Crouton Digital – Terms of Use

Last updated: 28 November 2025

These Terms of Use (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of all products, services, tools, content, and websites operated under the Crouton Digital or Crouton Nodes brand (“Crouton Digital”).

By accessing or using any of the Services, including by delegating or staking digital assets to a Crouton Digital validator, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, you must not access or use the Services.

If you are using the Services on behalf of an organization, you represent and warrant that you are authorized to accept these Terms on that organization’s behalf and that the organization agrees to be bound by them.

You may contact Crouton Digital regarding these Terms at: [email protected]

1. Definitions

For purposes of these Terms:

• “Crouton Digital”, “we”, “us”, or “our” means the Crouton Digital project, brand, and its contributors, operators, and collaborators.
• “You” or “your” means each person or entity that accesses or uses the Services in any manner.
• “Services” means all products, services, tools, content, and websites operated by Crouton Digital under the crouton.digital domain and any subdomains, as well as any related validator, staking, and infrastructure services that we make available.
• “Digital Assets” means any cryptographic asset, cryptocurrency, token, or digital representation of value that is supported by a Supported Blockchain.
• “Supported Blockchains” means any proof-of-stake or similar protocol, network, or blockchain for which Crouton Digital operates validators or otherwise offers staking or related Services, as reflected from time to time on our websites or in other interfaces we control.
• “Wallet” or “Digital Wallet” means a software, hardware, or other device or account that holds private keys and enables you to store, send, or receive Digital Assets.
• “Rewards” means any staking rewards, block rewards, transaction fees, or other protocol-level incentives granted on a Supported Blockchain in connection with staking or delegating Digital Assets.
• “Slashing Penalty” means any protocol-level penalty mechanism (including loss or confiscation of stake or rewards) imposed by a Supported Blockchain to discourage or punish certain validator behavior.
• “External Resources” means third-party websites, services, tools, wallets, exchanges, interfaces, or content not operated or controlled by Crouton Digital.

2. Scope of Services

1. Non-custodial staking and validator services

   • Operating validator nodes on Supported Blockchains.
   • Allowing users to delegate or stake Digital Assets to those validators through their own Wallets or through third-party interfaces (e.g., explorers, wallets, staking dashboards).

2. Infrastructure and node services

   • Operating blockchain infrastructure such as full nodes, RPC endpoints, and related tools.
   • Providing infrastructure or advisory services to institutions or other professional entities (where agreed separately).

3. Restaking and related security services

   • Participation in restaking frameworks, active validation services (AVSs), security providers or similar protocols, where we may operate nodes or validators in downstream systems, subject to protocol rules.

4. Informational and educational content

   • Publishing how-to stake guides, documentation, and other educational materials.
   • Providing analytics, dashboards, or other informational tools regarding networks and staking.

5. Website and communication channels

   • Operating websites under the crouton.digital domain and any subdomains.
   • Operating social media channels, support channels, and similar communication interfaces.

We may add, change, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Services at any time, in our sole discretion, without liability to you. Where reasonably possible, we may provide notice via our website or other channels, but we are not obligated to do so.

3. Relationship to Other Documents

These Terms form part of a unified legal framework together with our Privacy Policy.

• Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect personal data in connection with the Services.
• By using the Services, you agree that we may process your personal data as described in the Privacy Policy.

In the event of any conflict between these Terms and any service-specific terms that we publish for a particular product, the service-specific terms will control for that product, unless expressly stated otherwise.

4. Non-custodial Nature of Services

Crouton Digital’s staking and validator Services are non-custodial:

• We do not hold or control your private keys.
• We do not take custody of your Digital Assets.
• You interact with the Supported Blockchains directly (typically via your Wallet or other third-party interfaces).

When you delegate or stake Digital Assets to a Crouton Digital validator:

• You remain the owner of those Digital Assets, subject to the rules of the relevant Supported Blockchain (e.g., bonding, unbonding, locking periods, slashing).
• We never obtain legal title to your Digital Assets and cannot move or transfer them on your behalf.

You are solely responsible for the security, backup, and management of your Wallet(s) and private keys. If you lose access to your Wallet or keys, we cannot recover them for you or restore access to your Digital Assets.

5. Eligibility and Use Requirements

By using the Services, you represent and warrant that:

1. You are at least 18 years old or the legal age of majority in your jurisdiction, whichever is greater.

2. You have full power and authority to enter into and comply with these Terms, both in your personal capacity and, where applicable, on behalf of any entity you represent.

3. Your access to and use of the Services does not violate any law, regulation, or order applicable to you or to any entity on whose behalf you act.

4. Neither you nor any entity you represent is:

   • Located in, established in, or a resident or national of any jurisdiction that is subject to comprehensive sanctions or similar restrictions under EU, UN, US, or other applicable sanctions regimes; or
   • Listed by any government or international organization as a prohibited, sanctioned, or restricted party.

5. You are not using the Services on behalf of or for the benefit of any person or entity described in the preceding paragraph.

6. You will not use the Services for any unlawful purpose, including but not limited to money laundering, terrorist financing, fraud, or evasion of sanctions or other regulatory requirements.

We may, in our sole discretion, refuse, suspend, or terminate your access to the Services if we believe you do not satisfy these requirements or if we are required to do so by law, regulation, or competent authority.

6. Accounts, Access, and Security

Some parts of the Services may require you to create an account or provide certain information (for example, to access dashboards, receive notifications, or use institutional products).

• You must provide accurate, current, and complete information and keep it updated.
• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any credentials associated
• with your account and for all activities that occur under your account.
• You must notify us promptly if you become aware of any unauthorized access or
• suspected compromise of your account or credentials.

We may restrict, suspend, or close accounts at any time, including for suspected fraudulent activity, security risks, or violations of these Terms.

7. Staking Mechanics

7.1 Supported Blockchains and Digital Assets

Crouton Digital may support staking or validator services for various Supported Blockchains from time to time. The list of Supported Blockchains and applicable parameters (e.g., typical commissions, unbonding periods) may be indicated on:

• Our website(s);
• Protocol-specific pages or dashboards; or
• In third-party interfaces (e.g., explorers, wallets).

We may add, modify, or remove Supported Blockchains at our discretion and without prior notice.

7.2 Delegation and Staking

When you delegate or stake Digital Assets to a Crouton Digital validator on a Supported Blockchain:

• You authorize the protocol to involve our validator node in consensus and block production with respect to your staked Digital Assets, in accordance with the protocol rules.
• You acknowledge that delegation or staking may be subject to bonding or locking periods during which the Digital Assets cannot be freely transferred or may require an unbonding period before they can be moved or sold.
• You remain responsible for any on-chain actions, including initiating staking, unstaking, and claiming Rewards, as applicable.

We do not guarantee that our validators will remain active, elected, or part of the validator set on any Supported Blockchain, nor do we guarantee any particular uptime, performance, or level of Rewards.

7.3 Rewards and Fees

The issuance of Rewards is determined solely by the rules of the relevant Supported Blockchain.

• Rewards may depend on factors including: total network stake, validator performance, network inflation, protocol parameters, and overall network conditions.
• Crouton Digital typically charges a commission (a percentage of Rewards) that is set per validator or per blockchain and may change from time to time. The applicable commission is usually displayed in the protocol interface or explorer.

Unless otherwise stated:

• Rewards, net of validator commission and any protocol-level fees or deductions, are distributed according to the rules of the relevant Supported Blockchain (often directly to your Wallet).
• We may treat any Rewards we receive from the protocol as being received in our own right, and we have no obligation to pass on any amounts beyond what is mandated or enabled by the protocol’s reward distribution mechanism.

We do not guarantee that you will receive any Rewards at all, or any particular amount, timing, or rate of Rewards. Past Rewards are not indicative of future results.

7.4 Network Rules, Bonding, and Unbonding

Supported Blockchains may impose:

• Minimum staking amounts;
• Bonding or activation periods;
• Unbonding or withdrawal delays;
• Lock-ups or other protocol-level constraints.

These are designed and enforced by the protocols themselves and are outside our direct control. We are not responsible for any delays, failures, or inability to stake, unstake, or transfer your Digital Assets caused by protocol rules, network issues, or other third-party actions or omissions.

7.5 Governance and Voting

On some Supported Blockchains, delegated stake may carry governance rights (e.g., voting on proposals).

Unless a specific governance policy is published for a particular chain:

• Crouton Digital may, but is not obligated to, participate in governance voting using its validator’s voting power.
• We may vote in a manner we believe to be in the best interest of the security or long-term health of the protocol, at our discretion.
• You may often be able to exercise governance rights directly (for example, by voting from your Wallet) or by redelegating or moving your stake to another validator, subject to network rules.

We do not guarantee any particular governance stance or voting behavior and are not liable for governance outcomes or any consequences that may follow from them.

8. Slashing, Penalties, and Protocol Risks

Certain Supported Blockchains implement Slashing Penalties for validator behavior such as downtime, double-signing, or other protocol-defined violations.

• Slashing may result in the permanent loss of some or all of the Digital Assets delegated to a validator, loss of Rewards, or inability to participate in staking for a period of time.
• Slashing rules, amounts, and conditions are defined by the applicable protocol and are outside our control.

You understand and agree that:

1. You bear all risk of Slashing Penalties associated with delegating or staking your Digital Assets to our validators.
2. Unless we explicitly publish a separate written policy to the contrary for a specific network, Crouton Digital has no obligation to reimburse you for any Slashing Penalties or missed Rewards.
3. Crouton Digital will use commercially reasonable efforts to operate validators in a secure and reliable manner (including monitoring, redundancy, and best practices as we determine them), but we do not guarantee avoidance of all Slashing events.

You also acknowledge and accept that Supported Blockchains involve other risks, including but not limited to:

• Protocol bugs, vulnerabilities, or exploits;
• Network halts, forks, reorganizations, or parameter changes;
• Attacks on the network (e.g., 51% attacks, censorship, or malicious validators);
• Changes in staking economics, inflation rates, or reward logic;
• Regulatory, tax, or policy changes that affect Digital Assets or staking activities.

9. User Representations, Warranties, and Covenants

In addition to any other representations and warranties in these Terms, you represent, warrant, and covenant that:

1. You have all necessary rights, authority, and capacity to stake or delegate the Digital Assets you use in connection with the Services.

2. You are the lawful owner of, or have valid authorization to use, all Digital Assets and Wallets used in connection with the Services, and such Digital Assets are not encumbered or subject to any restriction that would prevent their use under these Terms.

3. The Digital Assets you use with the Services are not derived from illegal or improper activity, and their use with the Services does not violate any applicable law or regulation.

4. You will not use the Services to infringe, misappropriate, or violate the rights of any third party, including intellectual property, privacy, or publicity rights.

5. You are solely responsible for:

   • The security and control of your Wallets and devices;
   • Safeguarding your private keys and seed phrases;
   • Any transactions you sign or approve using your Wallet.

6. You will promptly notify us if you become aware of any actual or suspected breach of these Terms or any security incident related to your use of the Services.

10. Prohibited Uses

You agree not to:

1. Use the Services in any manner that violates any law, regulation, or order.

2. Use the Services for any purpose related to money laundering, terrorist financing, fraud, market manipulation, or any other illegal, abusive, or unethical activity.

3. Interfere with, disrupt, or attempt to compromise the security or integrity of the Services, including by:

   • Attacking the infrastructure,
   • Attempting unauthorized access,
   • Reverse-engineering components not intended for public inspection.

4. Use the Services to distribute malware, spam, or other harmful or disruptive content.

5. Impersonate any person or entity, misrepresent your affiliation, or otherwise engage in misleading or false activities in connection with the Services.

11. Taxes

You are solely responsible for:

• Determining your tax obligations arising from your use of the Services, including staking, rewards, and any gains or losses; and
• Reporting and paying any applicable taxes to the relevant tax authorities.

Crouton Digital does not provide tax advice and does not calculate, withhold, or remit taxes on your behalf unless we explicitly agree to do so in a separate written agreement.

12. External Resources and Third-Party Services

Our Services may reference, link to, or integrate with External Resources such as:

• Wallet software;
• Exchanges;
• Block explorers and dashboards;
• Staking interfaces;
• Social media platforms and community tools.

We do not control and are not responsible for any External Resources, including their content, availability, security, or practices.

• Your use of External Resources is at your own risk and subject to the terms and conditions and privacy policies of those third parties.
• We make no warranties or representations regarding any External Resources and are not liable for any loss or damage arising from your use of them.

You should take appropriate precautions, including verifying URLs, checking permissions, and using security software, when interacting with any third-party service or downloading files.

13. Intellectual Property

Unless otherwise indicated:

• All content, trademarks, logos, graphics, interfaces, and other materials provided through the Services (collectively, the “Crouton Digital Content”) are owned or licensed by Crouton Digital and are protected by intellectual property laws.
• You are granted a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use the Crouton Digital Content solely for your personal or internal business use in connection with the Services.

You may not, without our prior written consent:

• Copy, reproduce, modify, distribute, sell, or lease any part of the Crouton Digital Content;
• Use any Crouton Digital name, logo, or trademark in a way that suggests sponsorship or endorsement without permission.

Use of third-party logos or marks (for example, network or protocol logos) within our Services may be for identification purposes only and may be subject to the rights of their respective owners.

14. Data Protection and Privacy

We may collect and process personal data when you use the Services. Our handling of personal data is described in our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these Terms.

By using the Services, you acknowledge that we will process your personal data as described in the Privacy Policy.

15. Suspension, Termination, and Service Changes

We may, at any time and without liability, suspend, restrict, or terminate your access to all or part of the Services if:

1. We reasonably suspect that you have breached these Terms or any applicable law or regulation.
2. We are required to do so by a competent authority, court order, or applicable law.
3. We detect or suspect unusual, abusive, or fraudulent activity, or activity that poses security or operational risks.
4. We decide to discontinue or materially modify any Service or Supported Blockchain.

Where reasonably feasible, we may provide notice via our website or other communication channels, but we are not obligated to do so, particularly in urgent or sensitive circumstances.

Upon termination:

• These Terms will cease to apply, except for those provisions which by their nature should survive (e.g., limitations of liability, indemnities, disclaimers, governing law).
• We have no obligation to assist with any migration, unbonding, or unstaking of your Digital Assets beyond what is automatically enabled by the relevant protocol(s).

You may stop using the Services at any time. If you wish to cease staking, you are responsible for initiating any necessary unstaking or redelegation transactions in your Wallet, subject to protocol rules.

16. Disclaimers

The Services are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis, without any warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, or performance.

Without limiting the foregoing, Crouton Digital does not warrant that:

• The Services will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free;
• Any information or content provided through the Services is accurate, complete, or up to date;
• Any particular rate or amount of Rewards will be earned;
• Any Slashing event, protocol failure, or other adverse event will be prevented.

Crouton Digital does not provide investment, financial, legal, or tax advice. Any information embedded in the Services or related communications is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as a recommendation to buy, sell, stake, or otherwise transact in any Digital Asset.

You are solely responsible for your own decisions and for obtaining independent professional advice where appropriate.

17. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law:

1. Exclusion of certain damages

Crouton Digital and its contributors, operators, and affiliates will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, revenue, goodwill, or data, arising out of or in connection with the Services or these Terms, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

2. Overall cap on liability

In no event will Crouton Digital’s total aggregate liability to you arising out of or in connection with the Services or these Terms exceed the lesser of:

• (a) EUR 100 (one hundred euros); or
• (b) the total amount of validator commissions actually received by Crouton Digital in connection with your staking in the three (3) months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim.

3. Risk allocation

You acknowledge that this limitation of liability is a reasonable allocation of risk and a fundamental basis of the bargain between you and Crouton Digital.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages or implied warranties, so some of the above limitations may not apply to you. In such cases, the limitations will apply only to the extent permitted by applicable law.

18. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Crouton Digital and its contributors, operators, affiliates, and their respective officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in connection with:

1. Your use of the Services;
2. Your breach or alleged breach of these Terms;
3. Your violation of any law, regulation, or third-party right;
4. Any content or information you submit, transmit, or make available through the Services.

We reserve the right, at your expense, to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter for which you are required to indemnify us, and you agree to cooperate with our defense of these claims.

19. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms and any dispute arising out of or in connection with them or with the Services (whether contractual or non-contractual) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Estonia, without giving effect to any conflict of laws principles that would result in the application of the laws of another jurisdiction.

You and Crouton Digital irrevocably agree that the courts of Estonia shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with these Terms or the Services.

20. Changes to These Terms

We may revise these Terms from time to time. When we do so, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. We may also, but are not required to, provide additional notice (e.g., via our website or other channels).

By continuing to access or use the Services after any changes become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the updated Terms, you must stop using the Services.

21. Force Majeure

Crouton Digital will not be responsible for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations under these Terms to the extent caused by events or circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to:

• Protocol-level bugs or failures;
• Network outages, halts, or attacks;
• Acts or omissions of third-party service providers;
• Power outages, hardware failures, or internet disruptions;
• Acts of war, terrorism, civil unrest, strikes, or lockouts;
• Natural disasters, pandemics, or other “acts of God”.

During such events, our obligations will be suspended to the extent affected, and we will use commercially reasonable efforts to resume performance.

22. Assignment

You may not assign or transfer any of your rights or obligations under these Terms without our prior written consent. Any attempted assignment in violation of this clause will be void.

We may assign or transfer our rights and obligations under these Terms, in whole or in part, to any person or entity, including in connection with a merger, acquisition, corporate reorganization, or sale of assets, without your consent.

23. Entire Agreement, Severability, and Waiver

These Terms, together with any additional policies or documents incorporated by reference (including any applicable Privacy Policy and service-specific terms), constitute the entire agreement between you and Crouton Digital regarding the subject matter herein and supersede any prior or contemporaneous understandings or agreements.

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that provision will be enforced to the maximum extent permissible, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

No failure or delay by Crouton Digital in exercising any right, power, or remedy under these Terms shall operate as a waiver of that right, power, or remedy, nor shall any single or partial exercise of any such right, power, or remedy preclude any other or further exercise thereof.

24. Contact

If you have any questions about these Terms or the Services, please contact us at:
[email protected]