Unlock & Penalty Mechanics

Last updated: Mar 30, 2026

This page explains how rewards unlock and how early exit penalties are calculated.

Unlocking Rewards

Rewards unlock after the full 12-month program period.
Unlock occurs once the program ends.
Rewards unlock linearly over 3 months after the program ends.

Unstaking SNX

After staking SNX you may unstake at any time, but there may be a penalty on your SNX rewards and there is a 7-day cooldown.

Early Exit Penalty

If you unstake before the program ends:

Penalty applies to earned rewards only
Principal SNX is never penalized
Penalty decreases linearly over time:
- Day 1: 100%
- End of program: 0%

Penalty is calculated at the time of exit.

Early Exit Penalty Example

Assumptions: 100 SNX staked, ~50% APY (≈50 SNX rewards over the full program).

Unstaking at 3 months (25% through program):

Rewards earned: 12.5 SNX
Penalty: 75% → 9.38 SNX forfeited
Net rewards: 3.13 SNX
Total received: 100 SNX + 3.13 SNX = 103.13 SNX

Unstaking at 9 months (75% through program):

Rewards earned: 37.5 SNX
Penalty: 25% → 9.38 SNX forfeited
Net rewards: 28.13 SNX
Total received: 100 SNX + 28.13 SNX = 128.13 SNX

Repaying 35% of your Debt to Unstake

If you stake SNX and have debt, you can either participate in Debt Jubilee to burn your debt, or pay 35% of your debt to unstake your SNX. The 35% path is a manual Support process, see Repaying 35% of your Debt to Unstake for eligibility and how to start.

sUSD Stakers

Staked sUSD is locked until April 19, 2026 and no early withdrawal is available.