How to stake GNO on Noak
A practical guide to deposit GNO into the Noak vault on Gnosis Chain via StakeWise, plus the withdrawal flow and answers to common questions.
Before you begin
Before you begin, you'll need three things: a wallet that supports Gnosis Chain (see the list at ecosystem.gnosischain.com/?tag=wallets), some xDAI to pay transaction fees, and the GNO you want to stake. Both xDAI and GNO can be acquired on most centralized exchanges, or bridged from another network via ecosystem.gnosischain.com/?tag=bridges.
How to deposit
- Connect your wallet to app.stakewise.io. MetaMask, Rabby, WalletConnect and most Gnosis Chain compatible wallets are supported.
- Open the Noak vault: app.stakewise.io/vault/gnosis/0x9f5f...fd46 (direct link).
- Verify the vault address shown in the interface:
0x9f5f127982B8a2566Cf53c375C0523f58789fd46. This is the only guarantee that you are interacting with the correct vault. - Click "Stake", enter the GNO amount and confirm the transaction in your wallet. No minimum, fractions accepted.
How to withdraw
- Return to the Noak vault page (same URL as for the deposit).
- Click "Withdraw", enter the amount and confirm the transaction in your wallet. Your request enters the protocol withdrawal queue.
- Receive your GNO once the queue is processed. If the vault has enough liquidity, the withdrawal is immediate. Otherwise, the protocol exits a validator and your GNO arrives after the protocol delay (see FAQ below).
Frequently asked questions
Is there a minimum deposit?
No. The Noak vault accepts any GNO amount, fractions included. By contrast, traditional solo staking requires 1 GNO per validator — Noak has no such constraint.
When do rewards start accruing?
Rewards start accruing as soon as your deposit is confirmed on-chain. StakeWise works with vault shares: your deposit grants you a fraction of the vault, and the value of that share automatically increases as the vault validators produce rewards. Since the Noak vault has had active validators since launch, your share starts earning its proportion of rewards immediately, without waiting for the activation of a new validator.
How long does a withdrawal take?
It depends on the vault's liquidity and the Gnosis Chain withdrawal queue at the time of your request. Typically, allow several hours to several days.
How does Noak protect against slashing?
Slashing is the risk of a validator being penalized by the chain for double-signing or extended downtime. Since launch, the Noak vault has experienced no slashing. The setup minimizes attack vectors: dedicated infrastructure (no shared cloud, no shared VM that could duplicate a node), solo operation (no multi-operator coordination errors), and protocol-native exit signatures via StakeWise. The residual risk remains theoretical and has never materialized.
What happens if Noak (the operator) goes inactive?
Your funds remain safe and accessible. StakeWise is non-custodial — Noak operates the validator infrastructure but never holds your assets. If the operator becomes inactive, the StakeWise decentralized oracle network automatically takes over to process validator exits, using exit signatures collected at validator registration. You can always withdraw your GNO via the protocol's withdrawal queue, regardless of the operator's status. Read how vaults work in the StakeWise docs →
Why pick Noak over Genesis Vault?
Three main differences (the full comparison table is on the home page): Noak charges an 8% permanent fee versus 15% for Genesis Vault — nearly half. Noak is run by a single, directly accountable operator, not a consortium of three institutional operators. And the MEV generated by Noak validators is kept 100% by stakers, while Genesis uses a smoothing pool that mutualizes rewards.
Why choose a single-operator vault?
A single-operator vault means a single point of contact, clear accountability, and direct alignment of interests. The operator cannot hide behind a team or dilute responsibility — uptime, validators and fee changes are all public and tracked on-chain. Multi-operator vaults (Genesis Vault, other StakeWise vaults) spread responsibility, which can feel safer but reduces visibility into individual decisions.
Have a question not covered here? Ask in the Noak community: Noak GNO — Community.