Learn: staking & yields, explained

The "real" staking: on a proof-of-stake chain you lock (delegate) coins to a validator that helps secure the network, and in return you earn rewards from the protocol's issuance. Examples: Solana, Cardano, Cosmos, Ethereum. Rewards are usually modest but predictable, and there is often an unbonding wait to withdraw. See current rates on the Native staking page.

You stake via a protocol (Lido, Jito, Marinade…) and receive a liquid staking token (stETH, mSOL…) representing your staked position. You keep earning native staking rewards but the token stays usable in DeFi or can be sold instantly — no unbonding wait. It is the closest thing to native staking that appears in the DeFi data on the Compare page.

Here you stake a project's governance/utility token, not to secure a chain but for rewards or a role in the protocol. The classic example is Aave's Safety Module (stkAAVE): you stake AAVE as a backstop and earn rewards, accepting some slashing risk. It is genuinely "staking", but a different kind from native and liquid staking.

You deposit an asset (e.g. USDC) into a money market like Aave or Compound, and borrowers pay interest that becomes your yield. Usually withdraw-anytime, but it carries smart-contract risk and the rate moves with supply and demand.

You deposit a pair of assets into a decentralized exchange and earn a share of the trading fees. The catch is impermanent loss: if the two assets move apart in price, you can end up worse off than just holding them.

When you provide two assets to a pool and their prices diverge, the pool rebalances in a way that can leave you with less value than if you had simply held the two assets. It becomes "permanent" if you withdraw while prices are apart.

The annualized return including compounding. On this site it often splits into a base part and a reward part. APY is not fixed — it changes over time, so treat any figure as an estimate.

The yield that comes from real economic activity: interest paid by borrowers, or trading fees in a pool. It tends to be more sustainable than incentive rewards.

Bonus yield paid in a protocol's own tokens to attract deposits. It can be huge but is often temporary and depends on the reward token's price — which is why very high APYs usually carry more risk.

The total value deposited in a pool or protocol. Bigger usually means more established and audited, though it is not a guarantee of safety.

A plain-language label we derive from TVL so you are not guessing. It is a quick proxy, not a full risk assessment — always check where the yield actually comes from and do your own research.

When you unstake native PoS coins, many chains make you wait before the funds are free — Cosmos ~21 days, Polkadot ~28 days, Solana ~2–3 days, Cardano none. Lending and pools are usually withdraw-anytime; liquid staking can be instant (sell the token).

A protocol-defined cut to the block reward miners receive, tied to a block height rather than a date. It affects mining supply, not staking yields. See live countdowns on the Halving page.