Selecting a Baker/Validator

Becoming a baker or a delegate on Tezos is a great way to contribute to the ecosystem while earning some profits. Baking (also called staking) enables you to earn up to 5.5% APY just by holding XTZ.

Self-baking lets a baker earn a higher yield but requires technical expertise and time to set up a baker node and run the baking software reliably with as little downtime as possible. By delegating Tezos tokens, a token holder avoids this process altogether but usually earns a lower yield. In the current protocol, token holders with less than 6,000 Tez can only bake by delegating to another baker.

Delegation is when you delegate your staking/baking rights to another person (the baker) rather than setting your Tezos node. It's a pretty helpful feature as it allows you to participate in staking and receive Tezos staking rewards without the necessity of maintaining a node.

Learn how to delegate here: https://opentezos.com/contribute/baker/#how-to-delegate