⛓️ Beginners in the crypto world often don’t know what staking is and how to use it to earn income. Here’s a short guide answering the main questions about locking digital assets.
What is staking?
Staking is locking native blockchain assets that operate on the Proof-of-Stake protocol for a set period to earn rewards. Essentially, it’s similar to a bank deposit with interest, for example, 5% per year, paid in the same coins that are locked. If you stake Ether, you receive ETH.
Types of staking:
- Delegated staking — the owner delegates their crypto to a validator to process transactions. The most profitable, but requires a large amount (e.g., running an Ethereum node needs 32 ETH — about $118,000).
- Pool staking — for those without a large sum, joining forces with other participants.
- Exchange staking — the easiest for beginners, you can lock coins directly on a centralized exchange.
- Liquid staking — in exchange for locked coins, you get special tokens that can be used like regular ones (e.g., taking loans or staking again).
List of leading pools by the value of locked cryptocurrencies
How to start?
Choose a platform, buy or deposit cryptocurrency, and lock the coins. For example, on a centralized exchange, go to the “Earn” section, pick a coin, and start staking.
Options for cryptocurrency staking on the HTX exchange
How much can you earn?
Income depends on the coin, the amount locked, and the network. For example, Apex Fusion currently offers about 1.76% APY, and Ethereum around 2.9%.
Ranking of cryptocurrencies by staking income
Staking risks:
- Price drop of the locked cryptocurrency;
- Cyberattacks on the platform;
- Validator misbehavior.
Cryptocurrency prices can be volatile — for example, Ether has risen by 36% in the past six months but previously fell by 66%.
To reduce risk, it’s better to choose stable cryptocurrencies and reputable platforms. The Cryptorank portal can help — it shows the price dynamics and volatility over the past month.
Cryptocurrency statistics on the Cryptorank website
How is staking different from deposits?
Staking works on Proof-of-Stake blockchains, while deposits are locking stablecoins or other assets that don’t participate in network operations.
Deposit yields in USD stablecoins on the HTX exchange
What should beginners choose?
It’s best to start with staking top cryptocurrencies on large centralized exchanges — they carry less risk thanks to high capitalization and liquidity. For example, Solana yields 5.55% per year on Binance and 4.75% on HTX.
📈 Examples of popular staking platforms:
- Binance – the largest centralized exchange, offers staking of top cryptocurrencies with yields up to 5-6% per year. Very convenient for beginners.
- HTX – a platform with attractive staking rates, e.g., SOL at 4.75% per year, and stablecoins with yields up to 20%.
- Kraken – a popular exchange, pays rewards twice a week, offers various coin lock-up options.
- Lido – a liquid staking service for Ethereum, where instead of ETH you receive stETH tokens that can be used like regular assets.
- Rocket Pool – a decentralized Ethereum staking platform, suitable for users who want to participate without large investments.
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