For quick background, chains within the Cosmos network depend on a set of validators to process transactions. There is a max number of validators allowed to participate, so validators are incentivized to be proactive throughout the network in order to earn the community's delegations. Active validators are determined by the amount of assets that are staked or delegated to them.
(In this guide we will use Cosmos-hub only as an example, but any natively integrated chain can be substituted.)
If you choose to delegate to a validator, you will share a portion of their rewards. Keep in mind, when you delegate to a validator, your assets are staked or "locked" within the network for a certain period of time. This could be anywhere from 14 to 28 days, depending on the network. This cannot be adjusted and is in place for added security.
We highly recommend you research the various validators and get to know how they have participated in the community to offer some assurance that your funds are purposeful.