House of Stake Rewards Live: Lock NEAR, Receive Governance Rewards

With the passage of HSP-003 (veNEAR lockup incentives), we have prepared and are now implementing a substantial early adopter rewards rate.

For the first month, early participants locking NEAR or compatible LSTs will receive participation rewards that may be higher than standard staking returns, depending on participation and program parameters.

What is veNEAR?

veNEAR is a voting token you receive for locking your NEAR in the House of Stake protocol. When you lock NEAR, you receive veNEAR, which grants you:

• Governance rewards — in addition to standard protocol-level staking rewards, varying based on participation and program parameters
• Real governance power over House of Stake decisions
• Direct alignment with NEAR's long-term success

How Locking Works

When you first enable House of Stake using your NEAR account, the veNEAR contract deploys a sub-account on your behalf. This .venear.dao account can accept your transferred NEAR (and transfer out locked NEAR), lock your NEAR, and stake NEAR that the account's contract has locked. The NEAR locked to this sub-account directly provides veNEAR to your main account, and that veNEAR grows over time—see previous announcements and the original proposal for more details.

Claiming Your Rewards

Every two weeks marks a "reward campaign period" for veNEAR. At the end of each two weeks you receive rewards proportional to the amount of NEAR locked (adjusted to however long within that period you had it locked for, assuming it wasn't already locked when the campaign period began).

You don't have to claim your rewards at each two week mark—they'll still be available to you at the end of the next claim period—but they do not automatically distribute to your account. When claimed, veNEAR rewards distribute NEAR to the veNEAR lockup contract corresponding to your main account. You can then transfer that NEAR out of the subaccount, or lock it to receive more veNEAR.

How Large are My Rewards?

For this first month, veNEAR rewards are modeled to be materially higher than standard staking returns (reaching approximately ~7.5% annualized), depending on participation and program parameters. Your veNEAR subaccount can also stake locked tokens, meaning that locking up your NEAR during this time can generate materially higher participation incentives than staking alone, depending on program parameters!

The Launch Window

This initial rewards rate will only last this first month, and will likely be adjusted down for the months after. Early participation means joining from the beginning of the program's active reward period.

Your Seat at the Table

House of Stake isn't just about rewards, though: it's the foundation for a new era of NEAR governance.

The protocols that thrive long-term are the ones shaped by committed participants, not passive holders or short-term speculators. veNEAR puts real decision-making power in the hands of people with skin in the game. By locking now, you're not just receiving governance rewards, but claiming your voice in how NEAR evolves.

This is your opportunity to help shape the future of one of the most technically ambitious ecosystems in the entire crypto space. The decisions made in House of Stake governance will eventually influence protocol development, ecosystem funding, and the strategic direction of NEAR itself; but we can't get there without your support and participation!

Get Started

Lock your NEAR now at gov.houseofstake.org.

Come build with us!