Crypto staking on Ethereum and Solana paid between 1.69% and 4.92% APY in late September 2026. Platform fees can materially affect the amount users receive: Coinbase’s 35% commission contrasts with Jito’s 4% commission, creating a difference of more than 30 percentage points before rewards reach a user’s wallet.

This guide compares eight platforms and products for ETH, SOL and stablecoin yield. The APYs were sourced from DefiLlama and the platforms’ product pages, alongside user experiences posted on Reddit communities including r/defi, r/ethereum and r/solana. The products fall into four broad models: exchange staking, liquid staking, staking-as-a-service and restaking. Comparing them requires looking beyond the headline APY: custody, withdrawal timing, token inflation, smart-contract exposure, counterparty risk and taxes can all affect the result a user actually receives.

What is crypto staking?

Proof-of-Stake is the consensus mechanism used by Ethereum, Solana, Cosmos, Polkadot and most major blockchains launched after Bitcoin. Instead of using electricity to validate transactions through proof-of-work, these networks require validators to lock tokens as collateral.

Validators receive newly issued tokens and, on some networks, maximal extractable value (MEV) generated through transaction ordering. Most retail users do not operate validators directly. Instead, they delegate through one of four models.

The four staking models

1. Exchange staking: Exchanges such as Coinbase, Kraken and Binance hold users’ tokens, delegate them to validators they control or select, and distribute rewards after deducting a commission. The model is simple and does not require a wallet, but users give up custody and generally pay higher fees.

2. Liquid staking: Protocols including Lido, Jito, Marinade and Rocket Pool accept tokens through smart contracts and issue liquid staking tokens (LSTs), such as stETH for ETH and jitoSOL for SOL. LSTs accrue staking rewards and may be traded, used as DeFi collateral or sold without waiting for the underlying network’s unstaking period.

3. Staking-as-a-service: Professional operators such as Figment and Kiln run validator infrastructure while users retain their withdrawal keys. The structure is used by institutions and high-net-worth holders seeking staking income without transferring custody.

4. Restaking: EigenLayer allows already-staked ETH or LSTs such as stETH to be pledged again to secure additional Actively Validated Services (AVSs). The additional rewards come with extra slashing conditions and a corresponding risk of losing principal.

ETH staking platforms

Ethereum’s exit queue was approximately three days on September 28, 2026. Native ETH unstaking through any platform must pass through the same protocol queue. Platforms differ in their commissions, custody arrangements and ability to provide a faster market exit through an LST.

1. Kraken — flexible ETH staking, up to 2.72% APY

• Rate: Up to 2.72% APY on ETH as of September 28, 2026
• Commission: Deducted from the quoted rate; the exact percentage is not published
• Custody: Kraken holds the staked assets
• Availability: 17 assets for US clients

Kraken offers flexible and bonded ETH staking terms. US customers can choose between immediate liquidity and a somewhat higher locked rate. With 17 stakeable assets on its US platform, Kraken has the broadest asset selection among the exchange staking products considered here.

Kraken has operated since 2011 and, according to the source material, has never suffered a major hack. It reinstated US staking products on January 30, 2025, after reaching a settlement with the SEC. Kraken has a mixed Trustpilot rating; negative reviews more often concern know-your-customer delays and account-verification problems than security failures.

Advantages:

• Largest asset selection for US stakers, with 17 assets
• Flexible and bonded terms
• Long operating history and no reported security breaches
• Competitive rate compared with other custodial options

Disadvantages:

• Kraken holds the user’s keys
• The commission percentage is not published transparently
• No LST is issued, so staked ETH cannot be used as DeFi collateral

2. Lido — DeFi integration with stETH at 2.34% APY

• Rate: stETH at 2.34% APY as of September 28, 2026
• Commission: 10% of rewards, split between node operators and the Lido DAO treasury
• Custody: Non-custodial; the smart contract holds ETH and the user holds stETH
• Exit: A withdrawal request takes approximately 21 hours, or users can sell stETH immediately on Curve or secondary markets

Lido was the largest liquid staking protocol by total value locked at the time of writing, with more than $14 billion in staked ETH. stETH is accepted as collateral on Aave, Maker and most major DeFi lending protocols.

Lido Earn launched instant withdrawals in August 2026. According to an ETH Daily post dated August 12, 2026, in r/ethereum, “Lido Earn enables instant withdrawals.” Lido controls approximately 30% of all staked ETH, a concentration that Ethereum developers have identified as a concern. The US regulatory status of LSTs remains unsettled.

Advantages:

• Users hold stETH rather than transferring custody to Lido
• stETH can be used as collateral on Aave, Maker and other protocols
• Large liquidity pool and comparatively easy market exit
• Instant withdrawals through Lido Earn since August 2026

Disadvantages:

• 10% commission
• Approximately 30% of staked ETH is concentrated in one protocol
• Smart-contract, liquidity and regulatory risks remain relevant

3. Coinbase — US beginner access at 1.69% APY

• Rate: 1.69% APY on ETH as of September 28, 2026
• Commission: 35%, the highest among the major platforms compared
• Custody: Coinbase holds the staked assets
• Availability: Eligible US users through a regulated brokerage interface

Coinbase’s 35% commission is a central consideration. On a $10,000 stake earning 1.69% APY, the commission costs approximately $170 per year compared with staking the same ETH through Jito or Lido, according to the source material.

Coinbase’s appeal is convenience and regulatory clarity. Staking is integrated into a regulated US brokerage, tax-reporting tools and 1099 forms, and users do not need prior knowledge of wallets or DeFi. In exchange, users accept custodial control and the lowest ETH APY listed.

Advantages: Simple onboarding; integrated tax reporting and 1099 forms; regulated US entity with FDIC-insured cash balances; 24-hour customer support.

Disadvantages: 35% commission; lowest ETH APY listed, at 1.69%; Coinbase holds withdrawal keys; no LST is issued.

4. EigenLayer — ETH restaking for experienced users

• Rate: Base ETH yield plus variable rewards from AVSs
• Commission: Set by individual operators and not fixed
• Custody: Non-custodial smart contracts
• Exit: Ethereum’s exit queue plus a seven-day EigenLayer withdrawal delay

EigenLayer allows holders of staked ETH or ETH LSTs, including stETH, to pledge the same assets as economic security for protocols beyond Ethereum. This can generate additional rewards, but it also exposes the position to slashing conditions imposed by selected operators and AVS protocols. The product is designed for ETH holders who understand slashing, actively monitor their positions and can manage multiple operator relationships.

SOL staking platforms

Solana staking follows epochs of approximately two days. Stakes activate and deactivate at epoch boundaries, so native unstaking generally takes between one and two days regardless of platform. Jito and Marinade also provide an immediate market exit by allowing users to sell jitoSOL or mSOL on secondary markets.

5. Jito — SOL staking with MEV rewards at 4.92% APY

• Rate: jitoSOL at 4.92% APY as of September 28, 2026
• Commission: 4% of rewards
• Custody: Non-custodial smart contract
• Exit: Up to one epoch, or approximately two days, or an immediate sale of jitoSOL on Raydium, Orca or Jupiter

Jito was the dominant Solana liquid staking protocol by total value locked in the source material. Jito validators operate the Jito-Solana client, which captures and distributes MEV revenue to jitoSOL holders. That component can vary by epoch, so actual rewards may be higher or lower than the headline APY.

The Solana community on Reddit has widely adopted jitoSOL. In r/solana, u/Ok_Gas1070 wrote:

“Honestly, JitoSOL is still popular not sure about ‘the best’ but your asset remains liquid so you can still trade it while it’s staked. Traditional staking you lock up your SOL (it takes a few days to lock at the end of a epoch). While it’s locked you can’t trade it and it gets a certain APY. When you unstack it you have to wait a few days, or whenever the current Epoch ends. I recommend the Kyzzen validator if you’re going to go the traditional route, but if you want to remain liquid use Jito.”

Advantages: Highest SOL APY in this comparison, at 4.92%; lowest commission, at 4%; MEV rewards; DeFi collateral utility.

Disadvantages: MEV creates yield variability; smart-contract risk; Jito Labs controls a significant validator share, contributing to an ongoing centralization debate.

6. Marinade — broader SOL validator delegation at approximately 4.76% APY

• Rate: mSOL at approximately 4.76% APY as of September 28, 2026
• Commission: Approximately 6% of rewards
• Custody: Non-custodial smart contract
• Exit: Up to one epoch, or approximately two days, natively, or an immediate sale of mSOL on secondary markets

Marinade delegates across hundreds of validators through its stake algorithm, while Jito concentrates more stake in its MEV-enabled validator set. Marinade also offers native staking without issuing an LST.

In r/ICPTrader, u/colemusic1 wrote:

“When I hop on to stake SOL via Marinade or Jito, I don’t have to check the hundreds of diversified validators; it’s hidden from the user to make it simple, quick and accessible.”

Advantages: Delegation across hundreds of validators; mSOL DeFi support; native staking option; one of Solana’s oldest protocols.

Disadvantages: Slightly lower APY than Jito because it does not include Jito’s MEV extraction; approximately 6% commission.

Stablecoin yield: USDC and USDT

Stablecoin yield is lending rather than staking. USDC and USDT holders are not validating transactions or locking assets to secure a proof-of-stake network. They lend tokens through institutional pools such as Maple Finance or synthetic yield products such as Ethena and receive interest.

The GENIUS Act, signed into law in July 2025, explicitly bars stablecoin issuers from paying yield directly to token holders. Circle’s USDC and Tether’s USDT therefore pay no native yield. As of October 2026, Aave, Compound and Morpho were paying approximately 3% to 6% APY on USDC and USDT.

7. Maple Finance — institutional USDC lending at 6% to 9% APY

Maple Finance operates institutional, under-collateralized lending pools that connect lenders with vetted borrowers, including market makers, quantitative trading firms and crypto-native companies. Rates on Maple’s USDC pools were 6% to 9% APY in October 2026, above the 3% to 6% range available through permissionless DeFi lending.

Because loans are under-collateralized, a borrower default can result in lenders losing principal. Maple experienced borrower defaults during the FTX collapse in 2022 and subsequently revised its underwriting standards.

8. Ethena — synthetic dollar yield through USDe

Ethena issues USDe, a synthetic dollar backed by ETH collateral and a short ETH perpetual position. When funding rates are positive, USDe holders receive the funding rate as yield after Ethena’s protocol fee. In October 2026, sUSDe paid approximately 7% to 12% APY depending on market conditions.

If funding rates remain negative, the yield disappears and Ethena draws on its reserve fund. USDe is not a traditional stablecoin and, according to the source, does not fall under the GENIUS Act’s restrictions because it does not use traditional banking rails.

High-APY altcoin staking: ATOM, DOT and ADA

Some proof-of-stake networks advertise nominal APYs well above those available on ETH or SOL. Those figures need to be considered alongside token inflation. StakingRewards was cited as the source for data dated October 12, 2026.

In r/ethtrader, u/root88 wrote:

“Watch out for crazy good interest rates, like Atom. You might be able to get 20%, but Atom also has an inflation rate of 7–20%, so that promised 20% isn’t really as nice as it looks. You can get 4–6% or so with Ethereum and it might actually be deflationary.”

Kraken lists some assets at up to 22% APY. A nominal APY figure does not show the effect of dilution.

Why a high APY may not produce high returns

Staking rewards are paid in the native token. If that token’s price falls faster than rewards accumulate, the position can lose value in dollar terms despite a high APY. Ethereum’s 2.3% to 2.7% APY, denominated in a large-cap asset, can therefore outperform a 25% APY on a token that falls 60% during the same year. Staking does not hedge token-price risk.

In r/defi, u/TurbulentStiffness wrote:

“If you hold raw ETH or SOL, just stick to native liquid staking via Lido or Jito because smart contract risk on complex vaults eventually bites everyone. Chasing double-digit yields in degen liquidity pools or algorithmic basis trades will get you wrecked by impermanent loss and bad debt faster than you can blink.”

US tax treatment of staking rewards

US staking taxation was addressed by IRS Revenue Ruling 2023-14, which the source says the IRS continued to enforce through 2026. Staking rewards are taxable as ordinary income when received, based on their fair market value at that time. Later disposal can create capital gains or losses. The IRS does not currently treat receiving stETH, jitoSOL or mSOL in exchange for ETH or SOL as a taxable event, although the interpretation remains subject to debate.

If an altcoin generates 20% APY and then falls 80%, the holder may owe income tax on the full 20% reward even though the overall dollar position has declined. Investors outside the United States should review local rules, including provisions in the United Kingdom, Germany and Australia.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency and digital asset markets carry significant risk. Readers should conduct their own research before making decisions.