Staking Rewards Calculator

Calculate exactly how much you can earn by staking crypto. Select a token, set your stake amount, choose a compounding frequency, and see daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly reward projections update in real time. This calculator uses the standard compound interest formula A = P(1 + r/n)^nt to model reward accrual across all supported proof-of-stake networks. Whether you are evaluating Ethereum solo staking, Solana delegated staking, or Cosmos liquid staking through protocols like Lido and Rocket Pool, this tool gives you accurate projections with zero API calls — all token data is sourced from current on-chain averages.

Staking Reward Estimator

Pick a token to auto-fill its current average APY, or override with your own rate. Adjust stake amount, lock period, and compounding frequency. All outputs update instantly.

Select Token

Amount Staked (USD) $10,000 Staking APY 4.0%

Lock Period

Compounding Frequency

Daily Reward

$1.10

Weekly Reward

$7.67

Monthly Reward

$33.33

Yearly Reward

$400

Total Value

$10,400

Effective APY

4.08%

Rewards in Tokens

0.1333 ETH

Compound Growth Curve — Value Over Time

Total Value (principal + rewards) Principal

Protocol Comparison — ETH Staking Options

Compare annual percentage yields across native staking, liquid staking protocols, and centralized exchanges for the selected token. APYs reflect current averages and fluctuate based on network conditions, validator performance, and protocol fees. Liquid staking tokens (stETH, rETH, mSOL) trade on secondary markets and can be used as collateral in DeFi, adding composability that native staking lacks.

Native / Liquid staking Centralized exchange

Liquid Staking Explained

Traditional staking locks your tokens. Liquid staking gives you a tradeable receipt token representing your staked position, unlocking DeFi composability while you continue earning staking rewards. Here is how the major liquid staking tokens work and why their APYs differ from native staking rates.

stETH Lido Finance

Lido pools user ETH, runs validators, and issues stETH as a liquid receipt. stETH rebases daily — your balance grows automatically. Lido charges a 10% fee on staking rewards (split between node operators and the DAO treasury), which is why stETH APY (~3.8%) is slightly lower than the Ethereum network average (~4.0%). stETH can be used as collateral on Aave, Maker, and dozens of other protocols, making it the backbone of DeFi's restaking ecosystem.

APY: ~3.8%

rETH Rocket Pool

Rocket Pool is decentralized: anyone can run a minipool node with just 8 ETH (instead of 32). The remaining 24 ETH comes from rETH depositors. rETH is a value-accruing token (its exchange rate vs ETH grows over time rather than rebasing). Rocket Pool charges a 14% commission on rewards, resulting in a slightly lower APY (~3.6%) for passive holders. The trade-off is significantly better decentralization — Rocket Pool has thousands of independent node operators compared to Lido's curated set.

APY: ~3.6%

mSOL Marinade Finance

Marinade is Solana's largest liquid staking protocol. It delegates SOL to a diversified set of validators and issues mSOL as a receipt token. Like rETH, mSOL accrues value rather than rebasing. Marinade charges a small management fee and distributes rewards across hundreds of validators, improving Solana's decentralization. mSOL can be used in Solana DeFi protocols like Raydium, Orca, and Marinade's own native staking product for additional yield.

APY: ~6.5%

Why do APYs differ? Native staking earns the full network reward rate. Liquid staking protocols take a commission (typically 5–15%) to cover node operations and protocol development. In return, you get instant liquidity, no technical setup, and the ability to use your staked position as DeFi collateral — often earning additional yield on top of staking rewards.

Staking Comparison Table

All supported tokens at a glance. The "Yearly on $10K" column shows estimated rewards assuming daily compounding. Actual returns vary with network conditions, validator uptime, and protocol fee changes. Minimum stake requirements apply to solo validators only — most liquid staking protocols and exchanges accept any amount.

Token	APY	Lock Period	Min Stake	Liquid Staking	Yearly on $10K

Solo Validator vs Staking Pool vs Liquid Staking

Three fundamentally different ways to stake your crypto, each with distinct trade-offs in reward rate, technical complexity, capital requirements, and risk profile. Understanding these differences is essential before committing capital to any staking strategy.

⛓ Solo Validator

Reward RateHighest (full network rate)

Technical ComplexityHigh — run and maintain node 24/7

Minimum Stake32 ETH (~$96,000), varies by chain

LiquidityLocked until unstaking (days to weeks)

Slashing RiskYes — penalties for downtime or double signing

Best ForTechnical users with significant capital who want maximum decentralization and reward

🌎 Staking Pool

Reward RateModerate (pool takes 5–25% commission)

Technical ComplexityNone — delegate and forget

Minimum StakeNo minimum on most exchanges

LiquidityVaries — some exchanges lock, others flexible

Centralization RiskHigh — large pools concentrate network power

Best ForBeginners and small holders who want passive income with zero setup

💧 Liquid Staking

Reward RateModerate (protocol fee 5–15%)

Technical ComplexityNone — deposit and receive LST

Minimum StakeAny amount (0.01 ETH+)

LiquidityImmediate — sell LST on DEX anytime

Smart Contract RiskYes — bugs in LST contract could lose funds

Best ForDeFi users who want staking yield + collateral composability

Start staking today

Stake with Lido → Stake with Rocket Pool → Stake on Coinbase →

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Top Staking Providers

Compare these staking options — all are non-custodial or have strong track records for validator reliability.

Lido Finance Largest liquid staking protocol. ~3.8% APY. stETH is DeFi-native. Stake with Lido → Rocket Pool Decentralized liquid staking. rETH + RPL rewards. More decentralized than Lido. Stake with Rocket Pool → Coinbase cbETH Custodial. FDIC-eligible custodian. Simple for beginners. ~3.2% APY. Stake on Coinbase → Solo Staking Max decentralization, max rewards (~4.1% APY). Requires 32 ETH + hardware. Solo Staking Guide →

Rates are approximate and change with network conditions. Not financial advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is staking safe?

Staking is generally considered lower-risk than most DeFi activities, but it is not risk-free. On proof-of-stake networks, validators can be slashed (penalized) for downtime or malicious behavior, which reduces your staked balance. If you use a liquid staking protocol like Lido or Rocket Pool, you also take on smart contract risk — a bug in the protocol code could lead to loss of funds. Centralized exchange staking adds counterparty risk: if the exchange is hacked or goes bankrupt, your staked assets may be unrecoverable. For most users, staking through a reputable liquid staking protocol or major exchange offers a reasonable risk-reward balance, but you should never stake more than you can afford to lose and always diversify across providers.

What's the difference between staking and lending?

Staking and lending both generate yield on idle crypto, but the mechanics are entirely different. Staking means locking tokens to help secure a proof-of-stake blockchain. Your tokens act as collateral against validator misbehavior, and you earn newly minted tokens (inflation) plus a share of transaction fees as reward. Lending means depositing tokens into a lending protocol (like Aave or Compound) where borrowers pay interest to use your capital. Lending rates fluctuate based on supply and demand; staking rates are more stable since they are set by the network protocol. Staking risk is slashing and lock-up; lending risk is borrower default and smart contract exploit. They serve different functions and can be combined — many DeFi users stake ETH for stETH, then lend stETH on Aave for additional yield.

Can I unstake anytime?

It depends on the network and staking method. Ethereum native unstaking requires joining an exit queue that can take hours to weeks depending on demand. Solana has a ~2-day cooldown period. Cosmos enforces a 21-day unbonding period. Liquid staking tokens (stETH, rETH, mSOL) bypass these delays because you can sell the receipt token on a DEX at any time — though you may receive slightly less than the underlying value during periods of high sell pressure. Exchange staking programs vary: some offer "flexible" staking with instant withdrawals (at lower APY), while locked products enforce the full lock period. Always check the unstaking terms before committing capital.

What is slashing?

Slashing is a penalty mechanism built into proof-of-stake networks. If a validator behaves maliciously (e.g., signing two conflicting blocks, known as "double signing") or goes offline for extended periods, the network destroys a portion of their staked tokens as punishment. Slashing serves two purposes: it deters attacks by making them financially costly, and it incentivizes validators to maintain reliable infrastructure. The severity varies by network: Ethereum can slash up to the full 32 ETH for correlation penalties (if many validators fail simultaneously), while Cosmos slashes 5% for double signing and 0.01% for extended downtime. If you delegate to a pool or use liquid staking, the protocol absorbs slashing events across all validators, significantly reducing individual impact — but not eliminating it entirely.

Which token has the best staking rewards?

Among major proof-of-stake tokens, Cosmos (ATOM) typically offers the highest staking APY at around 15–20%, followed by Polkadot (DOT) at 10–14% and Avalanche (AVAX) at 7–9%. However, higher APY often reflects higher inflation — the network prints more tokens to pay stakers, which can dilute the value of your holdings. A token offering 15% APY with 12% inflation gives you only ~3% real yield, while a token offering 4% APY with 1% inflation gives you ~3% real yield as well. The "best" staking reward depends on your outlook for the token's price appreciation, the real yield after inflation, and your risk tolerance. ETH has relatively low staking APY (~4%) but benefits from deflationary tokenomics (EIP-1559 burn), making its real yield among the highest in practice.