Polkadot has introduced Referendum 1890, a mandatory on-chain change that requires validators to lock 10,000 DOT of their own funds as self-stake. According to the team, this change serves as a mandatory prerequisite for the next phase of Polkadot's staking redesign. As reported by the team, OpenGov currently shows 100% Aye support for the referendum, with enactment targeted for May 31. The team warned that non-compliant validators will face significant risk of being chilled from the network. According to Polkadot's official X account, the referendum proposes that every validator must "lock a minimum of 10,000 DOT of their funds as self-stake."
Once enacted, the changes will significantly improve staking participation by making nominators unslashable and reducing the unbonding period from 28 days to 24-48 hours. According to the team, by mid-June, the network will add rewards for validators in unlocked DOT tied to their self-stake. After the issuance buffer starts funding stablecoin payouts, these DOT rewards will be subject to a one-year vesting period. The redesign will also see stablecoins handle operational expenses, leading to the phasing out of the commission model as it no longer serves a purpose. As one Polkadot ecosystem commentator noted, the new system "eliminates the risk of slashing for nominators and reduces unbonding from 28 days to just 24–48 hours," which they argue means "more security, immediate liquidity, and a much stronger network."
The reasoning behind the change is straightforward - validators directly shoulder slashing risk through substantial self-bond exposure, while nominators can continue earning staking rewards without risking their principal to slashing. As reported by the team, if enacted, Polkadot staking would remove its two largest barriers to participation: Lower risk and faster exits. The heavy lifting remains ahead, as validators must actually post the 10,000 DOT before May 31 to avoid being chilled from the network. Under the proposal, any validator that misbehaves or goes offline would first lose its own 10,000+ DOT bond instead of immediately burning the funds of many small stakers. Only teams willing to invest significantly would be able to run validators on the network, as today many validators rely heavily on nominator capital.
The reform would unlock much faster exits for anyone who stakes DOT, addressing a key concern for retail participants. Today, Polkadot's unbonding period sits at about 28 days, and official guides warn users they must wait nearly a month before withdrawn DOT becomes transferable. By contrast, the new design targets unbonding times of roughly 24 to 48 hours, which would push staking liquidity closer to what traders expect in modern DeFi. If OpenGov approves Referendum 1890, Polkadot's staking model would remove two major barriers to entry at once: slashing risk for retail nominators and long exit times. Lower risk and quicker unbonding could draw in DOT holders who stayed on the sidelines because they did not want funds locked for weeks or tied to a validator's mistakes.
