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Staking on Ethereum and Solana (and Liquid Staking)

Updated 2026-10-29

Short answer: staking means committing coins to help run a blockchain, and earning a share of new coins and fees in return. On Ethereum and Solana you can stake through an exchange, directly from your own wallet, or through liquid staking, which gives you a token (like stETH or JitoSOL) that keeps earning while you hold it. Recent yields have been about 2 to 2.5% a year for ETH and about 5 to 6% for SOL. They change all the time, and nobody can promise them.

How staking works

Ethereum and Solana are run by validators: computers that check transactions and add new blocks. Validators put coins at stake to show they'll play by the rules, and the network pays them for doing the work. When you stake, your coins back a validator and you get a share of what it earns, minus its fee.

Ethereum

  • Running your own validator takes 32 ETH, a computer that's always on, and technical skill. If it misbehaves, part of the stake can be taken away ("slashing"). This is rare, but real.
  • Through an exchange. Simple, but the exchange holds your ETH and takes a cut. The same custody trade-offs apply: see exchange or your own wallet.
  • Liquid staking (Lido, Rocket Pool, Coinbase, ether.fi and others): you deposit any amount and receive a token, such as stETH, wstETH, rETH or cbETH, that grows in value or quantity as rewards come in. You can hold it in your own wallet, sell it, or use it in apps.
  • Getting out isn't instant: unstaking goes through a queue that can take days or longer when many people leave at once. With a liquid staking token you can usually sell it instead, sometimes at a small discount.

Solana

  • Staking from your own wallet is built in: most Solana wallets (Phantom, Solflare and others) let you pick a validator and stake. Your SOL moves into a stake account that only you control; the validator can't spend it.
  • Timing works in epochs of about two days. New stake starts earning at the next epoch, and unstaked SOL becomes free to withdraw when the current epoch ends.
  • Choosing a validator: look at its fee (commission) and its track record. A very large validator doesn't earn you more, and spreading stake across smaller reliable validators helps keep the network healthy.
  • Liquid staking (Jito, Marinade, Jupiter, Sanctum and others): you get a token such as JitoSOL or mSOL instead, and the provider spreads the stake across validators for you.

Our Portfolio shows Solana stake accounts (status, validator, last epoch's rewards) and counts staked SOL in your total.

Liquid staking tokens, briefly

A liquid staking token is a receipt for staked coins that you can move around. The Portfolio recognises the main ones on each chain and shows their recent yield, including Sceptre's sFLR on Flare.

Their extra risks:

  • Smart contract risk: the staking protocol's code could have a flaw.
  • The price can slip below the coin it represents, especially when many people sell at once.
  • Fake tokens use the same names. Check the contract address on the provider's own site.
  • Borrowing against them (in lending apps) adds liquidation risk if prices move.

On Flare and Songbird

Flare has its own ways to earn: delegating wrapped FLR to data providers (no lock-up), staking with validators, and liquid staking with sFLR. See how to wrap and delegate FLR and claim your delegation rewards.

Things to know before you stake

  • Yields change with network activity and the number of people staking. Don't count on today's rate.
  • Staking rewards are usually taxable income in many countries when you receive them. Keep records.
  • Locked or queued coins can't be sold quickly if prices fall. Only stake what you can leave alone.
  • "Staking" offers with high fixed returns (10% a month, "risk-free") are scams, whatever they call themselves.

Do this

  1. Decide how hands-on you want to be: exchange, your own wallet, or liquid staking.
  2. On Solana, stake from your own wallet to a validator with a fair fee and a good record.
  3. For liquid staking, use well-known providers and check the token's contract on their site.
  4. Expect rates to move, and keep records for taxes.
  5. Check your positions on the Portfolio.