Ordinary users with any amount of TRX in their wallets can participate in selecting Super Representatives and Super Partners who validate transactions and confirm blocks. Voting is done using Tron Power, which is generated by freezing TRX for Bandwidth or Energy. The TRON blockchain operates on a resource-based transaction model, distinguishing it from Ethereum's auction-based transaction model.
Bandwidth and Energy
To start earning from staking and voting, free TRX balance needs to be frozen on the address. In the TRON blockchain, this can be done in two ways: for Bandwidth and for Energy.
Bandwidth
When a new wallet is created and the address is activated, the network allocates 600 units of Bandwidth, sufficient for approximately 1-2 TRX or TRC10 token transactions. This resource is used for all actions on the TRON network: sending TRX, TRC10 and TRC20 tokens, freezing, unfreezing, and voting. This resource is finite and depletes as transactions are made.
However, this resource is replenishable. Every day, 600 units of free Bandwidth are automatically generated for the address. To increase this resource, TRX must be frozen for Bandwidth. Each additional TRX coin frozen for Bandwidth provides ~1.08 Bandwidth units in addition to the free ones provided by the network.
Energy
This resource is used in the TRON network for executing smart contracts, such as USDT TRC20. Energy is replenished but, unlike Bandwidth, is not provided for free. It is replenished either by burning TRX at the rate of 420 Sun or 0.00042 TRX per unit of Energy (1 TRX = 1,000,000 Sun) or by freezing TRX for Energy. Each additional TRX coin frozen for Energy provides ~13.86 Energy.
However, each burned TRX coin compensates for ~2380.95 Energy, without needing to freeze TRX. A single USDT TRC20 transaction consumes ~32000 to ~65000 Energy, meaning compensating for this requires burning about 14-36 TRX or freezing around 4689 TRX for Energy. Energy spent from frozen TRX will be automatically replenished within a day, provided the TRX remains frozen for Energy.
If there is insufficient Bandwidth and Energy for a free transaction or these resources are entirely absent, sending any transactions will result in TRX being burned. A resource calculator can be found on the TRON blockchain explorer.
Tron Power and Votes
Tron Power, resulting from freezing TRX, represents the number of votes that can be cast for a specific Super Representative (SR), Super Partner (SRP), or Super Representative candidate, allowing participation in voting. Voters receive rewards in TRX for voting for SRs and SRPs.
Currently, the term “Tron Power” appears only in the TRON blockchain technical documentation, denoting the number of available votes. The more votes cast for a Super Representative, the higher the percentage of rewards the voter can expect.
The size of rewards does not depend on which resource the TRX was frozen for. The yield depends solely on the Super Representative for whom the votes are cast, specifically the stable block generation process, total votes, brokerage percentage, etc.
It is important to note that when TRX is frozen, it does not leave the owner's address, a significant advantage of TRON compared to other Delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) blockchains where the stake is sent directly to the validator.
There is no mandatory TRX freezing period, but unfreezing takes 14 days regardless of the resource for which it was applied. This means that after unfreezing TRX, the owner will be unable to use it for transactions for 14 days. After this period, TRX can be withdrawn to the address and used at any time.