ROVR is still on schedule to launch their new staking model for device usage on December 15 and have now published the details about the program: https://rovr-network.gitbook.io/rovr-docs/user-guide/rovr-staking-to-device-user-guide

Key points:

  1. When the program starts you can no longer purchase devices to own.

  2. Currently the stake requirement is 300k ROVR tokens for the LC and 18k ROVR tokens for the TX. These are fixed amounts and not variable with the market pricing.

  3. The minimum staking period is 1 year. If you want to return the device early and cancel the staking, you will lose 1/12 of your staked tokens for each month before your final date.

  4. If you do not use your device for a 1 month period you will also lose 1/12 of the staked tokens.

  5. The staked tokens do not earn any yield, however all of your rewards you get from using the device are yours to keep with no lock-up period. Rewarded weekly.


Not in the document, but discussed in AMAs, is that they will deduct tokens from the staking if you return a broken device and you must return the device to get your tokens back.

From previous AMAs and discussions ROVR has said some of the main reasons to move to this model is so they can upgrade the devices as they improve the designs, and so the customer doesn’t need to purchase a new device. Additionally they will try to manage device saturation on the map and avoid providing devices to areas that have too many already.

Personally I like the concept. Obviously the big benefit is that the device could be “free” if the token value stays at, or improves, from what it was at time of staking, but even if it decreases 90% it means you essentially got a 10% discount on the device. The other benefit is that it shows ROVR isn’t trying to make money off of the hardware; they want to upgrade devices as they improve it so they can continuously improve the data they capture and the data the sell to their customers. It’s a very unique, and positive, idea in depin that I hope gets adopted by more projects.

A little alpha for here; the first batch of LCs for the staking program will be 50 devices, and target is to ship around mid January.