ATOM staking has some of the best yields in the market. Staking your ATOM tokens can give you excellent returns on idle spot holdings, and is generally a reliable and safe way to earn more tokens with little risk.
We took a look at all the exchanges to find out which ones offer the best APY (annual percentage yield) for Cosmos staking. The results are below.
| Exchange: | Flexible APY: |
|---|---|
| Binance | 2.72% |
| Bybit | 2.00% |
| CoinEx | 0.44% |
| KuCoin | 1.00% |
| Kraken | 6.00% |
| Bitget | 4.80% |
| XT | 1.40% |
| Gate | 0.88% |
| HTX | 1.50% |
| Poloniex | 0.50% |
| CoinW | 3.00% |
| OKX * | 16.72% |
| Coinbase ** | 9.22% |
| Bitrue | 22.00% |
- * OKX has a 21-day unstaking period.
- ** Coinbase has a 25-day unstaking period for ATOM.
APYs in the table above are for flexible staking. Flexible staking means you can withdraw or use your ATOM coins (including accumulated interest) at any time without penalties or fees.
What’s the best ATOM staking exchange?
Currently, the highest yield without any lockup periods is on Bitrue, at whooping 22%.
Second best yields are on Bitfinex. This is a remarkably safe exchange to hold your coins on and one of our favorite long-term spot holding CEXs, so don’t fret about making an account there.
Third best ATOM staking return is on Kraken. This is another very safe exchange, offering 6% annual yield.
Is staking ATOM worth it?
Experienced traders may be able to get larger profits simply by doing a few good trades. However, for inexperienced traders this can be easier said than done. For investors who hold Cosmos long-term, there’s no reason not to take advantage of staking offers.
Aside from OKX and Coinbase, you can unstake and trade your tokens immediately on all the above exchanges. There are no lockup or redemption periods. Therefore, even if you intend to sell your ATOM during pumps, staking can be a risk-free endeavor.
On top of this, there is very little if any risk involved with staking on CEXs. Even at 5% APY, you are getting free ATOM at no cost.
ATOM staking returns calculator
Let’s not keep you guessing. Punch in your USD investment, your expected annual yield (refer to our table above), and we’ll give you a quick rundown of potential earnings for different time periods.
Keep in mind that staking yields are always in the same asset — in this case ATOM, and not USD. This means that your final earnings can be higher if you expect Cosmos price to increase.
On-chain vs. CEX staking
At the time of writing this, staking Cosmos on decentralized exchanges and protocols has an average APY of 16.59%. This is higher than most CEXs currently offer. But, staking on-chain has its own drawbacks: shady dApps, rug pulls, scams, compromised wallets and many other risks can be scary for inexperienced investors.
Staking on CEXs is typically far safer and has practically no risk. Most exchanges will provide insurance funds and guarantees that your staked assets are safe, but refer to each individual exchange to confirm this is the case. In addition, keeping your tokens staked on CEXs means they are always available for quick trades.
Don’t forget:
- Savings, staking or earn programs may not be available in all countries or territories. Even if an exchange is servicing your area. US and Canada are often excluded from staking, but check each exchange to ensure this is the case.
- Alternatively, you can use exchanges without KYC to bypass regional restrictions. You will probably also need to use a trading VPN in order to view staking offers.
- APY varies frequently by small percentages, you should verify current rates with on each exchange. We exclude promotional rates, new user bonus yields, or other temporarily available rates. APYs displayed in the table are average and available to all customers,
ATOM staking on exchanges is popular, and has very lucrative interest rates on some. For investors who want to earn free ATOM tokens with little risk, participating in staking or savings programs can be a profitable venture.
