The node operators can play two roles: they can create blocks and/or they can create SNARKs.

There are two groups of validators in the Mina blockchain:

• Block producers who act as miners or validators in other blockchains. Typically, block producers choose which transactions to include in the next block.
• SNARK-workers or SNARKers are network members who create zk-SNARKs to verify transactions.

To remove the trust element from the Mina network, the developers have added two important properties to SNARKs:

• Combinability. A SNARK combines the two pieces of evidence to form a merge proof.
• Associativity. All merge proofs are identical to each other and do not depend on the order in which the merge occurs.

This approach allows any user to launch a node on the Mina network or become a SNARK worker and receive rewards for their work. This sets Mina apart from other blockchains that require either expensive mining hardware or large staking amounts.

Please read our article for more details.

MINA tokens delegated with Everstake or any other validator are never locked, as Mina Protocol has no unbonding period. So, you are in full control of your tokens.

There is no slashing risk or lock-up period on Mina.

The only risk you can find in Mina is that not all validators are competent and honest with their users. They can simply disappear and stop paying rewards. 

You should always check your validator’s reputation and experience.

With more than six years in the market, Everstake has 70+ chains in its portfolio. Rewards are always on time, and we are available 24/7. So you can be sure that your cooperation with Everstake is safe and reliable. 

When staking MINA, you delegate all your funds to one block producer. 

But this option is available to you with Auro Wallet. The Multiple Accounts function enables you to share your balance between two or more addresses and stake with different validators. 

You can find more information in our detailed Auro Guide. 

All information about your transactions is available on MinaExplorer or Minascan. You need to add your public address to find out all the details of your account activity.

The amount of a reward depends, for example, on the staking pool size (the bigger the stake of your block producer, the higher the chance for a block, but the chance doesn’t mean rewards), the number of unlocked tokens, and the validator fee (depends on validator).

More details about rewards and how they accrue are available here.

To ensure consensus, there is a delay between when delegations are sent on the blockchain and when they take effect with respect to staking on the network. In other words, the staking ledger will always be between 18 to 29 days behind the live ledger.

Yes, check out these block explorers:

• Mina Explorer
• Minascan

1 billion MINA tokens will be distributed during the mainnet launch, but they will be fully unlocked only after eight years. Although the emission is unlimited, the token inflation rate will decline annually from 12% until it reaches 7%.

Mina achieves scalability with recursive zk-SNARKs. By generating proofs of validity for historic blockchain states, Mina can keep the blockchain size fixed. This allows for higher throughput due to the block size limits not being so taxing on the network, thereby increasing the scalability of the network.

ZkApps (zero knowledge apps), previously known as Snapps, are Mina’s zero knowledge smart contracts.

In short, Mina zkApps are a more scalable and private form of the dApps you find on Ethereum, and zkApps can prove through zk-SNARKs that any information they process is valid without needing to expose all pieces of the information. So in the case of smart contracts that allow trustless transactions to take place, zkApps can do this in a much more secure way because they don’t expose any unnecessary information whatsoever during their execution.

You can buy MINA on a number of popular exchanges, including the world’s top exchange in terms of trading volume Binance. Here you can check a full list of exchanges where you can buy MINA.

People are coming to crypto from a variety of industries. In order to guide newcomers through complexities, providing them with detailed information related to a blockchain, we work hard to create more educational content.

Everything you need to know about Mina Protocol:

• Mina Protocol Overview — The Features Of A New Succinct Blockchain Platform
• How are the rewards accrued in Mina Protocol?
• Staking, Unstaking, and Redelegating Mina Tokens: The Next Level of Staking Flexibility
• Mina Protocol’s Pivotal Role in Smart Contract and dApps Development