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Home Crypto Staking Yields

Compare The Best Crypto CeFi & DeFi Staking Yields
March 2023

EARN PASSIVE INCOME ON YOUR CRYPTO. You can earn interest in your crypto by depositing / loaning your assets on a crypto platform. The act of investing your crypto in this way is commonly known as crypto staking. We compare staking yields on centralised crypto platforms (CeFi) such as Nexo and Crypto.com as well as yields available on decentralised platforms (DeFi & DEXs) such as AAVE and Uniswap. The process of finding the best place to invest your crypto in order to optimise your return is sometimes known as crypto yield farming.
DeFi
10,733 crypto investments monitored
Platform Reviews Features / TVL Interest Rate
CeFi
United States
94%
Compare
$10 free Bitcoin when you buy or sell more than $100. View all Coinbase deals
tickThe largest crypto exchange in the US
tickSimple, easy to understand interface
tickFully regulated in the US
UP TO
5%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
CeFi
Lithuania
94%
Compare
10% off fees 10% off trading fees. CodeClick to Reveal Code View all Binance deals
tickThe biggest crypto platform in the world
tickHuge array of innovative crypto related services
tickHigh liquidity exchange offers competitive rates
UP TO
70%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
CeFi
Hong Kong
90%
Compare
$50 free CRO when you deposit $1,000 or more in CRO. CodeClick to Reveal Code View all Crypto.com deals
tickFully comprehensive suite of crypto services.
tickAutomatically buy cryptos on a fixed schedule - great for dollar cost averaging.
tickRegulated & trustworthy.
UP TO
64%
APR
Interest paid WEEKLY
Go To SiteGo
CeFi
United States
89%
Compare
Earn $10 USD Earn $10 USD for any friend that you refer to Kraken. View all Kraken deals
tickOne of the biggest crypto exchanges in the world
tickLarge selection of supported cryptocurrencies
tickVery competitive maker and taker fees
UP TO
23%
APR
Interest paid WEEKLY
Go To SiteGo
CeFi
United Kingdom
80%
Compare
£10 Free BTC when you buy or sell £100 in crypto. CodeClick to Reveal Code View all Luno deals
tickEasy to use mobile and web apps
tickGreat for beginners
tickStrong support in a number of developing countries
UP TO
7.6%
APR
Interest paid MONTHLY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
98%
Compare
tickThe platform is blockchain agnostic
tickUsers have full controll over their assets
tickUsers benefit platform’s revenue by staking LRC
UP TO
37%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
CeFi
Bulgaria
78%
Compare
$25 Free BTC When you deposit $100 or more in assets on the platform. View all Nexo deals
tickVery simple & easy to use
tickNo hidden fees
tickInterest paid daily
UP TO
34%
APR
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
88%
Compare
tick$247,613,620 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 68 coin pairs available
tickOperating on DeFichain protocol
UP TO
58.1%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
CeFi
Estonia
87%
Compare
Earn 0.1% cashback on every exchange and loan + 0.05% monthly cashback on savings. View all Coinloan deals
tickHigh LTV of up to 70% available on loans
tickHigh savings account interest rates
tickDaily compound interest
UP TO
12.3%
APY
Interest paid MONTHLY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
96%
Compare
tick$76,229,285 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 7 coin pairs available
tickOperating on MultiverseX protocol
UP TO
16.9%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
66%
Compare
tick$2,327,685,233 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 101 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Binance Smart Chain protocol
UP TO
74.9%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
CeFi
Singapore
78%
Compare
Free 70 USDT When you deposit $11,000. CodeClick to Reveal Code View all Hodlnaut deals
tickVery simple easy to understand interface
tickInterest accrued daily and paid out weekly
tickEnhanced interest rates available for big depositors (over 100 BTC)
UP TO
7%
APR
Interest paid WEEKLY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
66%
Compare
tick$1,136,724,267 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 1,426 coin pairs available
tickSupports protocols including Arbitrum, Ethereum and Polygon
UP TO
3010%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
95%
Compare
tick$90,167,752 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 125 coin pairs available
tickSupports 7 protocols including Arbitrum, Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain
UP TO
367%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
83%
Compare
tick$82,772,587 USD currently invested (TVL)
UP TO
18.8%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
CeFi
Switzerland
91%
Compare
tickVery high LTV up to 90% available on loans
tickInnovative Multi-HODL product allows market speculation with savings funds
tickTurbocharge allows highly leveraged speculation on crypto assets with multiple loans on one deposit of collateral
UP TO
30%
APR
Interest paid WEEKLY
Go To SiteGo
CeFi
Canada
58%
Compare
$25 USDC cashback when you take out a loan. View all Ledn deals
tickUltra simple model
tickNo hidden fees
tickOnly one interest payment at end of 12 month term required on loans
UP TO
8%
APY
Interest paid MONTHLY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
83%
Compare
tick$168,069,674 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 79 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Binance Smart Chain protocol
UP TO
83.2%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
66%
Compare
tick$103,520,895 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 426 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Polygon protocol
UP TO
137%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
68%
Compare
tick$98,300,008 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 39 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Fantom Opera protocol
UP TO
80.7%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
72%
Compare
tick$38,890,367 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 195 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Solana protocol
UP TO
625%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
70%
Compare
tick$4,468,441,750 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 229 coin pairs available
tickSupports 8 protocols including Arbitrum, Ethereum and Polygon
UP TO
36.3%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
83%
Compare
tick$2,005,291 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 14 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Carbon protocol
UP TO
39.5%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
CeFi
United Kingdom
79%
Compare
$100 USDC free Get $100 free in USDC when you deposit $2,000. CodeClick to Reveal Code View all AQRU deals
tickSimple, easy to use interface.
tickCompetitive exchange rates.
tickCompetitive interest rates for large deposits.
UP TO
3%
APY
Interest paid EVERY SECOND
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
69%
Compare
tick$37,216,856 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 74 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Avalanche C-Chain protocol
UP TO
121%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
United Kingdom
68%
Compare
68%
tickVery low loan rates available
tickNo origination or early redemption fees
tickInterest accrued every second
UP TO
16.8%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
58%
Compare
58%
tick$358,443,018 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 395 coin pairs available
tickSupports 15 protocols including Fuse Sparknet, Arbitrum and Ethereum
UP TO
3610%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
46%
Compare
46%
tick$189,893,270 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 3 coin pairs available
tickSupports protocols including Polygon, Avalanche C-Chain and Fantom Opera
UP TO
7.24%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
80%
Compare
80%
tick$62,794,938 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 79 coin pairs available
tickSupports protocols including Binance Smart Chain and Huobi Eco Chain
UP TO
31.6%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
77%
Compare
77%
tick$508,986,008 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 571 coin pairs available
tickSupports 4 protocols including Arbitrum, Ethereum and Polygon
UP TO
2080%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
40%
Compare
40%
tick$747,406 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 11 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Polygon protocol
UP TO
30.2%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
96%
Compare
96%
tick$40,757,911 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 27 coin pairs available
tickSupports protocols including Binance Smart Chain, Kava EVM and Moonriver
UP TO
1130%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
77%
Compare
77%
tick$15,393,567 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 54 coin pairs available
tickSupports protocols including Binance Smart Chain, Polygon and Telos EVM
UP TO
143%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
80%
Compare
80%
tick$64,539,916 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 31 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Ethereum protocol
UP TO
408%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
83%
Compare
83%
tick$172,100,606 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 144 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Osmosis protocol
UP TO
246%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
60%
Compare
60%
tick$1,709,139 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 11 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Binance Smart Chain protocol
UP TO
67.2%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
87%
Compare
87%
tick$1,222,641,790 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 204 coin pairs available
tickSupports protocols including Arbitrum, Ethereum and Polygon
UP TO
117%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
97%
Compare
97%
tick$46,900,703 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 13 coin pairs available
tickSupports protocols including Ethereum and Polygon
UP TO
4.3%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
90%
Compare
90%
tick$216,768,424 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 29 coin pairs available
tickSupports 8 protocols including Arbitrum, Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain
UP TO
18.6%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
94%
Compare
94%
tick$-26,035,001,262 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 19 coin pairs available
tickSupports 5 protocols including Doge, Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain
UP TO
13.5%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
5%
Compare
tick$3,683,764,607 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 1 coin pair available
tickOperating on Tron protocol
UP TO
18.9%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
100%
Compare
100%
tick$59,030,426 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 19 coin pairs available
tickSupports protocols including Ethereum, Avalanche C-Chain and Fantom Opera
UP TO
157%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
90%
Compare
90%
tick$74,574,500 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickPioneering innovative crypto yield products
tickDiverse non-traditional crypto investment products
UP TO
67.4%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$76,247 USD currently invested (TVL)
10.9%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$68,697,905 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 1 coin pair available
tickOperating on Ethereum protocol
UP TO
4.67%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$5,670,968 USD currently invested (TVL)
22.4%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$812,118 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 15 coin pairs available
tickSupports protocols including Binance Smart Chain and Aurora
UP TO
53.5%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$11,071,058 USD currently invested (TVL)
UP TO
12.5%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$3,048,709 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 13 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Polygon protocol
UP TO
109%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$6,095,374 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 20 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Aurora protocol
UP TO
105%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$183,262 USD currently invested (TVL)
4%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$296,693 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 6 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Polygon protocol
UP TO
380%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$36,797,302 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 27 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Near protocol
UP TO
103%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$366,376 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 15 coin pairs available
tickSupports 5 protocols including Arbitrum, Binance Smart Chain and Avalanche C-Chain
UP TO
697%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$197,654,934 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 19 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Cronos protocol
UP TO
238%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$301,642,364 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 90 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Optimism protocol
UP TO
318%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
Compare
tick$239,499,170 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 2 coin pairs available
tickSupports protocols including Arbitrum and Ethereum
31.2%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$361,970 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 1 coin pair available
tickOperating on Ethereum protocol
UP TO
1.61%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$29,051,427 USD currently invested (TVL)
UP TO
69.3%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Singapore
Compare
tick$25,000,369 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 95 coin pairs available
tickSupports 9 protocols including Binance Smart Chain, Polygon and Avalanche C-Chain
UP TO
169%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$42,392,984 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 4 coin pairs available
tickSupports protocols including Arbitrum, Ethereum and Binance Smart Chain
UP TO
30.4%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$15,683,733 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 15 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Solana protocol
UP TO
1250%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$22,261,210 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 70 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Polygon protocol
UP TO
234%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$24,382,976 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 43 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Ethereum protocol
UP TO
690%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$5,399,303 USD currently invested (TVL)
UP TO
27.2%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$13,731,231 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 51 coin pairs available
tickSupports 4 protocols including Arbitrum, Ethereum and Polygon
UP TO
167%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$9,410,768 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 155 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Avalanche C-Chain protocol
UP TO
219%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$67,543,774 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 25 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Ethereum protocol
UP TO
142%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$35,827,005 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 19 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Avalanche C-Chain protocol
UP TO
157%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$36,053,119 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 17 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Avalanche C-Chain protocol
UP TO
71%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$51,142,803 USD currently invested (TVL)
UP TO
9.54%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tickBuilt on Polygon Network
tickFaster and Cheaper transactions
tick$5,607,329 USD currently invested (TVL)
UP TO
3.59%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$22,382,737 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 40 coin pairs available
tickSupports protocols including Fantom Opera and Optimism
UP TO
1080%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$18,476,608 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 2 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Solana protocol
73.9%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$704,259,077 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 61 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Ethereum protocol
UP TO
1370%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$89,313,180 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 95 coin pairs available
tickSupports protocols including Fantom Opera and Optimism
UP TO
296%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
DeFi
Compare
tick$3,687,582,436 USD currently invested (TVL)
tickInvestments in 96 coin pairs available
tickOperating on Ethereum protocol
UP TO
54.4%
APY
Interest paid DAILY
Go To SiteGo
Important Message Definda does not provide any financial advice. All information is provided for research purposes only. DeFi is a rapidly evolving industry. Most businesses in the sector are very young and it is possible that some of them could go out of business in the future. Such an event could result in the loss of your investment. You should do your own research or consult a financial advisor before investing any money. Please read and satisfy yourself with our terms before continuing to use our website. We offer a free impartial comparison service of savings, loans and other DeFi products. We may receive a small commission from some of the companies listed, but this never influences our rankings. If you spot any errors in the information listed then please contact us at info@definda.com.

Not Sure Where to Start? Try Our Crypto Yield Optimiser

It can be difficult to know where to invest your crypto for the best possible return whilst also diversifying your portfolio so as to manage your risk. The DeFinda Crypto Yield Optimiser is an automatic tool that will use your investment preferences to develop an investment strategy that is bespoke to your requirements.

What Is Crypto Staking?

When you buy crypto you store it either in your own private crypto wallet or on a crypto platform. Ordinarily, this crypto will not earn any interest. 

Just like with traditional fiat currencies such as US Dollars, you can invest your crypto to earn interest on it. With any investment that earns income there is always some element of risk. As with traditional investments, it is necessary to balance risk and reward when making these type of investments. 

Note that investing your crypto is different to speculating on the value of your cryptocurrency going up. Instead, with yield investment, you are looking to hold your crypto long-term and earn some interest on it whilst doing so.

Investing your crypto to generate a return is known by many names including crypto staking and yield farming.

What Are The Main Types of Crypto Investments That Generate Yield?

There are two main ways of generating income on your crypto.

The first option is to invest your funds on a centralised crypto platform (CeFi) or centralised exchange (CEX). Examples of these would include Nexo and Crypto.com. These platforms are great for beginners. They normally offer an easy to understand interface, customer support and insurance against loss.

The second option is to invest your funds on a decentralised platform (DeFi) or decentralised exchange (DEX). This is a more advanced investment strategy that is not suitable for beginners. On a decentralised exchange you can invest your crypto in the exchange algorithm for a specific currency pair. This is known as a liquidity pool, and investing in the pool allows the exchange to offer instant exchange rates to its clients. In return for your investment you receive a percentage return (APY).

Advantages and Disadvantages of Crypto Staking

Advantages

  • Earn passive income on your idle crypto assets
  • Maintain instant access to your funds on many products
  • Earn higher rates if you are willing to lock up your funds for a period
  • The best rates are often available on stablecoins
  • Deposits are insured on most centralised platforms
  • High interest rates are also available for fiat currencies on some platforms - no need to buy crypto

Disadvantages

  • The world of DeFi is rapidly evolving and most of the businesses offering investment products are just startups
  • When you deposit crypto in any investment product there is always some risk that you could lose your investment

When to Consider Investing Your Crypto

Crypto investing is a great way of earning passive income on your crypto assets. Many owners of crypto assets have their coins stored in private wallets and manage their own private keys. Whilst this is an excellent way to secure your assets it does mean that your assets are not working as hard as they could be for you. Sure, the value of those crypto assets could go up, but you could also earn interest on those assets if you were to deposit some of them into an interest-bearing crypto investment.

Many of the new centralised crypto platforms offer excellent APYs for your crypto assets and are very easy to use. Simply signup for an account, complete the Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti Money Laundering (AML) checks and then transfer your funds. The KYC and AML checks are automated on many platforms and can often be completed in just a few minutes by using your camera and ID document (passport, driving license etc.).

Once you deposit your funds in the platform's investment product, you will immediately start earning interest. Interest is accrued daily on most platforms, and many platforms also offer instant access to your funds.

Investing in liquidity pools on decentralised (DeFi) platforms may be attractive for advanced crypto users. Careful research and risk management will be required to manage these types of investment effectively, but the APYs available are substantially higher than those available on centralised exchanges.

Enhanced Interest Rates For Stablecoins

Many centralised platforms offer substantially higher rates for deposits in stablecoins such as Tether (USDT), USD Coin (USDC), Paxos Standard (PAX) and TrueUSD (TUSD). Many crypto platforms grant loans denominated in stablecoins so the platform is looking to attract stablecoin investors to provide liquidity. In return for this additional liquidity the platform is willing to pay a higher annual percentage yield (APY). Interest rates of 10% or more for stablecoins are available on some platforms.

Can You Earn Interest on Fiat Currencies on Crypto Platforms?

Yes! You could earn 10% or more on your Dollars, Euros and Pounds? Whilst the investment products are focused on crypto, many centralised platforms also offer very high yielding accounts on regular fiat currencies such as US Dollars (USD), Euros (EUR) and Pounds Sterling (GBP).

You don't even need to own any cryptocurrencies to benefit. Just sign up for an account on the platform, complete the KYC/AML checks and then transfer your fiat currency from your regular bank account to the platform using a normal bank transfer. If you complete the transfer using a regular bank transfer (e.g. SWIFT, SEPA) then most platforms will not charge any fees, however transfers via VISA or Mastercard normally attract a substantial handling fee so are best avoided.

Benefits of Centralised Platforms (CeFi) and Decentralised Platforms (DeFi)

One of the key decisions is whether to invest in a centralised or decentralised exchange. Each have their unique advantages and the right choice will depend on your financial position, appetite for risk and level of experience.

Centralised Platforms (CeFi)

  • Easy to use interface - perfect for beginners
  • Customer support is available if you get stuck
  • Many products include insurance coverage
  • Instant access to your funds
  • Earn higher APY by investing for a fixed period or through loyalty tokens
  • APY on fiat currencies sometimes available too
  • Lower risk than decentralised exchanges

Decentralised Platforms (DeFi)

  • High APYs available for advanced crypto users
  • Normally can be used anonymously (No KYC or AML checks)
  • You directly manage how your crypto is invested
  • Many advanced products emerging that manage your investment across multiple assets

How to Find the Best Crypto Staking Yields

Comparing crypto investment returns can be a little tricky. Each centralised platform has a multitude of different interest rates available, which vary according to the type of currency deposited, the type of currency your interest is paid in, your loyalty level and how long you deposit the money for.  These platforms also express their savings rates in different formats, with some quoting Annual Percentage Rate (APR) and others quoting Annual Percentage Yield (APY).

Making sure that you are comparing like with like is no easy task. In addition, understanding the cost and benefit of the various loyalty schemes can further affect the decision and make a substantial difference in the total value of your income over the course of a year.

Then we have the investment products available on the decentralised exchanges. There are literally thousands of these products, each with their own unique features. The investments available are on multiple different chains, and the rates offered change daily.

Thankfully here at Definda we've done all the hard work for you. We carefully monitor all the platform rates and arrange the data in an easy to use crypto investment apy calculator. Simply enter the amount and type of currency that you want to deposit and we search all the platforms that support that currency, compare the rates and show you the enhanced benefits available with their various loyalty schemes. The calculator is completely free to use and does not affect the savings rate that you obtain.

Loyalty Schemes

Loyalty Scheme Key Points
  • Earn up to 2% more by buying platform tokens
  • Earn interest in platform tokens for enhanced rates
  • Dividends payable on some platforms tokens
  • Invest in the future growth of the platform

Many centralised crypto platforms offer loyalty programmes that provide enhanced interest rates in return for buying or holding the platform's own house crypto currency. The increase in APY can be substantial, with up to 2% additional interest per year available at the top end of some of the loyalty programs.

In addition to enhanced savings rates for buying the platform's own cryptocurrency, some platforms also provide increased annual percentage rates if you are willing to accept your interest being paid out in the platform's own cryptocurrency rather than the currency you deposited. Many of these platforms are highly innovative companies that are operating within a very fast moving industry. There is certainly potential for the platform cryptocurrencies to increase substantially in value, although, of course, as always, you should do your own research and make your own judgement on each platform.

Tax Considerations & Benefits of Crypto Staking

If you invested in crypto a few years ago then you may be sitting a substantial capital gain in the value of your crypto assets. Having not sold the assets, you have not yet triggered a capital gains tax event. Such an event would require a substantial proportion of your gain to be paid to the government in most jurisdictions.

Instead of selling your crypto assets you could invest them in a crypto investment product and earn interest on them. The accrued interest would be subject to income tax in most jurisdictions, however, you would still be realising some level of income from your crypto assets without being forced to sell them. As such, you can still benefit from any potential future increase in the value of those crypto assets.

Please note that tax is an extremely complex subject with a wide range of different structures depending on the country you are a tax resident in. We are in no way providing tax advice, and you should always seek independent professional expert tax advice about your own specific situation.

How to Signup For an Earnings Account on a Centralised Platform

Signing up for an investment account on a centralised platform is really easy. Just find the best platform for your situation using our crypto investment calculator, click through to the platform and create an account with your username and password in the normal way. Most platforms allow you to sign up either via their mobile app or directly on their website.

As part of the account signup process, most platforms will offer two-factor authentication (2FA) as a security option for your account. We highly recommend that you enable 2FA as it makes your account significantly more secure. 2FA works in a similar way to the physical security dongles that some traditional banks are now providing to customers. All you need to do is install a 2FA application on your phone such as Authy or Google Authenticator. You can then pair this authenticator with your platform account by using the authenticator app to scan a QR code provided by the platform. Once completed, somebody can only access your account if they also have access to your authenticator.

Once you have signed up and setup your 2FA, then you will need to complete the platform's Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti Money Laundering (AML) checks. Thankfully this process is highly automated on most platforms now. All you need to do is take pictures of your face and your ID document, such as your passport, and you'll have completed most of the process. The platform may also ask you what the source of the funds that you are depositing is. Some platforms may manually review your application before providing you with access, whilst others may provide you with limited access until your application is formally approved.

Finally, once your account is approved, you simply need to transfer your funds to the platform. This can be via a regular crypto transfer or, if you are depositing fiat currency (e.g. Dollars or Euros), then a regular bank transfer.

Safety and Security Considerations

Key Security Points
  • Research platforms carefully before investing
  • Always use 2 factor authentication for your account
  • Most platforms outsource crypto security to third party custodians
  • Custodians use cold storage, multi-signature wallets for crypto assets
  • Custodians offer substantial insurance against loss
  • Only transfer a small amount to the platform to start with
  • Be skeptical about any unexpected messages

The world of cryptocurrency and decentralised finance is extremely fast moving and you should always act with caution when dealing with any company operating in the space. There is inevitably a certain level of risk involved in any new industry, and if you are not comfortable with taking some level of financial risk then cryptocurrencies and decentralised finance platforms may not be the right choice for you.

Whilst all of the centralised platforms offering crypto investments are very young companies, they are operating within a highly regulated industry. The KYC and AML checks when you signup to these platforms are annoying, but they also provide some level of confidence that these companies are legitimate and are following the appropriate regulatory procedures and protocols.

We provide significant background information on the centralised platforms that we list including the company location, legal status, licenses and certificates held, key individual bios, insurance levels and much more. It is worth reviewing this information carefully before deciding to proceed with signing up. Also, carefully check recent reviews for the platform. It's best to check a number of different review sources in case the reviews on one review site have been manipulated in some way.

When you deposit funds on the platform, the platform then needs to act with extreme caution to ensure that those funds are not lost, for example by the platform being hacked. Many platforms have opted to outsource this function to a third party crypto security custodian such as Bitgo. By taking this approach the crypto assets are held separately to the platform software, so even if the platform was hacked, the amount of crypto currency that could be stolen would be limited. The third party crypto custodians offer substantial protection of the crypto assets such as storing the assets in cold storage wallets (wallets that are not network connected), using multi-signature wallets (more than one person required to authorise transfers), and using discrete geographical locations for storage of wallets. In addition the custodian will provide substantial insurance against theft of the assets.

As new businesses, there is a risk that they could go bankrupt due to mismanagement or a collapse in crypto prices. Check the background of the business carefully to decide whether you feel it is well managed before deciding to proceed.

When transferring money to and from the platform always ensure that you are dealing directly with the platform (i.e. you are using the platform's mobile app or you are definitely on the platforms website and have a secure connection). It is sensible to transfer a small amount of money to the platform first and once that has been received then transfer a larger amount.

Treat any received messages, emails or calls from the platform with extreme skepticism. Any messages requesting money, suggesting a change in your account or saying you need to act urgently should be handled very cautiously. It is always best to contact the platform directly and speak to their customer service team if you have any doubt about the legitimacy of the message.

Whilst cryptocurrency and DeFi platforms certainly are not for the faint of heart it is worth keeping in mind that traditional banks can and do go bust, and in some countries suffering financial collapse assets have been seized from private banks by governments. There is always some level of risk involved no matter where you store your money and it is important to find the right level of risk for your own personal circumstances.

Frequently Asked Questions

A

You will see that some platforms quote their interest rate as APR (Annual Percentage Rate) and others quote their rate as APY (Annual Percentage Yield). Whilst they sound similar, there are important differences between them.

The APR is the rate over one year excluding the effect of compound interest. The Annual Percantage Rate is simply the monthly percentage rate multiplied by 12. If you deposit 1,200 USD in an account with an APR of 10% then the monthly interest you can expect would be 1200 x 10% / 12 = 10 USD.

The APY includes the effect of compound interest. Compound interest is when the interest you earn in one period is itself reinvested to earn even more interest. If you deposit 1,200 USD in an account with an APY of 10% then the interest you can expect in the first month would be 1200 x (((1+10%)^(1/12)) - 1) = 9.57 USD. However the interest the next month would increase to 9.65 USD, with the interest continuing to increase every month to provide a total amount of interest over the course of one year of 10%.

Due to the effect of compounding, the APY will be higher than the APR. For this reason many platforms prefer to quote their interest rates as APY.

You can further helpful information on the difference between APR and APY at Investopedia.

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Fiat currency is currency that is issued by a government, for example US Dollars or Euros. Fiat currency is not back by any physical commodity that may limit its supply.

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Yield farming is the process of investing your crypto assets in order to generate a return. There are various levels of sophistication, complexity and risk to generating thse returns.

The simplest and lowest risk approach is to invest your currency on one of the large crypto platforms such as those listed on this page. Many of these platforms offer high levels of security and insurance to protect your funds.

More advanced methods of yield farming include staking your funds on a decentralised exchange or leveraging your existing funds by borrowing against them and then investing the loaned funds. These are advanced techniques and require a good level of technical competance and financial analysis.

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A centralised exchange, sometimes known as a CEX, is an exchange that is owned and operated by a business. This business creates and controls various investment products and when you invest in one of these products you are handing control of your funds to this business.

A decentralised exchange, sometimes known as a DEX, is an exchange that is not controlled by any single entity. The exchange will still have been created by a group of people, but it will normally be decentralised in its adminstration and control mechanism.

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Cumulative interest is when the interest over one period (say one month) gets reinvested the next month to earn even more interest. Savings accounts that generate compound interest normally express their rate as an Annual Percentage Yield (APY) which includes the compounding affect of these interest payments to determine a total income rate for the year.

It is worth paying attention the interest calculation and payment frequency of different platforms. Some platforms will calculate and pay out interest daily. Others calculate interest daily but pay out monthly. In some cases the interest calculated daily is still compounded daily even though it is actually paid out monthly.

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The frequency at which interest is paid varies by platform. Some platforms payout monthly, others daily. Some will calculate interest daily but only pay it out monthly. Our comparison tables include information on how frequently interest is paid by each platform.

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Many platforms have their cryptocurrency which is also known as the platform token. By buying the platform's own token you are rewarded with higher interest rates on some platforms. You can also elect to have your interest paid out in the platform's own token in return for higher rates. Some platforms are similar to shares in the platform and payout a proportion of the company's profits as dividends and even confer some voting rights.

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Some platforms will grant you a significantly higher savings rate if you are prepared to have your interest paid out in the platform's own token. The platform token may well be more volatile than the base currency that you have deposited, so there is a greater chance of both significant increases and significant decreases in the ultimate value of the interest that you have earned.

As an additional benefit of being paid in the platform tokens, some platforms then pay a dividend on those tokens thereby further increasing your total earnings.

By accepting your interest in the platform token you are in effect indicating your support for the platform and are looking to share in the success of the platform as it grows.

Platform Comparisons

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Article by Matt
1 February 2021 (Updated 20 March 2023)

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