> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.celo.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Staking

> Lock CELO to vote in validator elections and governance, back a community RPC provider, and earn epoch rewards

This section is for CELO holders who want to stake, and for operators who manage a validator group or community RPC node. Locked CELO powers three things at once: votes in validator elections, votes on [governance proposals](/learn/protocol/governance/overview), and the stake behind registered validators and groups.

> [!NOTE]
>
> **Terminology**
>
> The term "validator" is used in the code and corresponding explanation due to historical reasons, but refers to the community RPC providers.

> **[Locked CELO](/learn/protocol/staking/locked-celo)**
>
> How locking works, the unlocking period, and the lock-vote-activate flow

> **[Validator elections](/learn/protocol/staking/validator-elections)**
>
> How the election selects the active set each epoch, and how voting caps work

> **[Validator groups](/learn/protocol/staking/validator-groups)**
>
> The intermediaries between voters and validators, membership, and the group commission

> **[Voting for validator groups](/learn/protocol/staking/voting)**
>
> How to choose a group and where to browse candidates

> **[Key management](/learn/protocol/staking/key-management/summary)**
>
> Account roles and authorized signers for staking safely

## Related

* [How community RPC elections work](/contribute/community-rpc-nodes/how-it-works) - the role elections play after the L2 migration
* [Epoch rewards](/learn/protocol/epoch-rewards/index) - what voters and providers earn each epoch
* [About Celo L1](/learn/celo-l1) - the proof-of-stake consensus these mechanisms originally secured


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