Cardano is a leading layer 1 blockchain whose native token is ADA.
On the Cardano blockchain, staking ADA helps to maintain a fair and fully functioning network. Via smart contracts, Cardano distributes rewards to stakers according to the network’s consensus rules.
With Cardano, staking pools are picked randomly to validate the next set of data. When that data is successfully validated, the network rewards all participants in the selected staking pool.
If you’d like to stake ADA, this can be done easily through a cryptocurrency exchange or brokerages such as Binance, Coinbase or eToro. Staking can also be achieved directly through non-custodial browser wallets associated with Cardano such as Daedalus and Yoroi. This page will take you through the various ways you can stake ADA.
Head over to a crypto exchange or brokerage to purchase Cardano. You can use our list of recommended trading platforms to get started. Creating an account takes a few minutes and all you need to set up is some contact information and your personal I.D. Once your account is open, search for Cardano’s ticker, ADA, and buy your tokens. They should appear within a few seconds. Bear in mind, though, that if you choose to fund your account with a bank transfer, it could take a few days to land.
After purchasing Cardano, it's time to stake it. Some exchanges offer staking on their own website. Native staking on Cardano involves downloading a Cardano wallet and connecting to Cardano’s staking pools directly.
If you’d like to stake on an exchange or brokerage such as eToro then visit your trading platform’s staking page and find Cardano. Staking contracts tend to last for a few days so you won't be able to unstake your funds until the specified time period has lapsed.
When your staking contract had ended, go to your staking page and unstake your tokens. You will receive your ADA rewards along with the initial deposit you started with. At this point, you can re-stake and compound your earnings.
You can stake your Cardano on most cryptocurrency exchanges and brokers. One of the best brokers is eToro. There you’ll be able to stake your ADA tokens and earn a generous percentage yield. If you’d like to stake on the Cardano mainnet then download one of the recommended Cardano wallets such as Daedalus and Yoroi. To get Daedalus, visit the official website then download and install the wallet. Set up your wallet and make a note of your password and key phrase and keep them in a safe place.
Next, send your ADA from your exchange or broker to your crypto wallet and head to the Daedalus delegation page in the Daedalus application. You will find navigation tools for delegating ADA, along with staking pools, and more. To stake, simply search for a staking pool to join. A good tip is to consider joining a pool that isn’t too big and delivers reasonable rewards. Once you’ve selected your staking pool, delegate the amount of ADA you’d like to stake and accept the transaction fee. After a few epochs have passed, your rewards will start to appear in your wallet and you will be able to unstake if you wish. See the table below for places to get your ADA so you can stake it.
When choosing a platform to stake with you should always keep in mind whether or not the platform has been audited and whether or not it is trusted by the community. Research popular staking platforms for Cardano and follow their guides if you need extra help.
You should aim to delegate your tokens to a staking pool that isn’t too crowded. Choosing to stake in a pool with fewer delegators will help you generate greater rewards, and is also healthier for the network as it prevents larger node operators from ring-fencing too much voting power.
Check out our top picks for the best crypto staking platforms.
Staking rewards are hard to predict as rates fluctuate over time. Some of the best rates of return for staking can always be found by using a Cardano wallet and searching through the available staking pools on offer.
You can also find some generous rates on certain exchanges and brokers though be mindful of the fact that the broker is doing the staking for you and will take a fee for providing this service. Below is a list of reliable brokerages and exchanges that offer Cardano staking.
Cardano has been around for a while. It has a strong community that rallies around its founder, Charles Hoskinson, who was also one of the co-founders of Ethereum. Hoskinson is dedicated to educating Cardano followers and holds regular AMAs on his YouTube channel, providing updates and raising points of discussion about Cardano and DeFi in general.
Cardano has also recently overcome some major milestones with its decentralised applications (dApps) and wider staking capabilities. There’s still some time to go before Cardano is on par with Ethereum, Solana and Fantom, but developments seem to be coming along gradually and since the project launched, growth in the token price has been exceptional.
Cardano is viewed by institutions as something of a crypto blue-chip and there are high expectations for the blockchain, with teams of developers working hard to release exciting new dApps with excellent use cases. The greater the community growth and developer input, the more likely ADA’s price will increase in the long term. For these reasons, holding ADA is considered relatively safe compared to other medium cap and micro-cap coins, especially those without genuine utility.
How long you wish to stake your ADA for is your decision. To get the most out of your delegation and the APY rate, you should aim to stake your Cardano for a few epochs. At the end of an epoch, you'll be able to unstake and claim your rewards. Naturally, the longer you hold things for, the greater the returns, though be mindful that in a bear market your returns are likely to diminish, and if you decided to sell you could end up with less capital than you began with.
Staking comes with risks, especially if you use DeFi. When looking to stake your Cardano always reputable brokers that have been audited by the financial regulator of the country you’re based in. If you use a reputable broker, backed by insurance, that has a good track record, your tokens will be safer than if you stake on a new DeFi platform that’s just launched. As with staking any token, the risks of market volatility are always there, and it’s always best to stake in a bull market unless you plan on holding for many years.
The amount of Cardano that you can earn while staking will depend on the APY, how many delegators are in a pool and your delegated amount. On exchanges and brokerages, you can use a calculator to get an estimate of your Cardano rewards using their APY rate.
You do not require I.D. to to stake on Cardano using a non-custodial wallet. If you want to stake on an exchange or brokerage you will need to provide some I.D. during your sign up process. This is known as KYC or know your customer and is a regulatory necessity now in many countries.
Daedalus and Yoroi are the most recommended non-custodial wallets to use on the Cardano network. You can visit their websites and download the wallet for free along with their apps. Once you’ve set up your wallet you can then send Cardano from an exchange or brokerage to your personal wallets and connect them to a staking pool on Cardano to start earning rewards after a few epochs.
After you unstake your delegated tokens, your rewards and initial deposit will appear in your wallet or exchange portfolio within minutes, or even seconds.
Staking rewards can be compounded by re-staking your earned rewards. Some staking platforms offer auto-compounding services that automatically do this—recommended if you want to take a hands-off approach and enjoy the best rewards.
You can stake Cardano while it is stored in your Ledger wallet.
If you want more control over your staking options, more security and control of your funds, then staking using one of Cardano's recommended wallets is the best way to go. There are many different options to choose from when staking via a Cardano wallet compared to staking on an exchange or through a broker. Cardano provides tutorials on how to create and connect your wallet as well as how to choose a staking pool.
If you want to stake on an exchange for the sake of simplicity, then simply buy Cardano and delegate it to the exchange’s staking pool. It's quick and easy but the APY rate may be lower than what’s on offer through a non-custodial platform.