Best crypto staking rewards (2026) — ETH, SOL, ATOM, and where to stake

Staking rewards comparison table

Approximate rates as of early 2026. Rates fluctuate based on network activity, total stake, and market conditions.

ETH staking

Ethereum staking is the bedrock of proof-of-stake security. With over 30 million ETH staked, it is the largest staking ecosystem by value. The base yield of approximately 3.5% APY comes from network issuance rewards and priority fees from transactions.

Native staking (solo validators)

Running your own Ethereum validator requires 32 ETH and a dedicated machine running validator software 24/7. You earn the full staking reward with no protocol fees, and you contribute maximally to Ethereum's decentralization. The trade-offs are the high capital requirement, operational responsibility, and slashing risk if your validator goes offline or double-signs.

Lido (stETH)

Lido is the largest liquid staking protocol, holding roughly 30% of all staked ETH. You deposit any amount of ETH and receive stETH, a liquid token that accrues staking rewards daily. stETH can be used across DeFi — as collateral on Aave, in liquidity pools on Curve, or in yield farming strategies. Lido takes a 10% fee on staking rewards.

Rocket Pool (rETH)

Rocket Pool is the leading decentralized liquid staking protocol. Its node operator set is permissionless — anyone can run a Rocket Pool node with just 8 ETH (the rest is matched from the protocol pool). rETH is a value-accruing token: instead of rebasing like stETH, the price of rETH increases relative to ETH over time. Rocket Pool takes a variable commission that goes to node operators.

ether.fi (eETH) and restaking

ether.fi combines liquid staking with restaking through EigenLayer. You deposit ETH and receive eETH, which earns base staking rewards plus additional yield from securing Actively Validated Services (AVS). The yield is higher — typically 5-8% — but the risk profile is significantly more complex: you are exposed to Ethereum slashing, AVS slashing, and multiple layers of smart contract risk.

SOL staking

Solana staking yields approximately 7% APY — nearly double Ethereum's rate. This higher yield reflects Solana's inflation schedule and the smaller proportion of SOL that is staked relative to total supply.

Native SOL staking

You can stake SOL directly through wallets like Phantom or Solflare by delegating to a validator. There is no minimum requirement. The unbonding period is approximately 2-3 days (one epoch). Native staking is simple, secure, and does not introduce smart contract risk beyond the Solana protocol itself.

Jito (jitoSOL)

Jito is the largest Solana liquid staking protocol, and its key differentiator is MEV (Maximal Extractable Value) rewards. Jito validators capture MEV from transaction ordering and pass a portion back to jitoSOL holders, boosting the effective yield above the native staking rate. See What Is MEV? for how this works.

Marinade (mSOL)

Marinade automatically distributes your staked SOL across hundreds of validators, promoting network decentralization. mSOL is a value-accruing token (like rETH for Ethereum) whose price increases relative to SOL as rewards accumulate.

Cosmos ecosystem staking (ATOM, OSMO, TIA)

Cosmos-based chains typically offer the highest staking rewards among major networks, with ATOM yielding 15-20% and Celestia's TIA around 15%. These higher rates come primarily from inflation — the networks issue new tokens at a higher rate to incentivize staking.

The 21-day unbonding period on most Cosmos chains is a meaningful trade-off. During unbonding, your tokens earn no rewards and cannot be transferred. In a rapidly falling market, 21 days of illiquidity can be costly. Liquid staking options exist (Stride, for example, offers stATOM and stTIA), but adoption is smaller than Ethereum's liquid staking ecosystem.

DOT staking (Polkadot)

Polkadot staking yields approximately 12-15% APY. The nomination system requires users to select up to 16 validators to nominate, and the protocol automatically distributes your stake. The 28-day unbonding period is the longest among major networks — a significant liquidity consideration.

AVAX staking (Avalanche)

Avalanche staking offers roughly 8-9% APY with a minimum lock of 14 days and a minimum stake of 25 AVAX for delegation. Avalanche has a capped supply with a burn mechanism, meaning staking rewards partially come from transaction fee redistribution rather than pure inflation.

Liquid staking vs native staking

This is the most important decision for any staker. The choice comes down to what you value more: simplicity and security, or flexibility and composability.

For most DeFi-active users, liquid staking is the better choice — you earn nearly the same yield while keeping your capital productive. For long-term holders who want maximum simplicity and minimum risk, native staking is perfectly fine.

Restaking as a yield boost

Restaking takes liquid staking one step further. Instead of just earning staking rewards, you take your LST (like stETH) and restake it through protocols like EigenLayer or Symbiotic to earn additional yield from securing other services.

The yield boost can be meaningful — from 3.5% on plain ETH staking to 5-8% or more with restaking. But the risk compounds at every layer. Your capital is now exposed to Ethereum slashing, AVS slashing, and multiple smart contract layers. Restaking is not "free extra yield" — it is a higher-risk position with a higher expected return.

Key risks of staking

For a comprehensive risk framework, see Understanding Risk in DeFi.

• Validator slashing — If your chosen validator misbehaves or has extended downtime, a portion of your staked tokens can be destroyed as a penalty.
• Inflation dilution — High staking APY often comes from high token inflation. If 15% of new tokens are minted annually, your 15% yield is partially offset by supply dilution. The real return depends on whether the token price holds.
• Lock-up and opportunity cost — Tokens locked in staking cannot be sold or deployed elsewhere. A 21-day unbonding period means you cannot react quickly to market changes.
• Smart contract risk — Liquid staking and restaking protocols add smart contract layers that can be exploited.
• LST depeg — During market stress, liquid staking tokens like stETH can trade below their expected value. In June 2022, stETH traded at a 5% discount during the market crash.
• Token price risk — Staking rewards are denominated in the staked token. If ATOM yields 18% APY but the price drops 40% over the year, you have a net loss in dollar terms.

How CleanSky helps

Staking positions are often spread across multiple validators, liquid staking protocols, and restaking layers. CleanSky brings it all together:

• Detects all your staking positions across native staking, liquid staking (Lido, Rocket Pool, Jito, Marinade), and restaking (EigenLayer, ether.fi) automatically.
• Shows real yield earned — not just the advertised APY, but the actual rewards your positions have accumulated over time.
• Surfaces risk layers — see the full stack from base stake through liquid staking through restaking, with each layer's risk profile visible.

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