Guides

Solana Staking Withdrawal: How to Unstake and Access Your SOL

Know how to withdraw staked SOL before you need it: this guide explains the unstake steps on the three most popular wallets and what timing to expect.

Estimated Read Time: 6 minutes

Whether you're looking to reposition capital, take profits, or simply access your staked SOL, understanding the withdrawal process is crucial for any Solana staker. This comprehensive guide walks you through the exact steps for unstaking across the three most popular wallet platforms, explains timing expectations, and covers troubleshooting for common issues.

What You'll Learn:

Understanding Solana Staking Withdrawals
How to Unstake Across Major Wallets
The Withdrawal Timeline Explained
How Liquid Staking Changes Withdrawals

Understanding Solana Staking Withdrawals

A Solana staking withdrawal is actually a two-step process: unstaking (deactivating your delegation) followed by withdrawing your SOL back to your available balance. Unlike some networks where these happen instantly, Solana's proof-of-stake system operates on epochs, roughly 2-3 day periods that determine when stake status changes occur.

The withdrawal process exists for three key reasons:

Network security: The cool-down period prevents sudden mass withdrawals that could destabilize validator operations and network consensus.
Epoch alignment: All stake changes must align with Solana's epoch boundaries, ensuring orderly network participation and reward distribution.
Validator planning: The delay allows validators to plan for changes in their delegated stake and maintain consistent operations.

Important: Withdrawals are not instant. After unstaking, you must wait for the current epoch to complete (typically 1-3 days) before your SOL becomes available for withdrawal.

Step-by-Step Withdrawal Process for Major Wallets

General Process Overview

Regardless of which wallet you use, the withdrawal process follows the same basic pattern:

Initiate undelegation (unstaking): Your stake stops earning rewards immediately
Wait for the cool-down period: Your stake remains locked until the current epoch completes
Withdraw SOL to your main wallet: Manually transfer the deactivated stake to the available balance

Phantom Wallet Withdrawal

Phantom makes the unstaking process straightforward through their mobile and desktop applications.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Open the Phantom app and ensure you're on the Home tab.
Navigate to the Solana section. In the Tokens section, select Solana.
Access your stakes by scrolling down to the Your Stake section.
Select Stake Account and choose the validator or staking account you want to unstake from.
Initiate unstaking by selecting the Unstake button and confirming the transaction
Wait for the cool-down period by monitoring your stake status as it changes from "Deactivating" to "Inactive".
Once inactive, use the withdraw function to move SOL to your available balance.

Important Phantom Notes:

Ensure you have at least 0.05 SOL available for gas fees; otherwise, your transaction will fail.
Your stake will show as "Deactivating" during the cool-down period.
You cannot earn rewards while in the deactivating status.

Solflare Wallet Withdrawal

Solflare offers both standard unstaking and an "instant unstake" option for users who need immediate access.

Standard Unstaking Process:

Access the staking menu by opening Solflare and navigating to Portfolio → Solana → Staking.
Select the active stake account you wish to unstake from.
Initiate unstaking by clicking Unstake and confirming the transaction.
Monitor progress and wait approximately 20 network confirmations for unstaking status update.
Track the epoch progress by checking the estimated Time to Unstake by clicking on your Unstaking account.
Withdraw funds when the epoch completes by clicking Withdraw to move SOL to your main balance.

Instant Unstake Option (Available on Solflare):

Toggle Instant Unstake ON during step three.
Pay a fee of 0.5% to 3% depending on available liquidity.
Access your SOL immediately without waiting for epoch completion.
Use this option when you need urgent liquidity despite the additional cost.

Partial Unstaking on Solflare:

Use the Split feature (three dots menu) to withdraw only a portion of your stake.
Create a new stake account with your desired withdrawal amount.
Unstake only the split portion while keeping the remainder actively staked.

Ledger Device Withdrawal

Ledger users stake and unstake through Ledger Live, with transactions confirmed on their hardware device.

Unstaking Process:

Open Ledger Live and connect your Ledger device to the Solana app running.
Navigate to Account, then go to the Accounts tab and select your Solana account.
In the Delegations section, locate your active stake.
Initiate deactivation by clicking Manage → Deactivate next to your delegated balance.
Click Continue and approve the Deactivate Stake transaction on your Ledger device.
Monitor your status. Your delegation status will change to Deactivating.
Wait for completion. Allow 3-4 days for the balance to become Inactive.

Withdrawing from Ledger:

Access your inactive balance by navigating to your inactive stake account.
Select Manage → Withdraw.
Specify the SOL amount you want to withdraw and click Continue.
Confirm the transaction on your Ledger device.
Complete the transfer, and your SOL will be credited to your available balance.

Ledger-Specific Requirements:

Keep at least 0.01 SOL in your available balance to cover withdrawal transaction fees.
If you get "insufficient funds" errors, send additional SOL to cover gas costs.
Ensure you're using the Solana app version 1.2.0 or above for staking features.

Visual Guide to the Withdrawal Timeline

Understanding the withdrawal timeline helps set proper expectations for accessing your funds:

Initiate Unstaking → Cool-Down Period (Epoch-Based) → Available for Withdrawal

Stage	Duration	Status	Earning Rewards	Action Required
Active Stake	Ongoing	Active	Yes	Monitor performance
Unstaking Initiated	Instant	Deactivating	No	Wait for epoch end
Cool-Down Period	1-3 days	Deactivating	No	Monitor progress
Available	Indefinite	Inactive	No	Manual withdrawal

Key Timing Factors:

If you unstake early in an epoch, you may wait closer to three days.
If you unstake near the end of the epoch, the wait could be as short as several hours.
Network upgrades or issues can occasionally extend the epoch duration.

The Simplicity of Liquid Staking Withdrawals

While native staking requires patience during the withdrawal process, liquid staking eliminates waiting periods entirely.

How Liquid Staking Changes Withdrawals

Immediate Access: Liquid staking tokens (LSTs) like rkSOL, JitoSOL, or mSOL can be traded instantly on decentralized exchanges. No Epoch Dependency: LST holders bypass the epoch-based cool-down system completely. DeFi Integration: Use staked positions as collateral in lending protocols while maintaining staking rewards. Flexible Liquidity: Convert between staked and unstaked positions at market rates anytime.

Liquid vs Native Withdrawal Comparison

Feature	Native Staking	Liquid Staking (LSTs)
Withdrawal time	2-3 days	Instant
Process complexity	2-step process	Single transaction
Fees	Network fees only	Market spread (0.1-0.5%)
Liquidity access	After cool-down	Immediate
DeFi compatibility	No	Yes

When to Consider Liquid Staking:

You need regular access to your staked capital
You want to use staked SOL in DeFi applications
You prefer avoiding the epoch-based withdrawal timing
You value capital efficiency over direct validator control

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to wait after unstaking?

The wait time depends on when you unstake within the current epoch. If you unstake early in an epoch, you may wait up to 2-3 days. If you unstake near the end of the epoch, the wait could be just a few hours. Most withdrawals are complete within 1-3 days of initiating unstaking.

Can I cancel a withdrawal once started?

No, once you initiate unstaking, the process cannot be reversed. Your stake will complete the deactivation process and stop earning rewards immediately. However, you can always re-stake your SOL after withdrawal if you change your mind.

Is there a fee for withdrawing SOL?

Yes, you'll pay standard Solana network fees (approximately 0.000005 SOL per transaction). This covers the computational cost of processing your unstaking and withdrawal transactions. Some wallets may also charge small service fees.

Can I withdraw partial stakes?

Phantom: You must unstake entire stake accounts, but you can create multiple stake accounts initially

Solflare: Offers a "Split" feature to partially unstake from larger positions. You can withdraw partial amounts from inactive stake accounts

What happens if I don't withdraw after unstaking?

Your deactivated stake will remain in your wallet indefinitely until you manually withdraw it. It won't earn rewards while inactive, but it also won't disappear. You can withdraw it whenever you're ready.

Putting It All Together: Unlocking Your SOL with Confidence

Solana's withdrawal process is straightforward once you understand the epoch-based timing system. While the 2-3 day cool-down period requires planning, the process itself is simple across all major wallet platforms. For users who need immediate access to their staked value, liquid staking provides instant liquidity without compromising earning potential.

The key is choosing the right approach for your needs: native staking for direct validator control and maximum security, or liquid staking for capital flexibility and DeFi integration.

Ready to optimize your Solana staking strategy? Explore Starke Finance's validator services for 0% commission native staking, or try rkSOL for instant liquidity while maintaining competitive staking yields. Our institutional-grade infrastructure offers 100% uptime with SOC2 and ISO certified security.

Start Staking with Starke Finance

Sources

Contributors

Ana CabaleiroFinancial Analyst