Top Performing Stacking Platforms in the Year 2025
Looking to maximize your crypto earnings? Check out these top staking platforms for 2025!
Crypto staking is a crucial component of Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchains, offering financial incentives for users to validate transactions and maintain network security. Here, we dive into the best staking platforms, examining their features and supported assets. We'll also explore the basics of staking and discuss different staking methods.
What is DeFi Staking?
Staking involves locking up crypto assets in a wallet to support a blockchain's security and sustainability. In PoS blockchains, users typically earn additional crypto rewards proportional to their staked tokens. By staking, you contribute to the network's security, validate transactions, and help create new blocks.
Staking incentivizes honest behavior, with users earning rewards for supporting the network's operation while malicious or irresponsible validators risk losing some or all of their staked tokens. This system encourages active participation and maintains the blockchain's integrity.
Benefits of Crypto Staking
Staking offers several advantages for users, blockchain networks, and DeFi protocols:
Passive Income Generation
Staking allows you to earn rewards without selling your crypto assets, creating a regular passive income source. If the earned rewards are restaked, the compound interest effect can increase your total earnings.
High Returns
Annual percentage yields (APY) can range from single-digit to triple-digit percentages, depending on the blockchain and market conditions. This makes staking an attractive alternative to traditional financial instruments.
Increased Accessibility and Network Support
Staking lowers the barrier to entry for participating in blockchain networks, as it allows users to earn rewards without needing to mine or trade. This increased accessibility can lead to broader network support and adoption.
Unlike Proof of Work (PoW) blockchains, staking does not require specialized hardware or high energy consumption. In PoS networks, simply staking a certain amount of tokens is sufficient, making the process accessible to a wider user base.
Moreover, by locking tokens, validators on the blockchain protect against threats like 51% attacks and ensure long-term stability. Thus, stakers contribute to the network's security and are rewarded accordingly.
Top Crypto Staking Platforms of 2025
Below, we analyze the top staking platforms based on their features, supported assets, and other relevant information:
Jito: The Largest Liquid Staking Platform on Solana
Jito is the largest liquid staking platform on the Solana blockchain, allowing users to stake SOL and receive JitoSOL in return. This serves as a liquid staking token (LST) that can be used in other Solana-based DeFi projects, enabling users to utilize their staked assets in different DeFi projects even when they are locked.
Jito's MEV approach is often a contentious topic, with some arguing that MEV (Maximum Extractable Value) allows traders to front-run or reorder transactions while others believe it improves market efficiency and helps borrowers make their repayments. Jito utilizes an open auction system to manage MEV, ensuring a fair distribution of fees to validators and JitoSOL holders.
Key Features of Jito
Liquid Stake (JitoSOL)
Users stake SOL and receive JitoSOL in return, which can be used in DeFi platforms (lending, trading, liquidity pools, etc.) and continues to earn staking rewards.
MEV Integration
Jito optimizes transaction ordering to redistribute MEV profits to JitoSOL holders, increasing overall staking yields.
Fully Decentralized Governance
Jito's governance token, JTO, gives holders voting rights on platform delegation strategies, treasury management, and protocol upgrades. The Jito DAO provides a community-driven control mechanism.
Security and Transparency
Jito relies on audited smart contracts and delegates staked SOL to recognized validators in the Solana ecosystem. Jito DAO governance enhances platform transparency.
Supported Assets
Currently, Jito only supports SOL tokens, as it is integrated solely with the Solana blockchain.
EigenLayer: The King of Restaking
EigenLayer is a middleware protocol built on Ethereum that pioneers the concept of restaking. Restaking involves investing previously staked ETH (like stETH) into a new liquidity pool. These staked assets are then allocated to various decentralized applications (dApps), Active Validation Services (AVS), oracles, Layer 2 networks, data availability layers, and cross-chain bridges.
Key Features of EigenLayer
Restaking Market
EigenLayer functions like a marketplace. Validators and protocols can negotiate shared security for a specific cost. Protocols can purchase staked tokens or stETH to provide an additional security layer. Validators can select which protocols to secure, balance risk-reward ratios, and manage capital efficiently.
Flexible Staking Options
EigenLayer offers users various staking options, including the ability to perform solo staking, operate their own validators, delegate stakes to third parties, and enable dual staking (stake ETH and a local token simultaneously).
Programmability
Developers can create custom validation rules and security parameters for EigenLayer-based applications, enabling innovative security mechanisms like multi-token staking tailored to specific risk profiles.
Modular Security
EigenLayer offers a modular structure, allowing staked assets to be secured for storage, DeFi applications, or cross-chain bridges. This flexibility enables each project to build a structure tailored to its own security needs.
Supported Assets
EigenLayer currently supports assets such as ETH, ERC-20 tokens, and liquid staking tokens (Lido's stETH and Rocketpool's rETH).
Lido Staking: The Leader in Liquid Staking
Lido is one of the largest liquid staking platforms, allowing users to earn staking rewards without having to unlock their staked assets. This model, known as liquid staking, is the core of the platform. Lido generates tokenized staking derivatives (e.g., stETH or stDOT), allowing users to freely use their assets while staking.
Key Features of Lido
Liquid Staking
When you stake with Lido, you receive a 1:1 derivative token (e.g., stETH). Anyone can stake any amount (though a minimum of 32 ETH is required for validators).
Validator Distribution
Staked tokens are distributed among professional validators selected by the Lido DAO. This reduces risks associated with validator errors or penalties.
Open Source and Audited System
Lido's smart contracts are open-source and regularly audited. Audit reports are published on GitHub.
Fee Structure
Lido charges a 10% commission on staking rewards. This fee is shared among node operators and the Lido DAO treasury.
Supported Assets
Lido supports a variety of cryptocurrencies, including Ethereum (ETH), Polygon (MATIC), Kusama (KSM), and Polkadot (DOT). However, Solana (SOL) staking has been discontinued due to community votes and long-term unsustainable fee structures.
Binance Earn: Passive Income from Your Crypto Assets
Binance Earn is an income platform developed within the Binance ecosystem to provide passive income for investors, suitable for both beginners and experienced investors. It offers various staking and savings options.
Binance Earn allows users to earn income by locking their crypto assets for specific periods or by liquid staking. Notably, the locked staking program offers higher yields for 30, 60, or 90-day terms.
Key Features of Binance Earn
DeFi and Liquid Staking
Users can gain higher annual yields (APY) by connecting to DeFi protocols, but this also involves risks from decentralized platforms. Binance also offers ETH 2.0 Staking, allowing users to stake Ethereum without running their own validators, and they receive BETH tokens representing their staked ETH.
Savings Products
- Flexible Savings: Users can withdraw funds at any time, but interest rates are lower.
- Locked Savings: Higher yields require locking assets for a specified period.
Dual Investment
A product designed for advanced investors, offering high yields by using two different cryptocurrencies based on market conditions.
BNB Vault
A special investment pool for BNB holders, combining staking, savings, and liquidity mining to maximize yields from BNB assets.
Supported Assets
Binance Earn supports over 180 crypto assets, including Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Cardano (ADA), and various stablecoins.
Ethena: Stablecoin Yielding Crypto-Collateralized Returns
Ethena (USDe) is a synthetic stablecoin built on Ethereum, backed by crypto-collateral, and maintains a 1:1 dollar peg through delta-neutral risk management.
Key Features of Ethena
USDe - Delta-Neutral Stablecoin
USDe is backed by assets that are traded in derivative markets to protect against price volatility. Short positions are opened to maintain the stablecoin's value at $1, eliminating the need for fiat reserves or centralized storage services.
Crypto Collateral
All USDe supply is backed by crypto assets on the blockchain, including Ethereum (ETH), Staked Ethereum (stETH), Bitcoin (BTC), and other stablecoins.
Earning Token - sUSDe
Users who stake USDe earn the yield-generating derivative token sUSDe, with sources of yield including Ethereum staking rewards and funding rates from delta-neutral derivative positions.
Insurance Fund
Ethena provides an insurance fund to enhance security in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space. This fund steps in during extreme market fluctuations, negative funding rates, or crises to maintain the stability of USDe's value.
Supported Assets and Staking
Ethena enables users to stake USDe and earn sUSDe, with the sUSDe token reflecting yields from derivative funding rates and Ethereum staking rewards, increasing in value over time.
Crypto Staking Guide: Step-by-Step Tutorial
Here's a guide to get started with staking crypto:
- Choose a Crypto Wallet: Some wallets allow you to stake directly from the application, while others require you to use staking platforms. Popular options include Trust Wallet, Exodus, and Phantom.
- Stake Directly with Crypto Wallets: Stake your crypto assets within the wallet. Some wallets offer native staking options, while others require you to use external platforms. For example, Phantom Wallet allows users to choose between native staking and liquid staking on Solana.
- Use a Staking Platform: Connect your crypto wallet to a platform like Lido and stake the desired cryptocurrency. For example, to stake Ethereum (ETH) on Lido, select the amount of ETH and receive stETH tokens in return, which can be used in DeFi protocols while still generating staking rewards.
- Node Staking: More advanced users can run their own validator nodes on blockchains like Solana or Ethereum. By managing their own staked assets and those of liquid stakers, they earn rewards from their own staked assets and a commission from the rewards of users in their pool.
- Stake via Exchange: Centralized platforms like Binance and Coinbase manage the staking process on your behalf, offering simple staking options for a variety of coins.
To avoid any potential scams or security issues, it's crucial to research various staking platforms and ensure they have good reputation and security measures in place. For even higher security, hardware wallets like Ledger can be used to store your cryptocurrency offline.
- As part of exploring the benefits of different staking platforms, Jito, the largest liquid staking platform on Solana, offers an MEV approach, optimizing transaction ordering to redistribute MEV profits to JitoSOL holders, increasing overall staking yields.
- EigenLayer, the middleware protocol built on Ethereum, is a pioneer in the concept of restaking, enabling users to invest previously staked ETH or stETH into new liquidity pools, creating flexible staking options and enhancing DeFi integration.
- In the world of blockchain finance, Ethena is a synthetic stablecoin built on Ethereum, backed by crypto collateral, providing users with stablecoin yielding crypto-collateralized returns and ensuring a 1:1 dollar peg through delta-neutral risk management.
- Considering the importance of education in maximizing crypto earnings, understanding the mechanisms of staking and liquid staking can help investors make informed choices about which platforms best suit their investment strategies, such as Lido Staking's liquid staking model that offers users tokenized staking derivatives, allowing users to freely use their assets while staking.
- Looking towards the future of technology's integration into everyday lifestyles, the leading staking platform of 2025, Binance Earn, provides passive income opportunities from a wide variety of cryptocurrencies, using open-sourced and regularly audited smart contracts and offering additional features like dual investment and BNB Vault to maximize yields for users.
