Optimism (OP) staking can be a safe and consistent way to receive regular interest for spot holdings. This popular Ethereum Layer 2 token has been gaining a lot of traction, and should be a part of every serious crypto portfolio.
Optimism staking on CEXs (centralized exchanges) is a reliable and safe way to earn more $OP with little risk. For investors who aren’t looking to frequently trade, staking can be an appealing option to gain more tokens.
Below is our list of best exchanges for staking Optimism, compared by APY (yearly interest).
| Exchange: | Flexible APY: |
|---|---|
| Binance | 0.17% |
| Bybit | 2.00% |
| CoinEx | 0.70% |
| KuCoin | 0.13% |
| Bitget | 1.00% |
| XT | 1.50% |
| Gate | 0.88% |
| CoinW | 0.10% |
| Bitrue | 4.00% |
What are the top CEXs to stake OP?
Bitrue is the highest yielding exchange that currently offers OP staking. With a 4% APY (annual percentage yield), Bitrue is a safe exchange to hold your OP tokens on, and provides you with a decent and consistent profit.
This is followed by Bybit, which offers only half as much per year. Despite APY at 2%, Bybit continues to be every serious trader’s top exchange, making OP staking on it a popular venture.
XT and its 1.5% APY comes at a 3rd place, followed by all other exchanges at 1% or lower.
Is OP staking profitable?
Optimism is not nearly as profitable for staking compared to many other coins in the market. However, $OP is commonplace in many portfolios, and there is little reason not to earn additional interest on your holdings.
Optimism staking provides medium returns when compared to Polygon, Arbitrum and StarkNet, three other popular Ethereum L2s.
On a $1,000 investment, you can earn an extra $40 a year assuming highest staking yield currently available. If you also account for potential Optimism price increase, the profits can be even higher.
Staking returns calculator:
Our tool will provide you with a rough estimate on earnings based on USD amount and annual percentage yield. The actual USD earnings will be different, because it’s not possible to predict OP price in the future.
On-chain vs. CEX staking
Optimism staking on CEXs and yields displayed in the table are typically lower compared to on-chain staking through various decentralized exchanges, wallets or protocols. Some CEXs may offer on-chain staking with better yields too, but this typically requires locking your coins for a fixed duration.
On-chain staking has risks. You need to deal with decentralized exchanges, protocols and projects that often haven’t been fully tested and vetted, and exposing your private wallet to these can be risky.
On the other hand, most centralized exchanges have user fund protection policies in place, ensuring your staking investment and interest are protected from any losses.
A few things to remember:
- Savings, staking or earn programs may not be available in all countries or territories, even if an exchange is servicing your area. United States 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.
- We do our best to keep APY accurate, but it can vary or be subject to change. You should always confirm rates with on each exchange. We excluded temporary promotional rates, new user bonus yields, or other temporarily available rates. APYs displayed on our website are average, and available to all customers,
Due to Optimism’s popularity, staking typically doesn’t have impressive yields. Nevertheless, getting a couple of percent in interest can add up, especially with long-term investors who hold large amounts.
