Unstaking Basics

Clear’s Delayed Unstake Process

When you unstake SOL using Clear, the timing within an epoch determines when you’ll receive your SOL.

Key Points:

• The timing of your unstake request affects when you’ll get your SOL back
• Each epoch has specific phases that influence the delayed unstake timeline
• Initiating an unstake early in an epoch generally results in faster return of your SOL (including accural)
• The first epoch you unstake is for clearing the Liquid Staking Token (LST) based on Marinade 
• The second epoch waits for settled BVL

The unstaking process follows a predictable schedule based on when your request is submitted relative to the current epoch’s progress.

Key Epoch Phases

Each epoch on the Solana blockchain lasts approximately two days and can be divided into three important periods:

• Beginning of the Epoch
  The first few minutes or hours after the epoch starts.
• Mid-Epoch
  The main part of the epoch where staking and unstaking occur.
• Last Hours of the Epoch
  The final four hours before the epoch ends.