Axelar Wallet: Stake AXL With a 7-Day Unbonding Period

Your axelar1 address, and AXL on other networks

Your Axelar address begins with axelar1. It is derived on m/44'/118'/0'/0/0. Keplr and Leap use that same path for Axelar, so a phrase imported from either one brings over the identical address along with its delegations. Your cosmos1 and osmo1 addresses come from the same key, yet every prefix is its own account with its own balance.

AXL also exists outside its home chain. Through Axelar itself, AXL circulates as an ERC-20 token on Ethereum and other EVM networks, and as an IBC token on Cosmos chains such as Osmosis. Those versions can be traded but cannot be staked with Axelar validators. Only native AXL at an axelar1 address can be delegated.

You will also see assets with an axl prefix, such as axlUSDC, on Cosmos chains. They are tokens that Axelar moved from another network, backed by assets held by Axelar's gateway contracts. They are not the same as natively issued versions, so check which one an app or exchange expects.

How to create an Axelar wallet with Keylo

The same phrase covers every chain in Keylo, including your 0x address on EVM networks, where ERC-20 AXL would live. If you hold both kinds of AXL, Keylo shows them under different networks: native AXL under Axelar, and ERC-20 AXL under the EVM chain that holds it, as a token.

1. 1

   Open Keylo in a modern browser. It runs on phones and desktops without an install.

2. 2

   Enter your details (name, email, phone) and a password, then follow the link in Keylo's confirmation email.

3. 3

   Keylo generates a 12-word recovery phrase in your browser, encrypts it with a key derived from your password, and stores only the encrypted result.

4. 4

   Select Axelar in your asset list. The axelar1 address appears with its network label.

5. 5

   Reveal the phrase in Settings after entering your password again, and write it down on paper kept offline.

How to receive AXL

Exchanges often list AXL on more than one network. If the withdrawal page asks for a 0x address, it is offering ERC-20 AXL, which will not arrive at your axelar1 address. If you want to stake, choose the Axelar network and paste the axelar1 address; if you only want to hold ERC-20 AXL, use your EVM address instead and look for it under that network in Keylo. Already holding ERC-20 AXL and want to stake it? It has to return to the Axelar chain first, which an exchange listing both networks can handle: deposit on one, withdraw on the other.

1. 1

   Open AXL under Axelar and tap Receive.

2. 2

   Copy your axelar1 address or show its QR code.

3. 3

   Ask the exchange to withdraw native AXL on the Axelar network, not on Ethereum or another EVM chain.

4. 4

   Watch Activity. Deposits usually confirm within seconds, linked to Mintscan.

How to send AXL

A Keylo send moves native AXL within the Axelar chain; it is not a cross-chain transfer. Like other CometBFT chains, Axelar finalizes blocks immediately, so a transfer is permanent once included. Exchanges that receive AXL on a shared address need your memo to credit you; leave it out and expect a support request. Paying someone who uses Keplr or Leap works the same way; just ask for their axelar1 address specifically.

1. 1

   Tap Send on AXL under Axelar.

2. 2

   Paste an axelar1 address or scan the QR code. Keylo validates the prefix and checksum.

3. 3

   Add the exchange's memo in the Memo field when depositing to an exchange.

4. 4

   Choose how much AXL to send, or use Max.

5. 5

   Confirm after reviewing the recipient, memo, exact amount and network fee. Signing happens in your browser.

Axelar fees: chain fees vs cross-chain fees

Transactions on the Axelar chain, such as transfers, delegations and reward claims, pay a normal Cosmos fee: the gas limit times a gas price in uaxl, where 1 AXL is 1,000,000 uaxl. These fees are small, unused gas is not refunded, and Keylo shows the exact amount before you sign. None of it goes to Keylo, which charges nothing extra on normal sends.

Cross-chain transfers are a different story. When an app sends tokens or messages through Axelar, it pays for gas on the destination chain as well, usually through a gas service quoted in the source chain's token. Those costs depend on the networks involved, and they are handled by the app that builds the transfer, not by a Keylo send on the Axelar chain.

How to stake AXL

Delegated AXL stays in your own account; the validator cannot spend it, and only your signature can move it. Axelar's validators run infrastructure for many external chains, so look for operators with a long, steady record. Mintscan shows each validator's commission, voting power and recent uptime, and Axelar currently allows up to 75 active validators.

1. 1

   Open AXL under Axelar and choose staking.

2. 2

   Pick a validator. On Axelar, reliability matters doubly, because validators must also keep up with every connected chain.

3. 3

   Delegate the amount you want, leaving a little AXL for fees.

4. 4

   Check the summary and confirm. Rewards accrue from the next block.

5. 5

   Come back to claim rewards, redelegate or undelegate.

The 7-day unbonding period and slashing

Axelar has one of the shortest unbonding periods in Cosmos: 7 days. After you undelegate, your AXL earns nothing and cannot be transferred for a week, then returns to your balance automatically. That makes staking AXL far less of a lock-up than staking on chains with three- or four-week periods, though you should still keep funds you may need right away unstaked.

Redelegation is instant, but stake you redelegate cannot be redelegated again for 7 days. Under current parameters, a validator caught double-signing is slashed 2% and one that misses too many blocks 0.01% and is jailed, with delegators sharing the penalty. Spreading stake across two or three validators reduces your exposure to any one of them.

Moving AXL and axl assets to other networks

Keylo is not an Axelar bridge interface and offers no swaps or bridges for the Axelar chain, so native AXL in Keylo stays on Axelar. To sell or move it, send it to an exchange that supports native AXL on the Axelar network, including the memo. Cross-chain transfers through Axelar are made in the apps built on it. Keylo's chains page shows where you can receive the result.

Fake bridge sites are a constant risk around interoperability projects. Before using any cross-chain app, reach it from a trusted source, check the address bar carefully and never enter a recovery phrase into a bridge. Bookmark the apps you use, and remember that a legitimate bridge only asks you to sign a transaction in your wallet, never to type your words into a page.

Axelar safety tips

• Withdraw native AXL on the Axelar network if you plan to stake. ERC-20 AXL will not reach an axelar1 address.
• Treat any site that asks for your recovery phrase to complete a bridge transfer as a scam.
• Check whether an axl-prefixed token is the version an app or exchange expects before sending it.
• Include the exchange's memo on every exchange deposit.
• Use an authenticator app for two-factor codes and set a personal anti-phishing code; Keylo security shows where.
• Anyone asking for your phrase in the name of Keylo support is an impostor.

Frequently asked questions