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Staking Ethereum means locking up ETH to help secure the network and earn rewards in return. The idea is simple. The choices are not. You can run your own validator, join a pool, hold a liquid staking token, or click a stake button on an exchange. Each path gives you a different mix of control, convenience, fees and risk.

No platform is best for everyone. The better question is which one fits your priorities. This guide explains how staking works, compares the main methods, names some current services as examples, and lists the risks for each path.

How Ethereum staking works

Ethereum runs on validators. A validator is software that checks new blocks and votes on whether they are valid. To activate one, you deposit 32 ETH. Since the Pectra upgrade in May 2025, a validator can hold up to 2,048 ETH if its owner opts into compounding withdrawal credentials. Otherwise the balance that earns rewards is capped at 32 ETH, according to ethereum.org.

Validators earn rewards for two jobs: attesting (voting on blocks) and proposing blocks. Block proposals can also bring transaction fees and MEV, which is extra value from how transactions are ordered.

Validators that go offline miss rewards and pick up small penalties. That is different from slashing. Slashing is a larger penalty for provable misbehavior, such as signing two conflicting blocks. Ethereum.org notes that slashing so far has mostly come from people running the same keys on two machines at once.

Four ways to stake ETH

1. Run your own validator (solo staking)

What you need: 32 ETH, a computer that stays online, and careful key handling. Ethereum.org gives rough hardware guidance of a 4 TB NVMe drive, 64 GB of RAM and a steady internet connection.
What you get: You keep your own keys and receive 100% of protocol rewards, per ethereum.org.
Best fit for: Readers who want full control and can manage the technical work.

The official starting point is the Staking Launchpad. Ethereum.org suggests practicing on the Hoodi test network first.

2. Delegated staking (a node operator runs it for you)

With this model, you still need 32 ETH. A company runs the validator and often charges a fee, which ethereum.org says is commonly monthly. You typically keep control of your withdrawal keys, while the operator holds the signing keys it needs to act for your validator. That adds a layer of trust. It trades some control for less technical work.

3. Pooled and liquid staking

What you need: Any amount of ETH. Some pools start at 0.01 ETH.
What you get: A liquid staking token (LST) that represents your stake. Rebasing tokens, like Lido's stETH, grow in number. Exchange-rate tokens, like Rocket Pool's rETH, grow in value.
Best fit for: Readers who want to keep custody in their own wallet and want a token they can move or sell.

Holding an LST is not the same as running a validator. You depend on the pool's contracts and operators. Ethereum.org says its list of pools is not an endorsement.

4. Exchange staking

Exchanges such as Coinbase and Kraken let eligible customers stake with a few clicks. The exchange holds your ETH, handles the validators and takes a commission. You get convenience, but you rely on the company and its terms.

Ethereum.org points out that some exchange products work like opaque pools. It suggests four questions to separate transparent staking from opaque products:

Can you verify onchain where your ETH goes?
Is the list of node operators published?
Do you receive a token in your own wallet that you can redeem for ETH?
Are the rules enforced by public smart contracts, or by a company's terms of service?

Named examples and what their official pages say

These services are examples, not endorsements. Check each provider's current terms before you act.

Lido

Lido is a liquid staking protocol. Its staking page says it is non-custodial and lists audits by several security firms. You receive stETH. To exit, you can request a withdrawal in Lido's app or swap stETH on a decentralized exchange.

Lido lists its own risks: smart-contract bugs, slashing, and the chance that stETH trades below its underlying value. It takes a 10% fee on rewards, split between node operators and the Lido DAO. Its terms of use apply to users.

Rocket Pool

Rocket Pool is a decentralized liquid staking protocol that issues rETH. Ethereum.org says users can join with as little as 0.01 ETH. Its documentation explains how the protocol works. This article gives no rate for Rocket Pool. Check the protocol's official pages for current figures and fees.

Coinbase

Coinbase offers ETH staking to eligible customers. Its eligibility page says staking is available in most jurisdictions, with limits in some US states, so check it for your location. Its help page says there is no minimum balance for ETH and no fee to stake or unstake. Rewards are paid about every 3 days. Coinbase takes a commission, and the rate it shows is after that commission.

Coinbase estimates the unstaking wait for ETH at about 10 days and says that is not guaranteed. Rewards keep accruing during the wait. Instant unstaking is available for a fee shown at the time of the request. Its staking risks page says staked assets cannot be traded or transferred until unstaking finishes. It also says Coinbase may or may not replace slashed assets. Its user agreement commits Coinbase to reimburse penalties caused by mistakes of Coinbase or its third-party validators, but Coinbase says it is not responsible if slashing results from a hack, the user's own actions, or a protocol bug.

Kraken

Kraken lists ETH as bonded staking. Its eligibility page says you need a verified account and that some locations are restricted. Onchain unbonding takes about 6 days, and rewards stop during that time. Kraken's eligibility page also says there are no transaction fees to stake or unstake, but Kraken takes a commission on rewards. For bonded staking, the commission is tiered by bonded balance, from 25% under $1 million down to 0% at $100 million and above. Rewards are paid weekly. The ETH staking page gives the current rate.

Kraken states that staked assets are not covered by FDIC or SIPC insurance. Its legal page holds the terms of service.

How staking rewards are generated and what changes them

Rewards come from the protocol and from block proposals. Providers then subtract their fees. What you see on a screen is an estimate, not a promise.

Here is what moves the number:

Total ETH staked. More stakers share the same rewards.
Fees and MEV. Block proposals can add transaction fees and MEV.
Validator uptime. Offline validators miss rewards.
Commission. Pools and exchanges keep a share of rewards.
Time window. Many rates look backward over days or weeks.
Compounding. APY includes reinvested rewards. APR does not.

Platform reward estimates change often, so this article does not list current rates. Use each provider's official page for the live figure and the terms behind it. Three differences explain why two rates on different sites rarely line up:

APR and APY measure different things. APR is a simple annual rate. APY includes the effect of reinvesting rewards. A rate quoted as APR and one quoted as APY are not directly comparable.
Fees and commissions change what you receive. Lido describes its stETH rate as after its fee on rewards. Kraken describes its bonded ETH rate as an estimate before its commission, based on past rewards, so an account that pays a commission receives less than the displayed rate. Coinbase says the rate it shows is after its commission.
Estimates look backward. Lido says its rates are estimates, not guarantees, and are based on a moving average of recent rewards. Past rewards do not fix future ones.

Before you decide, open the official pages: Lido's staking page and its rewards calculator page, and Kraken's ETH staking page with its support page. Confirm the current rate, whether it is shown before or after fees, how often rewards are paid and what the exit terms are. Lido's page also advertises a separate product, so make sure you are reading the stETH rate. For a wider look at how yields differ from savings rates, see that DeFi APY is not a savings rate.

Risks for each staking method

Each path has its own weak points. Here is how they differ.

Solo and delegated staking

Performance and slashing. Downtime costs rewards. Running duplicate keys can trigger slashing.
Key security. Lost or stolen keys can mean lost funds.
Withdrawal address. Ethereum.org says you can set it only once, so check it carefully.
Operator trust (delegated). The operator runs your validator and charges a fee.

Pooled and liquid staking

Smart-contract risk. A bug in the pool's code can hurt every holder.
Price and depeg risk. An LST can trade below the value of the ETH behind it, especially when many people sell at once.
Governance and operator risk. Upgrades and a small set of operators can add risk.
Slashing pass-through. Slashing of the pool's validators can reduce what each holder gets back.

A recent example involved validator exits tied to a MetaMask Staking incident. Our report, A MetaMask Staking incident is not a wallet hack, lays out what was confirmed.

Exchange staking

Custody and counterparty risk. The exchange holds your ETH. If it fails or freezes accounts, you depend on its terms.
Limited insurance. Kraken says staked assets are not FDIC or SIPC insured. For more on this topic, see crypto on Coinbase and FDIC coverage.
Locked funds. Coinbase and Kraken both say staked assets cannot be traded or moved during staking or unbonding.
Location rules. Availability depends on where you live and your account status.

Risks that apply to every path

Queues. Ethereum.org says new validators wait in an activation queue and exit times vary with demand. Coinbase says its unstaking can take from a few hours to a few weeks, depending on the asset.
Price risk. Staking rewards are paid in ETH. The dollar value of ETH can rise or fall.
Taxes and regulation. Rules differ by country and change over time. In the US, Coinbase says customers must report staking income and that it issues Form 1099-MISC for the 2025 tax year when rewards pass $600. Ask a qualified tax professional about your own case.
Restaking. Restaking is a separate product that adds extra slashing conditions. Treat it as a different decision.

A careful first-time process

Pick your priority. Decide what matters most: control, convenience, liquidity, custody, fees or location.
Check eligibility. Read the provider's own page for where staking is available.
Read the fee and exit terms. Look for commission, unstaking time, and what happens if rewards change.
Use official links only. Type the address yourself or use a bookmark you saved earlier. Fake ads and look-alike sites often copy staking pages.
Never share your recovery phrase. No real provider will ask for it.
Never send ETH to an address from a message or ad. Copy deposit addresses only from the provider's official app or site, then check the first and last characters.
Start small. A small first transaction lets you confirm each step works before you commit more.
Keep records. Save dates and amounts for rewards, deposits and withdrawals for tax reporting.

Staking also sits in a changing legal setting. For background on how US regulators have discussed staking, read our summary of the SEC staff crypto FAQs.

Which path fits which priority

Control over keys and rewards: Solo staking, if you have 32 ETH and the skills.
Smaller amounts and a tradable token: Pooled or liquid staking, with attention to contract and depeg risk.
Simplicity inside an account you already use: Exchange staking, if it is available where you live and you accept custody.
Less hands-on work with 32 ETH: Delegated staking, with attention to the operator's fee and terms.

There is no way to have the highest control, the lowest effort and the lowest risk all at once. Your own priorities decide the trade.

Sources

Disclosure: Staking terms, rewards, fees, tax treatment and regulation can vary by provider, location and over time. Provider terms were checked on October 18, 2026 and may have changed. This article is not financial, legal, or investment advice. AI-assisted research and writing. Cited sources, not AI alone, support the claims. The featured image is a generated illustration, not a photograph.

Market context

How to Stake Ethereum: Best Platforms, Rewards & Risks Explained