How to switch Solana validators
To switch validators, deactivate your stake, wait until it is inactive, then delegate it to the new validator. The wait is usually until the next epoch (Solana's reward period, about 2 days), sometimes longer. Your SOL stays in your stake account and you pay only tiny network fees, but the stake earns nothing for roughly an epoch.
Can I switch validators without unstaking?
Not directly. An active native stake can't jump from one validator to another. You deactivate it first, and once it's fully inactive you have two options: delegate the same stake account to the new validator, or withdraw the SOL and stake it again. Some wallets only offer the second route, which adds a transaction and creates a new stake account.
Staked through an exchange, or hold a liquid staking token (mSOL, JitoSOL and similar)? These steps don't apply: exchange staking follows the exchange's rules, and a liquid token is swapped or redeemed instead.
How do I switch, step by step?
- Pick the new validator first. Check its verdict, its inflation and MEV commission, its 90-day uptime history and its Score. How to choose a Solana validator explains what to look at.
- Deactivate the old stake. In your wallet, open the stake account, choose the regular Unstake (not Solflare's paid Instant Unstake) and approve. With a Ledger, each transaction needs approval on the device.
- Wait for the cooldown. The stake usually turns inactive by the next epoch (about 2 days), and the wallet changes "deactivating" to "inactive". How long unstaking takes covers the details and what to do if it looks stuck.
- Delegate to the new validator. Open the inactive stake account and choose the delegate option if your wallet has one. If it doesn't, withdraw the SOL to your main balance and stake it again, as in How to stake SOL.
- Wait for one more epoch change. The new stake turns active and starts earning.
- Check the new validator is voting. Its page shows whether it's online now; a Telegram alert can tell you if that changes later.
What does switching cost?
| Item | What it costs |
|---|---|
| Network fees | Two or three small transactions, a tiny amount of SOL each. Keep a little SOL in your main balance to pay them. |
| Rewards | Roughly one epoch without rewards while the stake cools down and warms up (the exact gap varies). |
| Penalty for leaving | None. Solana has no exit fee, and no slashing (a penalty some chains take from stakers) today. |
| Your SOL | Stays in your stake account the whole time. |
When is switching worth it?
Switching costs about an epoch of rewards, so it's worth it when the reason keeps repeating. Common ones:
- Repeated outages. One short outage rarely justifies moving; a pattern does. The offline-validator guide has a simple wait-or-move table.
- A fee raise you don't want to pay. Check the new rate on the validator's page and compare it with others on the validator list. A spike that dropped back is a different story: see commission rug pulls.
- The validator stopped voting for good, or you've changed your mind about its size or setup.
For a one-off blip, waiting usually costs less than moving.
How do I choose the new one?
By the same checks as the first time: inflation and MEV commission, 90-day uptime history, size and the Score. The full list lets you sort and compare. We don't pick a validator for you, and nothing on this page is a recommendation.
Can I move only part of my stake?
Often yes. Some wallets can split a stake account into two, so you deactivate and move only one part. Every stake account needs at least 1 SOL plus a small deposit, so very small stakes are better moved whole. Splitting is optional, and not every wallet offers it; if yours doesn't, move the whole stake.
Questions
Only small network fees, and there's no penalty for leaving. What you give up is about an epoch of rewards. More in what unstaking costs.
Usually a few days: the cooldown ends by the next epoch (about 2 days, sometimes longer), then the new stake needs one more epoch change before it earns.
No. Only your wallet can deactivate and move your stake; the validator has no say. If yours is having trouble, see when to wait or move.
Rewards already paid are yours. You stop earning while the stake is in between, which is usually about an epoch.