Estimate staking rewards for Ethereum, Solana, Cardano, Polkadot, and more.
Enter how much you plan to stake, the current APY, and your chosen duration. The calculator shows total rewards, final balance, effective APY under compounding, the US dollar equivalent at the current reference price, a year by year breakdown, and a chart that compares compounded to linear returns.
Run the calculation
Pick a coin, enter how much you plan to stake, choose a duration and compound frequency. APY is pre-filled with a current reference rate and is fully editable. Your inputs save locally in your browser.
| Year | Starting balance | Rewards earned | Ending balance | USD value |
|---|
What is crypto staking
Staking is the process of locking up cryptocurrency to help secure a proof of stake blockchain. In exchange for contributing to network security and consensus, stakers receive rewards in the same asset they are staking. The rewards come from two sources: newly issued supply (protocol inflation) and transaction fees paid by users of the network. Together, these distributions make up the staking APY.
Proof of stake is the successor to proof of work as the dominant consensus mechanism in modern blockchain design. Bitcoin uses proof of work, which relies on energy-intensive mining to secure the network. Ethereum transitioned to proof of stake in 2022, and the majority of major smart contract platforms launched since then have used some form of proof of stake from day one. The economic difference for end users is that, instead of buying hardware and electricity to mine, a participant commits capital and earns a yield for that commitment.
Staking is fundamentally different from interest on a deposit. An interest rate on a savings account is a liability of the bank. Staking rewards are newly minted tokens plus a share of network transaction fees, both of which come from the protocol rather than from any counterparty. This structure shifts the risk profile. There is no bank to default, but there are protocol and market risks that do not exist with a deposit.
Current staking APYs by coin
Reference APYs for the assets supported in the calculator above. These rates are approximations at the time of writing. Real time rates shift continuously as participation rates, network congestion, and validator commissions change. Always cross check with the actual dashboard of your chosen staking provider before committing capital.
| Asset | Reference APY | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ethereum (ETH) | 3.2% | Liquid staking via Lido or solo validator staking (32 ETH minimum). |
| Solana (SOL) | 6.5% | Delegated staking through any wallet. No lockup for standard delegation. |
| Cardano (ADA) | 2.5% | Native delegation from any Cardano wallet. No slashing risk. |
| Polkadot (DOT) | 12.0% | Nominated proof of stake. 28 day unbonding period. |
| Cosmos (ATOM) | 16.0% | Delegated staking. 21 day unbonding period. Slashing risk applies. |
| Avalanche (AVAX) | 7.5% | Delegated staking to a validator. Minimum 25 AVAX and 14 day lock. |
| Polygon (MATIC) | 4.5% | Delegation to validators on Ethereum mainnet. Transitioning to POL token. |
| NEAR Protocol (NEAR) | 9.0% | Delegated staking. 2 to 3 epoch unstaking period (roughly 36 to 52 hours). |
| Algorand (ALGO) | 4.0% | Governance rewards for ALGO holders who commit to a governance period. |
How to use the calculator
- Pick a coin. The APY field auto populates with the current reference rate for that asset. You can override it at any time.
- Enter the amount. In native units (ETH, SOL, ADA, etc.), not US dollars.
- Adjust the APY if needed. If your staking provider shows a different net rate after commission, use that number instead of the reference figure.
- Set the duration. Choose a value and the matching unit from days, months, or years.
- Pick a compound frequency. Daily is most realistic for networks that credit rewards to the validator balance automatically. Monthly approximates a manual claim and restake workflow. Select None to see the linear (non compounded) result.
- Read the results. Total rewards appear at the top, along with US dollar equivalents, a year by year breakdown, and a chart that compares linear to compounded growth.
Top stakable cryptocurrencies
Ethereum (ETH)
Ethereum is the largest proof of stake network by market capitalization. Solo staking requires 32 ETH and a dedicated validator setup. Most users instead stake through a liquid staking protocol like Lido or Rocket Pool, through a centralized exchange recurring stake product, or through a pooled service. Typical net APYs are 3 to 5 percent, which reflects roughly 0.8 percent from new issuance and the balance from MEV and priority fees.
Solana (SOL)
Solana offers some of the highest liquid staking rewards among top ten assets, typically 6 to 8 percent. Delegation is seamless from any standard wallet, and there is no minimum. Unlike Ethereum, Solana does not have a lengthy unbonding queue for standard delegation, though validators can apply their own parameters. Slashing exists on paper but has not been activated in production as of this writing.
Cardano (ADA)
Cardano takes a distinctive approach: delegation is entirely non custodial. You never transfer tokens to a validator, and there is no slashing or unbonding period. Rewards are lower (2 to 4 percent) but the risk profile is correspondingly simpler. This makes ADA staking attractive for long term holders who prioritize capital availability over yield.
Polkadot (DOT)
Polkadot uses nominated proof of stake, where holders nominate a set of validators and share in their rewards. Yields are among the highest in large cap crypto at 10 to 14 percent, but the unbonding period is a full 28 days during which staked tokens are illiquid. Slashing is real and non trivial, so choosing reliable validators matters.
Cosmos (ATOM)
Cosmos offers high yields (14 to 18 percent) because the network has a relatively high target inflation rate. The 21 day unbonding period and active slashing policy mean delegators need to pay attention to validator uptime and governance behavior. The Cosmos ecosystem also includes many other stakable chains that share similar mechanics.
Avalanche, Polygon, NEAR, Algorand
Smaller market cap proof of stake assets round out the supported list. Avalanche requires a 25 AVAX minimum for delegation and has a 14 day minimum lock. Polygon is transitioning from MATIC to POL and currently yields around 4 to 5 percent. NEAR rewards hover around 8 to 10 percent. Algorand pays through its governance program rather than direct staking, with quarterly commitments required.
Liquid staking versus solo staking
Liquid staking is the dominant form of staking for Ethereum and is growing across other networks. The mechanics are straightforward: a smart contract accepts your token, stakes it via professional validators, and issues you a derivative token (stETH, rETH, cbETH, and similar) that represents your share. The derivative can be held, sold, or used as collateral in decentralized finance while the underlying position continues to earn staking rewards. The value of the derivative gradually accrues relative to the underlying as rewards accumulate.
Solo staking means you operate a validator yourself or hold tokens and delegate directly to a validator from your own wallet. You have no smart contract risk beyond the protocol itself, full control over the validator set, and no protocol level fee. In exchange, you manage the operational overhead, face the full slashing risk of your chosen validator, and must navigate unbonding delays when you want to exit.
For most retail investors, liquid staking wins on convenience and access to DeFi, while solo staking wins on minimal trust assumptions and no protocol fee. Large holders often split their position across both: a core allocation in solo staking for safety, and a smaller allocation in liquid staking to access yield opportunities on the derivative.
Staking risks
Staking is not risk free. A full accounting of the relevant risks:
- Slashing. Validators that violate protocol rules are financially penalized, and in most designs delegators share that penalty proportionally. Typical slashing losses range from under 1 percent (for minor violations) up to 100 percent of the validator stake for serious attacks. Choosing reputable validators with a track record significantly reduces this risk.
- Lockup and unbonding. Most networks require a waiting period before staked tokens can be withdrawn. Unbonding periods range from near zero (Cardano) to 28 days (Polkadot). During the unbonding window, the staked tokens earn no yield and cannot be sold, which is painful during sharp drawdowns.
- Smart contract risk. Liquid staking introduces smart contract risk on top of the underlying protocol. Audits and years of production history mitigate this but do not eliminate it. Incidents in DeFi history have shown that even well audited contracts can fail.
- Validator centralization. A large share of staking routed through a handful of operators creates systemic risk at the network level. Some users intentionally delegate to smaller independent validators to reduce this concentration, accepting slightly higher variance in uptime in exchange.
- Opportunity cost. Staked capital is capital that cannot be deployed elsewhere during the lockup period. If another opportunity emerges that offers better risk adjusted return, the cost of exiting a staked position can be meaningful.
- Underlying price risk. A 10 percent APY means little if the underlying asset falls 40 percent in dollar terms. Staking yield is denominated in the native asset, so it does not protect against a decline in the asset price itself.
Best platforms for staking
A non exhaustive list of widely used staking options across coins. Fees, features, and custody arrangements differ, so verify the current terms before committing capital.
- Coinbase. Simple staking for most major proof of stake assets directly from your account. Commission is higher than most alternatives (often 25 percent of rewards) but the user experience is trivial for beginners.
- Kraken. Similar simplicity to Coinbase with lower fees on most assets. Offers both bonded staking and some off chain staking products.
- Lido. The largest liquid staking protocol for Ethereum. Issues stETH that trades at or near peg with ETH. A 10 percent protocol fee on rewards. Widely integrated across DeFi.
- Rocket Pool. The largest decentralized alternative to Lido. Issues rETH. Node operators must provide their own ETH as collateral, which aligns incentives more directly than the Lido model. Smaller in size but considered the more decentralized option.
- Native wallet delegation. For most non Ethereum networks, native delegation from Phantom (Solana), Yoroi or Daedalus (Cardano), Nova Wallet (Polkadot), Keplr (Cosmos), or similar wallets is the most direct path. No intermediate contract, no extra fee layer, but more hands on.
Tax implications of staking rewards
Staking rewards are generally treated as ordinary income in the tax year they are received, valued at the fair market price at the moment of receipt. This creates a continuous stream of taxable events as rewards accumulate. When the reward tokens are later sold, any gain or loss relative to the cost basis at receipt is treated as a capital gain or loss on top of the original income event.
In the United States, the IRS has issued guidance confirming that staking rewards are income at receipt, though the specific treatment of rewards that are credited but not yet claimed is an active area of debate and may change. In the European Union, treatment varies by member state but most follow a similar income plus capital gains framework. Some jurisdictions, including certain cantons of Switzerland and parts of Germany, offer more favorable treatment for long term holding.
For an order of magnitude estimate of capital gains tax owed on a given staking position, see our tax calculator. For anything complex, particularly positions with meaningful value, consult a tax professional who actively works with crypto clients. Exchange generated tax reports are often incomplete for staking because rewards are credited continuously rather than on discrete events.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a realistic staking APY?
Realistic APYs vary significantly by coin. Large liquid proof of stake assets like Ethereum tend to yield 3 to 5 percent annually. Smaller market cap proof of stake chains such as Cosmos, Polkadot, and Near often yield 8 to 18 percent because they distribute more inflation to validators and delegators. APYs can also change over time as network participation rates shift, so treat any published rate as a reference point rather than a guarantee.
Is the APY guaranteed?
No. Staking APY fluctuates based on total stake participation, validator performance, network inflation schedules, and in some cases slashing events. Most networks publish a target APY, but actual returns can diverge. Liquid staking tokens sometimes also pick up a small spread from the protocol layer, which affects net yield. Always treat published APYs as estimates, not contractual returns.
What is compounding in staking?
Compounding means reinvesting rewards into the staked balance so future rewards are earned on the larger base. Some networks compound automatically at the protocol level. Others credit rewards to a separate balance that the user must manually claim and re-stake. The effective APY under compounding is always higher than the nominal APY, and the difference grows with longer time horizons. The calculator above shows both figures so you can see the gap.
Can I lose money staking?
Yes. The main risks are slashing (where a validator is penalized for misbehavior, sometimes dragging down their delegators), lockup periods (where your capital is inaccessible during an unbonding window while the asset price falls), smart contract risk on liquid staking protocols, and simple price depreciation of the underlying asset. Staking yield does not protect against a price decline, and the USD value of a staked position can fall sharply even while the coin balance grows.
Do staking rewards count as income?
In most jurisdictions, yes. Staking rewards are typically treated as ordinary income in the tax year they are received, valued at the market price at the moment of receipt. When the reward tokens are later sold, any gain or loss relative to that cost basis is treated as a capital gain or loss. This creates a compounding record keeping burden that most exchanges do not handle cleanly, so serious stakers track each reward distribution in a personal ledger or dedicated tax tool.
What is the difference between liquid staking and solo staking?
Solo staking means running a validator yourself (for example, operating an Ethereum validator with 32 ETH) or delegating directly to a validator and keeping the tokens in your own wallet. Liquid staking pools funds across many participants, issues a derivative token representing the staked balance (like stETH or rETH), and lets users trade or use that derivative in DeFi while the underlying capital continues to earn. Liquid staking is more convenient but adds smart contract risk and introduces a small yield spread. See the section above for a full comparison.
How long does it take to unstake?
Unbonding periods vary by network. Ethereum has a queue system that can take hours to days depending on congestion. Cosmos and Polkadot have multi week unbonding windows (21 and 28 days respectively). Cardano has no unbonding period for standard delegation. Liquid staking tokens can be sold instantly on the open market, though at whatever discount the market is currently pricing into the derivative. Factor the unbonding period into your planning if you might need liquidity during the staking period.
Does the calculator account for fees?
The APY input is your net APY after any validator commission. Most networks let validators charge a commission, usually 5 to 10 percent of rewards earned. Liquid staking protocols also take a protocol fee, often another 10 percent. If you enter the gross APY, your results will overstate actual rewards. Use the net rate that you actually receive, which is the number exchanges and staking dashboards display on your account.
Related reading
For ongoing coverage of the proof of stake ecosystem, see our Ethereum, altcoins, and DeFi archives. For research on staking economics and validator performance, browse the market analysis section. For daily coverage of the stories that move staking yields, subscribe to our free newsletter.
