Aptos uses an owner-operator-voter model for staking. This model enables the creation of delegations and staking services by separating the account that holds the funds from other accounts responsible for managing those funds, such as operators and voters. This separation ensures that delegations of responsibilities can be made securely, without compromising the safety of the funds held in the account.
Owner: When someone creates an account on the Aptos blockchain, they become the owner of that account and the funds it contains.
Operator: An operator is the validator operator. The Owner can delegate the management of their funds to the Operator. The Owner can assign the accounts operator address to the Operator allowing for the account to participate in transaction validation on the chain.
Voter: The Owner can designate a Voter to participate in governance. The voter will use the voter keys to sign the governance votes. Traditionally, voter privileges are assigned to the Operator.