> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.celo.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Staking

> Lock CELO to vote in validator elections and governance, back a community RPC provider, and earn epoch rewards

This section is for CELO holders who want to stake, and for operators who manage a validator group or community RPC node. Locked CELO powers three things at once: votes in validator elections, votes on [governance proposals](/home/protocol/governance/overview), and the stake behind registered validators and groups.

<Note>
  **Terminology**

  The term "validator" is used in the code and corresponding explanation due to historical reasons, but refers to the community RPC providers.
</Note>

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Locked CELO" href="/home/protocol/staking/locked-celo">
    How locking works, the unlocking period, and the lock-vote-activate flow
  </Card>

  <Card title="Validator elections" href="/home/protocol/staking/validator-elections">
    How the election selects the active set each epoch, and how voting caps work
  </Card>

  <Card title="Validator groups" href="/home/protocol/staking/validator-groups">
    The intermediaries between voters and validators, membership, and the group commission
  </Card>

  <Card title="Voting for validator groups" href="/home/protocol/staking/voting">
    How to choose a group and where to browse candidates
  </Card>

  <Card title="Key management" href="/home/protocol/staking/key-management/summary">
    Account roles and authorized signers for staking safely
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Related

* [How community RPC elections work](/contribute-to-celo/community-rpc-nodes/how-it-works) - the role elections play after the L2 migration
* [Epoch rewards](/home/protocol/epoch-rewards/index) - what voters and providers earn each epoch
* [About Celo L1](/home/celo-l1) - the proof-of-stake consensus these mechanisms originally secured