The Best Staking Pools and Lending Platforms

Crypto staking is a low-risk way to generate additional passive income on your cryptocurrency. Granted, when prices go down, you are not making money in dollar terms. But crypto staking is perfect for patient investors that know cryptocurrency investing is best for the long haul.

CoinMarketCap Academy collected the best crypto staking pools and crypto lending platforms, so you can safely grow your crypto stack.

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The 15 Best Staking Pools

The 15 best crypto staking pools are:

All nodes
Kraken
InfStones
Binance Staking
Everstake
Staked
SwissBorg
Stakefish
Bitcoin Suisse
P2P
Guarda Wallet
Figment
Chorus One
Blockdaemon
Stake DAO

Academy reviewed all the staking pools to give you a complete overview, so dive into our crypto staking pool reviews below.

Allnodes

Supported cryptocurrencies: ETH, SOL, AVAX, ADA, and over 40 others (no stablecoins).
APY: Depending on the cryptocurrency between 5% and 90%.
Lock-up period: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Payout frequency: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Type: Non-custodial.
Additional rewards: No.
Minimum/maximum staking amount: Depends on the cryptocurrency.

Allnode is a non-custodial platform that provides nodes as a service. You can easily host a node for many different cryptocurrencies without acquiring the necessary technical infrastructure. Allnodes offers masternodes, validator nodes, super nodes, sentry nodes and full nodes. The platform hosts almost 34,000 nodes for a combined value of almost $2 billion. The price of a node depends on the network and the uptime. Eth2 nodes start at five dollars per month.

Kraken

Supported cryptocurrencies: 16 different cryptocurrencies, including USDT and all major coins
APY: Depending on the cryptocurrency between 2% for stablecoins and 23% for altcoins.
Lock-up period: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Payout frequency: Twice a week.
Type: Custodial.
Additional rewards: No.
Minimum/maximum staking amount: Depends on the cryptocurrency.

Kraken is the San Francisco-based world’s largest crypto exchange with over 30 different cryptocurrencies and seven different fiat currencies available for trading. You can stake more than a dozen different cryptocurrencies and receive rewards twice a week, even on Bitcoin. Kraken is a custodial staking solution, meaning the exchange will be in control of your private key while it is staking your coins.

InfStones

Supported cryptocurrencies: 50 different cryptocurrencies according to the website.
APY: from 2% to 29%, depending on the altcoin.
Lock-up period: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Payout frequency: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Type: Non-custodial.
Additional rewards: No.
Minimum/maximum staking amount: Depends on the cryptocurrency.

InfStones is another Silicon Valley-based platform providing blockchain infrastructures like nodes, DApps, data analysis, and more. Users can also stake across more than 50 different protocols, with staking rewards varying depending on the coin in question. InfStones is a non-custodial solution, meaning it provides the resources to run your own node on the blockchain protocol you wish to become a validator for.

Binance Staking

Supported cryptocurrencies: Over 120 different cryptocurrencies.
APY: Up to three-figure APYs, depending on the cryptocurrency.
Lock-up period: Between 15 and 120 days.
Payout frequency: Daily.
Type: Custodial.
Additional rewards: No.
Minimum/maximum staking amount: Depends on the cryptocurrency.

Binance is the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchange and the biggest provider of custodial staking solutions. Between its locked and DeFi staking, Binance offers more than 120 different coins and tokens for staking. The APYs can be more than 150%, although the most generous APYs tend to belong to highly volatile tokens. Users choose their lock-up period, with DeFi staking options providing a flexible lock option on assets like BTC and ETH. Overall, Binance Staking offers probably the biggest selection of cryptocurrencies.

Everstake

Supported cryptocurrencies: 37 different coins and tokens.
APY: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Lock-up period: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Payout frequency: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Type: Non-custodial.
Additional rewards: No.
Minimum/maximum staking amount: Depends on the cryptocurrency.

Everstake claims to be the biggest decentralized staking provider in the industry, with over 625,000 users and more than $6 billion worth of assets staked. As a non-custodial solution, users can stake directly from their respective crypto wallets. The lock-up periods and payout frequencies, therefore, depend on the staking requirements by the blockchain.

Staked

Supported cryptocurrencies: 25+ different assets.
APY: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Lock-up period: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Payout frequency: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Type: Non-custodial.
Additional rewards: no.
Minimum/maximum staking amount: D\epends on the cryptocurrency.

Staked calls itself the “staking partner of choice for institutional crypto.” It offers a non-custodial solution for crypto venture capital funds like Pantera, Three Arrows Capital, and others. Staked also offers staking to private investors.

SwissBorg

Supported cryptocurrencies: 30+ different assets.
APY: 2% on stablecoin, altcoins differ based on their respective rates.
Lock-up period: no.
Payout frequency: daily
Type: custodial.
Additional rewards: no.
Minimum/maximum staking amount: no maximum amount.

SwissBorg is a Switzerland-based custodial staking provider that also offers its own CHSB token. It provides staking services for more than 30 different assets and plans to add several new ones soon. A major advantage of SwissBorg is that the platform supports a dozen different fiat currencies, making it accessible to users from different parts of the world.

Stakefish

Supported cryptocurrencies: 30+ different assets.
APY: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Lock-up period: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Payout frequency: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Type: Non-custodial.
Additional rewards: No.
Minimum/maximum staking amount: Depends on the cryptocurrency.

Stakefish is a decentralized staking provider offering 23 different cryptocurrencies. The company prides itself on its decentralized and international team, which was founded by Chun Wang, the co-founder of F2Pool, one of the biggest Bitcoin and Ethereum mining pools in the world. As a non-custodial solution, requirements on Stakefish are fully subject to each ecosystem’s individual rules.

Bitcoin Suisse

Supported cryptocurrencies: Eight different proof-of-stake chains.
APY: Between 4% and 26%.
Lock-up period: Between zero and 28 days (except for Eth2 staking).
Payout frequency: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Type: Custodial.
Additional rewards: No.
Minimum/maximum staking amount: Depends on the cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin Suisse is a Switzerland-based custodial staking provider that has been the driving force behind the so-called “Swiss Crypto Valley.” It is a regulated Swiss financial intermediary and offers staking, as well as trading, custody and other crypto-related services. Bitcoin Suisse boasts a team of over 200 employees in three different locations.

P2P

Supported cryptocurrencies: 26 different cryptocurrencies.
APY: between 4% and 50%.
Lock-up period: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Payout frequency: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Type: non-custodial.
Additional rewards: no.
Minimum/maximum staking amount: Depends on the cryptocurrency.

P2P is a massive non-custodial staking provider with almost three billion dollars worth of assets staked. Its 25,000+ clients can choose from more than two dozen cryptocurrencies and stake directly from their wallets without relinquishing control of their private keys. P2P also offers staking services to institutional investors with assets greater than $500,000.

Guarda Wallet

Supported cryptocurrencies: 14 different proof-of-stake blockchains.
APY: Between 4% and 30%.
Lock-up period: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Payout frequency: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Type: Non-custodial.
Additional rewards: No.
Minimum/maximum staking amount: Depends on the cryptocurrency.

Guarda Wallet is a multi-currency wallet solution supporting 14 different proof-of-stake chains. It also supports over 1,000 different tokens and offers a built-in exchange, crypto purchasing options, and currency-specific features.

Figment

Supported cryptocurrencies: More than two dozen different coins and tokens.
APY: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Lock-up period: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Payout frequency: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Type: Non-custodial.
Additional rewards: No.
Minimum/maximum staking amount: Depends on the cryptocurrency.

Figment is a leading blockchain infrastructure provider with over 150 institutions using its staking services. It also provides custodial services, a crypto exchange, a crypto wallet, and asset management services. Figment offers more than two dozen different cryptocurrencies for staking and lets users stake in a non-custodial way from their own wallets.

Chorus One

Supported cryptocurrencies: 15 cryptocurrencies like SOL and ETH.
APY: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Lock-up period: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Payout frequency: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Type: Non-custodial.
Additional rewards: No.
Minimum/maximum staking amount: Depends on the cryptocurrency.

Chorus One is a decentralized staking provider that has more than one billion dollars of assets staked through its service. Chorus one offers liquid staking or staking as a whitelabel service. It allows clients with assets worth more than $10 million to brand and run their own nodes and offer staking services themselves to other users while Chorus One manages the infrastructure.

Blockdaemon

Supported cryptocurrencies: 25 major cryptocurrencies and tokens.
APY: between 5% and 30%.
Lock-up period: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Payout frequency: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Type: Non-custodial.
Additional rewards: No.
Minimum/maximum staking amount: Depends on the cryptocurrency.

Blockdaemon allows decentralized staking on more than 25 different protocols, including the biggest proof-of-stake chains and some of the biggest tokens on the market. As a node provider, it offers ISO 27001-compliant, enterprise-grade security staking services. It also provides custodial solutions and backup systems to major cryptocurrency exchanges

Stake DAO

Supported cryptocurrencies: Nine different PoS chains.
APY: Between 3% and 33%.
Lock-up period: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Payout frequency: Depends on the cryptocurrency.
Type: Non-custodial.
Additional rewards: No.
Minimum/maximum staking amount: Depends on the cryptocurrency.

Stake DAO is a non-custodial staking platform and community for nine different proof-of-stake blockchains. Stake DAO also acts as a validator in several of the chains like Eth2, Polygon and Harmony.

The 5 Best Lending Platforms

The 5 best crypto lending platforms are:

Yearn Finance
Compound
Aave
Curve
MakerDAO

Academy reviewed all the staking pools to give you a complete overview, so dive into our crypto staking pool reviews below.

Yearn Finance Vaults

Supported cryptocurrencies: ETH, USDC, USDT, DAI, LINK, TUSD.
Total staked: $1 billion
Stakers: 4,500+
APY: Depends on the cryptocurrency, between 0% and 12%.

Yearn Finance Vaults are profit-maximizing vaults that return a yield on the asset in the vault. Vault strategies are different from staking since they pursue different strategies to maximize yield. They do not only profit from a blockchain’s native inflation. For instance, Yearn Finance Vaults can provide liquidity, borrow other assets, farm other tokens and sell them for profit, and more. The strategies in Yearn Finance Vaults are voted on by the community.

Compound Vaults

Supported cryptocurrencies: ETH, USDC, USDT, DAI, BTC, BAT, REP
Total staked: $4 billion
Stakers: 100,000+
APY: Depends on the cryptocurrency, between 0% and 12%.

Compound is a decentralized lending protocol with algorithmically set interest rates that vary according to supply and demand. It allows users to access the value of their cryptocurrencies and use them to earn additional income on their assets. With Compound’s lending platform, users can earn interest on their assets or take out a secured loan.

Aave

Supported cryptocurrencies: 16 different cryptocurrencies.
Total staked: $13 billion
Stakers: 20,000+
APY: Depends on the cryptocurrency, between 0% and 30%.

Aave is an Ethereum-based DeFi money market that enables users to lend and borrow assets for variable interest rates. Users can also access uncollateralized loans, so-called flash loans, although these have to be paid back in the same Ethereum block. Another unique Aave feature is “rate switching,” allowing users to switch between stable and variable interest rates to optimize their borrowing rate.

Curve

Supported cryptocurrencies: 10+ different cryptocurrencies.
Total staked: $9 billion
Stakers: 70,000+
APY: Depends on the cryptocurrency.

Curve is a decentralized stablecoin exchange that enables users to swap between different stablecoins. It pioneered the idea of an automated money maker (AMM) to provide liquidity and has become one of the oldest decentralized exchanges on the market. Curve is available on several blockchains and supports layer-two solutions on Ethereum, as well as different layer-one chains like Avalanche, Harmony and Fantom.

MakerDAO

Supported cryptocurrencies: 30+ different cryptocurrencies.
Total staked: $9 billion
Stakers: 80,000+
APY: Depends on the cryptocurrency, between 0% and 30%.

Maker is a money market offering DAI, a decentralized stablecoin. In Maker’s Oasis app, users can earn a yield, borrow against their cryptocurrencies and put their assets to work to earn passive income. Maker also offers vault management and users can mint DAI against their crypto collateral.

The Best Staking Pools for ETH

The best staking pools for ETH are:

Binance Staking: custodial.
Kraken: custodial.
Compound: non-custodial.
Yearn Finance: non-custodial.
Aave: non-custodial.

The Best Staking Pools for Stablecoins

The best staking pools for stablecoins are:

Binance Staking: custodial.
Kraken: custodial.
Compound: non-custodial.
Yearn Finance: non-custodial.
Aave: non-custodial.

Staking Strategies in a Bear Market

In a crypto bear market, good portfolio management is even more important than during a bull run. Academy put together a complete guide to crypto portfolio management, so your crypto bags survive until the next crypto bull run. However, here are five more staking strategies in a bear market.

Stake Only Solid Coins

The biggest mistake you can make during a bear market (and a bull market) is being greedy! Your first priority is to not lose your capital. That is why you should stake only solid coins like BTC, ETH, and stablecoins. Remember: during a bull run, altcoins rise more than the biggest cryptocurrencies. But during a bear market, they lose more of their value. Since you want to keep as much of your capital as possible for the next run, you should stick to the safest coins only. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

HODL - Don’t Unstake

Another major mistake is being impatient and too emotionally invested in your staking bags. If you commit to only a few coins, you should HODL them no matter what. Prices during a bear market can go lower than you think! Remember that ETH traded around $106 in March 2020! The people that staked ETH and held through this brutal crash got eventually rewarded. So keep calm and hold onto your crypto for dear life.

Dollar-cost-average and Stake

You should keep investing in crypto even if the market turns sour. Remember: crypto is a growth market. During a bear market, it can seem as if prices will never return to old heights. But every day, new people discover and learn about crypto, so eventually, prices will make new heights again. To make sure you don’t miss out, buy crypto regularly for a fixed sum. For example, you could buy $100 worth of BTC each month. Your goal is to HODL, so don’t overcommit!

Cut Your Losers Fast

If you do happen to have a few bad apples (this will happen if you don’t take advice #1), cut them fast. BTC and ETH will stick around. Most of the big exchanges like Binance will probably too. But anything else could die. Check the historical snapshots of crypto prices a few years ago. You will see that some of the coins don’t exist or are far from the top 10 now. That is why you should stick to safe options in a bear market and cut the losers quickly.

Don’t Overstake

Maybe you do DCA each month and HODL. But if you bite off more than you can chew, that will get you in trouble too. Only stake as much as you can afford to not access for years. For example, if you stake for Eth2, you will not be able to unstake for months after The Merge. Consider how much capital you want to commit. A tip: it is probably less than you think. Take half of what you would deem a terrible loss and you will be fine.

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