Introduction

Unstaking from the Aave Safety Module allows holder of staked tokens (stkAAVE, stkGHO, and stkABPT) on the Ethereum network to withdraw the underlying tokens. The process involves a mandatory cooldown period, which must be completed before tokens can be unstaked. Participants earn Safety Incentives during their staking period, which can be claimed at any time—either while staking or after unstaking.

The unstaking process can be performed through protocol smart contracts or through a frontend such as Aave Labs interface, by performing the following steps:

Step 1: Connect Wallet

To begin, press ‘Connect Wallet’ and select the Ethereum wallet provider corresponding to the wallet holding the staked tokens intended to be unstaked from the Safety Module.

Step 2: Navigate to Staking Page

Once connected, navigate to the 'Stake' tab where you can find the balances of staked tokens and buttons to performing the unstaking process.

Step 3: Activate the Cooldown Period

To unstake your tokens, you must first activate the cooldown period. This requires a transaction in the connected wallet. The cooldown period lasts 20 days, during which you cannot unstake your tokens.

Step 4: Unstake After the Cooldown Period

After the cooldown period completes, you have a 2-day window to unstake your tokens. If you do not unstake within this window, you will need to activate the cooldown period again and wait another 20 days.

This unstake transaction moves underyling tokens from the Safety Module and will be available in the connected wallet once the transaction is confirmed.

Claiming Incentives

Safety Incentives can be claimed at any time—either while your staking position is active or after you've unstaked your tokens. Incentives can be claimed from the 'Stake' tab, which displays pending rewards and will be sent to your connected wallet upon claiming.

Actions Affecting Cooldown Period

The cooldown period is influenced by various actions involving staked tokens. The following outlines how these actions affect the cooldown period:

• Staking Additional Tokens: Staking additional tokens during an active cooldown does not affect the ongoing cooldown period. The newly staked tokens will not be eligible for unstaking until a new cooldown period is initiated and completed for those tokens.

• Unstaking Tokens: After the cooldown period has elapsed, only the amount of tokens that were staked and in cooldown can be unstaked. Unstaking resets the cooldown period to zero for the unstaked amount, requiring a new cooldown to be activated for any remaining staked tokens.

• Claiming Safety Incentives: Claiming safety incentives does not affect the cooldown period. The cooldown period continues unaffected regardless of safety incentive claims.

• Transferring Staked Tokens: The sender's cooldown remains unaffected by the transfer. For the recipient, the cooldown status is independent and must be initiated or continued based on their own cooldown status. Transferred tokens will not automatically inherit the cooldown period of the sender.