Staking* continues to strengthen its position as one of the key ways to earn passive income in the crypto industry. According to Staking Rewards, more than 30% of all Ethereum coins are already locked in staking, while for Solana, this figure exceeds 68%.
* Staking is the process of locking cryptocurrency in a blockchain network (usually with a Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanism) to participate in transaction validation and network security, for which the user receives rewards in the form of interest or new coins.
Top coins for staking in 2026
1. Bitcoin (BTC)
With the emergence of new decentralized solutions, such as the Babylon protocol, staking is now available even for Bitcoin. This is why BTC opens the list of the best coins for staking in 2026.
The Babylon protocol uses special smart contracts, allowing BTC to be transferred from the native network into its own infrastructure without the need to wrap the asset.
Bitcoin staking via Babylon is available from several providers with yields of up to 0.96% APY:
Staking4All
stakefish
Meria
Nansen
Allnodes
2. Ethereum (ETH)
Ethereum remains the largest altcoin on the market. As of January 2026, its market capitalization exceeds $353 billion, which is about 12% of the entire crypto market.
ETH is traditionally considered one of the best coins for staking. The number of validators* on the network is approaching 1 million, and the total value locked (TVL)* exceeds $100 billion — an absolute record among PoS networks.
* Validators are blockchain network nodes responsible for verifying and confirming transactions, forming new blocks, and maintaining consensus. To become a validator, a participant must lock a certain amount of cryptocurrency in staking, which serves as an economic guarantee of honest behavior.
* TVL (Total Value Locked) is a metric reflecting the total amount of funds locked by users within a specific blockchain network or protocol. It includes assets staked, smart contracts, liquidity pools, and DeFi services. A high TVL indicates strong investor trust, active ecosystem usage, and financial stability.
Direct staking on the native Ethereum network requires a minimum of 32 ETH (over $93,000), however liquid staking* has made ETH accessible even to retail investors.
* Liquid staking is a staking format in which a user locks cryptocurrency via a special protocol and receives a liquid derivative token in return, reflecting their share of the staked assets. Such a token can be freely used in DeFi applications, sold, or exchanged without waiting for the lock-up period to end.
Popular ETH liquid staking protocols:
Dinero — 3.91% APY (TVL $25 million)
MEV Protocol — 3.71%
Rocket Pool — 3.34% ($1.22 billion)
Ether.fi — 2.86% ($9.86 billion)
Coinbase — 2.85% ($1.3 billion)
3. Tether (USDT)
USDT is the largest stablecoin and the third-largest digital asset in the world by market capitalization. In January 2026, its market value exceeded $186 billion.
Tether does not have its own blockchain, so classic staking is not available for it. Essentially, “staking” USDT is more akin to a bank deposit: the user deposits the asset on a platform and receives a percentage of the platform’s income.
Despite this, USDT is among the best coins for staking due to its high liquidity and minimal price risks.
You can stake USDT:
on centralized exchanges (Binance, ByBit, Bitget, Coinbase);
through DeFi pools and lending protocols (Aave, JustLend, Compound);
in Trust Wallet and OKX Wallet with yields of up to 5.1% APY.
4. Binance Coin (BNB)
BNB remains one of the few altcoins capable of competing with Ethereum. At specific points, it has even surpassed USDT in market capitalization, making it an obvious candidate for the list of the best coins for staking.
Direct BNB staking is not available, but users can use validator services:
CertiK — 1.5% APY ($937 million TVL)
HashKey Cloud — 1.07% ($831 million)
Figment — 0.84% ($1.02 billion)
Globalstake — 0.66% ($117 million)
5. USD Coin (USDC)
USDC ranks second among stablecoins with a market capitalization of about $74.8 billion. Like USDT, it is actively used in staking through exchanges and DeFi pools.
OKX Wallet and Trust Wallet allow users to stake USDC directly, offering yields of up to 5.21% APY.
USDC is considered one of the best stablecoins for staking due to its high reserve transparency and close integration with regulated platforms.
6. Solana (SOL)
Solana remains one of the largest cryptocurrencies on the market with a capitalization exceeding $72 billion. Despite weakened positions in 2026, SOL still ranks among the top 10 digital assets.
Nearly 70% of all SOL coins are staked, significantly reducing the free supply. This factor makes Solana one of the most attractive coins for long-term staking.
7. TRON (TRX)
TRON continues to rank among the top 10 cryptocurrencies, boasting a robust ecosystem and an active community. About half of all TRX coins are staked, indicating strong trust from holders.
Popular TRX staking providers:
Nansen — 3.28%
P2P.org — 3.2%
Klin — 3.16%
Luganodes — 3.14%
Staking4All — 3.14%
How to find coins for staking on your own
To search for promising assets, you can use specialized services such as Staking Rewards, which allow you to sort cryptocurrencies by yield (APY)* and available providers. For stablecoins, DeFi aggregators like De.Fi are helpful, as they display liquidity pools*.
* APY (Annual Percentage Yield) is an annual return metric that takes into account the effect of compound interest, i.e., reinvestment of earned rewards. APY reflects the actual potential income from staking or deposits over a year, assuming that accrued interest is regularly added to the principal amount.
* Liquidity pools are smart contracts into which users deposit their crypto assets to support the operation of decentralized exchanges and DeFi protocols. These funds are used for trading, lending, or other operations, and pool participants receive rewards in the form of fees or additional tokens proportional to their contribution.
Many crypto wallets — Trust Wallet, OKX Wallet, Ledger, Atomic Wallet — support built-in staking, allowing users to place assets immediately after funding their balance.
Large centralized exchanges (Binance, Bybit, Coinbase) also offer staking, but their yields are generally lower than those from direct interaction with validators.
When choosing the best coins for staking, it is essential to consider not only the yield percentage but also the level of network decentralization, the number of validators, the level of risk, and lock-up periods.