Vaults are specialized smart contracts within Symbiotic’s ecosystem, designed to hold and manage staked assets on behalf of stakers. Each vault enforces a particular set of parameters—such as epoch duration (time intervals that govern certain operational resets, like when slashing becomes final or when withdrawals are allowed), maximum deposit limits, and the chosen delegation model.

• Staking and Delegation Models: Vaults allow stakers to deposit assets (e.g., tokens) and have these assets delegated to operators and networks. Depending on the selected delegation model, stake can be spread across multiple operators, supporting multiple networks simultaneously.

• Determining Economic Weight: When Capx Cloud’s services need to assess how much financial backing each operator commands, they query these vaults. The total staked amount and its distribution effectively measure an operator’s economic weight and credibility. Operators who secure higher stakes are not only more valuable to the network but also bear a greater financial risk, encouraging reliable and honest behavior.