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.. _running-a-node:
Stakers and Workers
===================
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NuCypher staking operations are divided into two roles - “Staker” and “Worker”.
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The Staker can be thought of as a fiduciary administrator that holds NU and collects rewards.
The Worker is bonded to a Staker and performs work on behalf of the Staker.
Staker Overview
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A nucypher staker is a holder of NU and manager of one or more stakes. NU is an ERC-20 token that underpins the network. Stakes are initiated by locking NU into
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the *"Staking Escrow "* contract for a fixed duration of time. Staked NU earns two income streams: inflation
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rewards (NU) and policy fees (ETH). Staked NU gradually unlocks with each period of completed,
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depending on *re-stake* and *wind-down* configuration options.
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Active network participation (work) is delegated to a *Worker* node through *bonding* .
There is a 1:1 relationship between the roles; One Staker to one Worker. A Staker controls a single Ethereum
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account and may have multiple substakes, but only ever has one Worker bonded at a time. To ensure the integrity of the network and its service quality,
staked NU can be :ref: `slashed <slashing-protocol>` due to misbehaviour, deliberate or unintentional, by the
corresponding worker.
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Worker Overview
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*Worker* - (aka "Ursula") Active network participant who carries out threshold cryptography operations.
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The Worker is the bonded delegate of a Staker and an active network node, performing work on behalf of a staker.
Workers must remain online to provide uninterrupted services on-demand, signalling their availability with
commitment transactions.
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Staker and Worker Delegation
-----------------------------
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There are several strategies for running and maintaining a stake:
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* Delegate custody of NU and work to a third-party custodian (Staker Delegation).
* Delegate work via a staking pool or `Node-as-a-Service provider <https://github.com/nucypher/validator-profiles> `_ (Worker Delegation).
* Control the staker yourself and run your own worker (Self Directed).
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Here is a simple heuristic to help decide on a course of action:
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.. image :: ../.static/img/running_a_node_decision.svg
:target: ../.static/img/running_a_node_decision.svg
