withdrawals may change if applicable regulation requires it, including with limited notice.
This page is a summary, written in plain language so it is actually readable. It is not a substitute for Sentinel’s full terms of service, which you will be asked to accept when you open an account and which govern if the two ever conflict.
For how your funds are actually held and tracked, read the transparency page, or verify the addresses we operate on the validators page. For answers to specific questions, see the FAQ.
Compare pools with this in mind
Every pool discloses its own commission, unbonding period and risk notes before you deposit anything.