Learn
Nimiq, explained without the hype
We run a Nimiq validator, so these guides are written from the operator side: what the protocol actually does, what the wallet actually shows you, and what the chain says when you go and look. No price talk, no advice, no numbers we cannot point at a source for. Every page carries the date it was last checked.
Start here
- 01 How to create a Nimiq wallet: Nimiq Pay, Nimiq Wallet, and Keyguard
- 02 What is Nimiq? The browser-first blockchain, explained simply
- 03 How to stake NIM: the complete guide
- 04 Choosing a Nimiq validator: fees, reliability, and what 0% really means
When you need to get back out, unstake or fix a stake that is not working: unstake NIM and the mistakes we see as operators. Then put it to work on the live chain: compare every validator, follow the money through NimMap, or look up a block or a transaction in the explorer.
Nimiq basics
What the chain is, how it reaches consensus, and what NIM does.
- What is Nimiq? The browser-first blockchain, explained simply Nimiq is an open source, browser based layer 1 blockchain for payments, secured by the Albatross proof of stake protocol. Updated
- Nimiq vs Bitcoin and Ethereum: what actually differs A sourced comparison of consensus, ledger model, where a node can run, finality and the cost of participating, and a correction of the claim that Albatross mixes proof of work with proof of stake. Updated
- How Nimiq Albatross proof-of-stake works: validators, epochs, finality Albatross from the node software's own constants: micro blocks and batches, the macro block vote that gives finality, 720 batch epochs, 512 slots, validator states and punishments. Updated
- NIM tokenomics: supply, emission, and what changed at proof of stake NIM's 21 billion cap, the asymptotic emission curve read from the node software, the Luna unit, and what the proof of stake migration changed about who receives newly issued NIM. Updated
- Is Nimiq still active? What the chain shows in 2026 Block height, epoch, validator counts, staker count and total stake, all read from our own Nimiq node on 14 September 2026, plus the dated public record of development. Updated
Wallet and Nimiq Pay
Getting an account, keeping it safe, and paying with it.
- How to create a Nimiq wallet: Nimiq Pay, Nimiq Wallet, and Keyguard Nimiq Pay, the Nimiq Wallet and Keyguard are layers of one system rather than rival wallets: where an account is made, what holds the keys, and what to do first after making one. Updated
- Nimiq Pay explained: the self-custodial payments app What Nimiq Pay is, what self custody means when the key is on your phone, how it relates to wallet.nimiq.com and Keyguard, and why its supported asset list is a moving target. Updated
- Nimiq backups compared: recovery words, login file, and backup codes Three ways to restore a Nimiq account, compared by the failure each one guards against: what to store, where to never store it, and what losing each of them actually costs. Updated
- Mini apps in Nimiq Pay: what they are and how they work Mini apps are web apps running inside Nimiq Pay: what the wallet keeps, the ten methods the SDK exposes, what mini apps cannot do, and how to judge one before you open it. Updated
Staking
Delegating NIM, picking a validator, and getting it back out.
- How to stake NIM: the complete guide Staking NIM is on chain delegation from your own account: what it is, where to do it, what the minimum really is, and how to choose a validator. Updated
- How to unstake NIM: deactivate, retire, withdraw Unstaking NIM is three protocol steps rather than one withdrawal: what each step does, what sets the waiting time, and how the staker path differs from a validator exit. Updated
- Choosing a Nimiq validator: fees, reliability, and what 0% really means A validator's fee is its cut of the rewards it distributes, and it only counts if the validator is elected and online: how to read states, uptime, payout policy and stake concentration. Updated
- Where Nimiq staking rewards come from Staking rewards are newly issued NIM plus transaction fees, paid to the validator's reward address every batch and passed to stakers off chain under the validator's own policy. Updated
- Nimiq staking mistakes we see as operators Eight ways a NIM stake quietly does nothing, each with the protocol rule that causes it and the check on chain that catches it, including the unelected validator and the lock on changing one. Updated
- In-Pay staking: staking NIM from inside Nimiq Pay Staking NIM from the Nimiq Pay app: the same staking contract and the same protocol rules, the wallet provider underneath it, what the native approval guarantees, and when the browser wallet is the better tool. Updated
Infrastructure
Running a validator, and reading the chain the way an operator does.
- How to run a Nimiq validator: requirements and a reality check The 100,000 NIM deposit, the keys with no recovery path, the uptime obligation and the odds of being elected, plus the three step exit, written by people running a validator that is not elected. Updated
- Reading the Nimiq chain: blocks, batches, and epochs How to read a live Nimiq chain: micro blocks about a second apart, the 60 block batch closed by a macro block where finality happens, and the 720 batch epoch closed by an election block. Updated
Ecosystem and trust
Who builds on Nimiq, and how we run our own node.
- Why we run ImpactZero at 0% fee We run the ImpactZero validator at a 0% fee because our other work pays for the node: what we run, what it is part of, where it stands on chain today, and what 0% does not promise. Updated
- The Nimiq ecosystem in 2026: wallets, mini apps, and tools A dated snapshot of the Nimiq ecosystem: the browser wallet, Nimiq Pay and the mini apps inside it, plus explorers, validator dashboards and community tools, and who maintains what. Updated
- Nimiq glossary: 40 terms in plain language A plain language glossary of the terms you meet using Nimiq: validator, staker, batch, epoch, macro block, slot, jail, Keyguard and more, each with a one line definition and a link to the full guide. Updated
Tools and case studies
Our tools, and real traces from the chain itself.
- How to use NimMap: read any Nimiq transaction as a graph NimMap draws any Nimiq address as a graph of who paid whom: how to search it, what the edge colours and the depth control mean, and a dated trace read end to end. Updated
- Case study: the journey of a NIM stake, traced on chain One real stake on our own wallet followed end to end, with block heights, timestamps and hashes: the unstaking wait, the delegation, and what the staker record shows today. Updated
- Case study: Nimiq staking in numbers (2026) Validators, stakers, total stake, concentration, fees and payout types on Nimiq, measured from live chain data on 14 September 2026 with the denominator named on every figure. Updated
Guides are published one at a time, after every factual claim in them has been checked against official Nimiq documentation or against live chain data from our own nodes. Found an error? [email protected].