Staking transformed the manner in which investors interact with blockchain networks. As opposed to mining, which involves using expensive hardware and high energy consumption, staking enables one to stake  crypto to support a blockchain network and receive rewarded new cryptos without exerting effort. Staking is locking your coin on a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchain or its variant, where the customers verify transactions and create new blocks. The stakers are rewarded, in exchange for labor, within most cases - the same currency that they staked.

It is not, however, possible to stake all cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency can be staked only if it's on staking-supported consensus algorithms. What cryptocurrencies are stakeable, how to stake them, and what to stake in 2025 is below.

**Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. Always conduct your own research and consult a qualified financial advisor before purchasing or staking any cryptocurrency.**


What is the Best Crypto to Stake
--------------------------------

Selecting the most valuable cryptocurrency to stake is a question of a number of parameters - staking reward, lockup period, health of the network, and maturity of the overall ecosystem. Staking in 2025 is no longer a question of token ownership, staking now is simply a question of active blockchain participation, liquidity, and involvement in scalability. Some of the leading cryptocurrencies well-supported by staking and possessing strong fundamentals, community support, and estimated return are discussed below.



| Cryptocurrency                                             | Consensus Type                   | Typical APY (2025) | Lock-Up Period                  | Staking Model              | Key Advantages                             |
| ---------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------- | ------------------ | ------------------------------- | -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| [Ethereum (ETH)](https://exolix.com/currencies/eth){:target="_blank" rel="dofollow"}        | Proof-of-Stake (PoS)             | 3-6%               | Variable (validator exit queue) | Validator / Liquid staking | Most secure PoS network, massive liquidity |
| [Cardano (ADA)](https://exolix.com/currencies/ada){:target="_blank" rel="dofollow"}         | PoS                              | 3-5%               | None                            | Delegated pools            | No lock-up, easy delegation                |
| [Tezos (XTZ)](https://exolix.com/currencies/xtz){:target="_blank" rel="dofollow"}           | PoS (“Baking”)                   | 5-7%               | ≈ 14 days                       | Delegation to bakers       | Early PoS adopter, strong governance       |
| [Solana (SOL)](https://exolix.com/currencies/sol){:target="_blank" rel="dofollow"}          | PoS                              | 6-8%               | ≈ 2 days                        | Delegation                 | High throughput, low fees                  |
| [Sui (SUI)](https://exolix.com/currencies/sui){:target="_blank" rel="dofollow"}             | PoS                              | 5-8%               | Epoch-based (~24 h)             | Validator staking          | Parallel execution, developer friendly     |
| [BNB Chain (BNB)](https://exolix.com/currencies/bnb){:target="_blank" rel="dofollow"}       | Proof-of-Staked-Authority (PoSA) | 4-6%               | 7-14 days                       | Delegation to validators   | Huge user base, Binance ecosystem          |
| [Polkadot (DOT)](https://exolix.com/currencies/dot){:target="_blank" rel="dofollow"}        | Nominated PoS (NPoS)             | 8-12%              | 28 days                         | Nominator / Validator      | Strong interoperability, stable yields     |
| [Polygon (MATIC)](https://exolix.com/currencies/matic){:target="_blank" rel="dofollow"}     | PoS                              | 4-7%               | Variable                        | Validator / Delegation     | Core Ethereum scaling layer                |
| [Avalanche (AVAX)](https://exolix.com/currencies/avax){:target="_blank" rel="dofollow"}     | PoS (Avalanche consensus)        | 6-9%               | ≥ 14 days                       | Validator / Delegation     | Subnets, rapid finality                    |
| [Cosmos (ATOM)](https://exolix.com/currencies/atom){:target="_blank" rel="dofollow"}        | PoS                              | 10-12%             | 21 days                         | Validator / Delegation     | Cross-chain IBC interoperability           |
| [NEAR Protocol (NEAR)](https://exolix.com/currencies/near){:target="_blank" rel="dofollow"} | PoS (Sharded)                    | 8-10%              | 2-3 days                        | Delegation                 | Easy staking UX, fast settlement           |
| Hyperliquid (HLP)    | PoS                              | Variable           | Short epochs                    | Validator staking          | Institutional-grade trading chain          |
| [Aptos (APT)](https://exolix.com/currencies/apt){:target="_blank" rel="dofollow"}           | PoS                              | 7-10%              | ≈ 30 days                       | Validator / Delegation     | Move-based high-speed network              |
| [Bittensor (TAO)](https://exolix.com/currencies/tao){:target="_blank" rel="dofollow"}       | PoS / Hybrid                     | Dynamic            | Flexible                        | Validator / Miner hybrid   | AI-powered decentralized network           | 


![Ethereum (ETH).png](https://blog.exolix.com/uploads/Ethereum_ETH_9506a37a38.png)

### 1\. Ethereum (ETH)

Most secure and biggest Proof-of-Stake chain. Ethereum staking is currently live in full today after The Merge and recent upgrades. Validators need to stake 32 ETH directly or indirectly through liquid staking providers such as Lido, Rocket Pool, or Coinbase.

-   APY: 3-6%

-   Lock-up period: Allow withdrawals but possibly delayed depending on validator queue

-   Why it stands out: Biggest liquidity, institutional adoption, and a leading DeFi role

![Cardano (ADA).png](https://blog.exolix.com/uploads/Cardano_ADA_6dd4763445.png)

### 2\. Cardano (ADA)

Cardano Network provides delegated staking where the users can pool without coins being locked. It is thus one of the easiest staking networks to be used by retail consumers.

-   APY: 3-5%

-   Lock-up period: None

-   Why it stands out Transparent governance and strong academic history

![Tezos (XTZ).png](https://blog.exolix.com/uploads/Tezos_XTZ_57c737603d.png)

### 3\. Tezos (XTZ)

Tezos was one of the first PoS blockchains that included a "baking" scheme where the users delegate XTZ to validators.

-   APY: 5-7%

-   Lock-up period: ~14 days

-   Why it stands out: On-chain governance and battle-tested security model

![Solana (SOL).png](https://blog.exolix.com/uploads/Solana_SOL_afbd71b0a5.png)

### 4\. Solana (SOL)

Kilometers-per-second scalable blockchain. Stakeholders lock SOL with validators securing the network.

-   APY: 6-8%

-   Lock-up period: ~2 days to turn off stake

-   Why it stands out: High performance, low cost, and upcoming DeFi platform

![Sui (SUI).png](https://blog.exolix.com/uploads/Sui_SUI_9c9d95b8f3.png)

### 5\. Sui (SUI)

Layer-1 next-gen network designed for parallel processing and scalability. SUI rewards validators for real-time transaction verification.

-   APY: 5-8%

-   Lock-up period: Epoch-based (~24 hours)

-   Why it stands out: Dev-friendly interfaces and high performance

![BNB Chain (BNB).png](https://blog.exolix.com/uploads/BNB_Chain_BNB_d54d02b554.png)

### 6\. BNB Chain (BNB)

BNB Chain uses a Proof-of-Staked-Authority (PoSA) scheme where delegators vote in validators.

-   APY: 4-6%

-   Lock-up period: 7-14 days based on validator

-   Why it stands out: Belonging to the Binance ecosystem and huge community presence

![Polkadot (DOT).png](https://blog.exolix.com/uploads/Polkadot_DOT_fd04d6c80d.png)

### 7\. Polkadot (DOT)

Polkadot uses an Nominated Proof-of-Stake (NPoS) mechanism in which nominators can sponsor good validators and gain ginormous crypto  staking  rewards.

-   APY: 8-12%

-   Lock-up period: 28 days

-   Why it stands out: Interoperability and sound ecosystem building

![Polygon (MATIC).png](https://blog.exolix.com/uploads/Polygon_MATIC_caaf0cb0f1.png)

### 8\. Polygon (MATIC)

Polygon is founded on Layer-2 scaling supplemented by a sound staking foundation supporting its Proof-of-Stake chain.

-   APY: 4-7%

-   Lock-up period: Variable

-   Why it stands out: Central function in Ethereum scalability and cross-universal DeFi adoption

![Avalanche (AVAX).png](https://blog.exolix.com/uploads/Avalanche_AVAX_292850d460.png)

### 9\. Avalanche (AVAX)

Avalanche boasts an innovative consensus protocol for subnets' hosting and swift finality. Staking  crypto offers validator and delegator modes.

-   APY: 6-9%

-   Lock-up period: Minimum 14 days

-   Why it stands out: Multi-chain architecture and interoperability

![Cosmos (ATOM).png](https://blog.exolix.com/uploads/Cosmos_ATOM_9b441eed03.png)

### 10\. Cosmos (ATOM)

Cosmos Hub enables interchain exchange via the IBC protocol. ATOM staking secures a network of interoperable blockchains.

-   APY: 10-12%

-   Lock-up period: 21 days

-   Why it stands out: Interoperability and cross-chain DeFi trailblazer

![NEAR Protocol (NEAR).png](https://blog.exolix.com/uploads/NEAR_Protocol_NEAR_d241595030.png)

### 11\. NEAR Protocol (NEAR)

NEAR leverages sharding for incredibly high scalability and easy delegation via the use of easy-to-use wallets.

-   APY: 8-10%

-   Lock-up period: 2-3 days

-   Why it stands out: Developer-centric ecosystem and instant finality

![Hyperliquid (HLP).png](https://blog.exolix.com/uploads/Hyperliquid_HLP_5ac0ceab23.png)

### 12\. Hyperliquid (HLP)

More. Fresh project with validator-based staking for its native Layer-1 trading layer.

-   APY: Variable

-   Lock-up period: Short terms

-   Why it stands out: Institutional-grade trading layer with community staking  crypto

![Aptos (APT).png](https://blog.exolix.com/uploads/Aptos_APT_140211eb2b.png)


### 13\. Aptos (APT)

Replacement of language-based infrastructure, Aptos facilitates high-speed and scalable PoS validation and governance staking  crypto.

-   APY: 7-10%

-   Lock-up period: 30 days

-   Why it stands out: Business-class infrastructure and good VC backing

![Bittensor (TAO).png](https://blog.exolix.com/uploads/Bittensor_TAO_f334ea35e5.png)

### 14\. Bittensor (TAO)

Decentralized network of validators and miners providing computing power and intelligence models for TAO crypto  staking  rewards.

-   APY: Dynamic

-   Lock-up period: Flexible

-   Why it stands out: Blockchain-AI revolution

Each of these cryptocurrencies has staking opportunities that differ from one another - from low-risk, stable environments such as Ethereum and Cardano to high-potential new ones such as Story Protocol and Bittensor. Your selection will rely on your purpose: steady return, governance input, or exposure to new technology.

Advantages and Limitations of Staking
-------------------------------------

Staking provides investors and blockchain users with an opportunity to gain passive income without directly contributing to the decentralized networks. There are certain risks associated with it that one should be cautious about before investing. Following is a simplified list of advantages and disadvantages. 

### Key Benefits of Staking

-   Creation of Passive Income. When you lock your tokens, you get rewarded in the same asset as best  crypto  staking  rewards - essentially interest on a savings account but in a decentralized network.

-   Network Security and Stability. Staking stabilizes the blockchain by having more participants in validating transactions, making the network impervious to attacks.

-   Low Energy Consumption. Whereas staking is energy and hardware intensive, staking is green, and you can do it securely with software wallets or validators.

-   Governance and Voting Rights. Most of the staking tokens like Solar (SXP) or Polkadot (DOT) give their holders governance rights - i.e., voting rights on proposals and network upgrades.

-   Long-Term Value Growth. Crypto  staking  rewards trading on top of holding, and that eliminates market volatility and facilitates long-term price stability in most systems.

### Key Risks of Staking

-   Price Volatility. Token holders are rewarded with staking  crypto while token value can go down incredibly poorly, destroying future returns.

-   Slashing Penalties. Misbehaving validators or validators offline may be punished - forfeiting a portion of their staked tokens.

-   Centralization Risks. Staking  crypto through centralized interfaces is convenient but also centralizes power and introduces custodial risk in the event of technical or regulatory failure on the platform.

-   Protocol or Smart Contract Risks. Placing a bet on unverified staking pools or DeFi services exposes one to smart contract issues or malicious operators.

-   Adjusting Rewards and Risk. The best  crypto  staking strategy depends on risk tolerance and horizon.

-   For steady returns over the long-term, trusts like Ethereum, Cardano, or Cosmos provide steady returns.

-   For potentially greater reward (at some extra small risk), newer networks like Aptos, Sui, or Story Protocol can be utilized.

Diversification across multiple staking crypto assets - and use of non-custodial wallets - provides optimal security vs. profitability trade-off.


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Top Best Crypto to stake, What cryptocurrencies are stakeable, how to stake them, and what to stake in 2025 is below.

10 Best Crypto for Staking (2026 List)

Cryptocurrency can be staked only if it's on staking-supported consensus algorithms. What cryptocurrencies are stakeable, how to stake them, and what to stake in 2025 is below.

With the fast-changing landscape of digital assets, futures trading crypto has emerged as one of the most important vehicles for institutional investors and professional traders alike. Ever wondered "what is futures trading crypto?" The answer is contracts that allow market players to wager on the future price of a cryptocurrency without ever owning the underlying asset.

In simple terms, crypto futures are agreements between two parties to purchase or sell a virtual currency, such as Ethereum or Bitcoin, at a predetermined price on a certain date. This opens gates to hedging price risk, leveraged trades, and profit from rising and falling prices.

Whereas spot trading is focused on immediate ownership - buying Bitcoin, say, and holding it in a wallet - crypto futures trading enables traders to utilize advanced strategies familiar to old hands in traditional financial markets. 

How Do Crypto Futures Work?
---------------------------

In order to understand what crypto futures trading is, it is helpful to explain how these contracts function. A crypto futures contract is a binding agreement between two individuals to buy or sell a cryptocurrency for a specified price on some far-off future date. Unlike spot markets, in which you own and trade digital coins, futures allow you to bet on direction of price without owning the underlying commodity.

This is the common process of trading crypto futures:

-   Open a Position. The user may go long (anticipating the price to rise) or short (anticipating the price to fall). That is why futures trading crypto is so exciting in bull and bear markets.

-   Leverage. The majority of crypto futures exchanges allow leverage to be applied - borrowing money to open a big position with relatively little capital. For example, with 10x leverage, a $1,000 margin can pay for a $10,000 position. Leverage increases gain but increases loss too, and thus has to be controlled tightly.

-   Settlement. Some of them are fixed in fiat (e.g., [USDT](https://exolix.com/currencies/usdt){:target="_blank" rel="dofollow"} or Bitcoin and others cash equivalents. The most common ones are perpetual contracts, which never expire and settle according to spot market prices.

-   Margin Requirements. In order to maintain an open position, traders have to provide collateral, which is referred to as margin. Falling below maintenance margin may result in liquidation, i.e., the position will automatically be closed to prevent further loss.

The Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) bitcoin futures established the model, legitimized futures among mainstream financiers. Exchanges such as Binance Futures, OKX, and Bybit now make it easy to trade crypto futures in a range of virtual assets.

Briefly, what are crypto futures? They are tools of speculation, hedging, and diversification of portfolios with novel opportunities - and behemoth risks.

Types of Crypto Futures
-----------------------

When discovering what crypto futures trading entails, observe that all contracts are unique. There are various forms of crypto futures that can be offered for various trading techniques, risk levels, and time horizons.

### Standard Futures Contracts

These are fixed-date traditional contracts. Once the settlement of trades occurs, the traders either settle the variation in cash or exchange the underlying asset. For instance, let's say you have a Bitcoin futures contract with end-of-the-month delivery; it will automatically close on the specified date.

### Perpetual Futures

Perpetual contracts are normally applied to the trading of crypto futures. They lack an expiration date, as against common futures. They, on the other hand, employ a funding rate mechanism to maintain prices aligned with the spot market. This way, traders have the ability to trade crypto futures endlessly without worrying about the rollover of contracts.

### Quarterly and Bi-Monthly Futures

Some offer fixed-term contracts, i.e., 2-week, 1-month, and 3-month futures. These are used by institutional traders for the pleasure of having more regular settlement schedules.

### Inverse vs. Linear Futures

Inverse Futures settle in cryptocurrency. The contracts can be denominated in USD but set up for settlement in Bitcoin, for example.

Linear Futures are both denominated and settled in stablecoins like USDT, so profit and loss calculation is easier.

### Options vs. Futures

While varied, crypto futures  trading is by others equated somewhat to options. Options are the right (but not the obligation) of selling or buying, while futures are contracts on which one has a commitment to fulfill. This influences strategy and risk exposure.

In a nutshell, what are crypto futures? They come in all hues - from perpetual contracts to retail traders to fixed-expiry futures to institutions - with different forms of speculation or hedging on the flighty crypto markets.

Benefits of Trading Crypto Futures
----------------------------------

One of the basic reasons why crypto futures trading is researched by investors is the unique set of advantages that it possesses over spot markets. For those who are inquiring "what is future trading in crypto and why use it?", the response is simple.

Profit in either direction is the most attractive feature. Traders can profit in uptrends by going long, and short selling allows them to profit in downswings. Possibility of earning profit in either direction makes trading crypto futures most desirable in highly volatile marketplaces.

Leverage opportunities are another very important advantage. Futures allow traders to manage larger positions with relatively limited funds. For example, under 10x leverage, $1,000 margin can expose an account to $10,000 worth of assets. It maximizes gains if trades are accurate but amplifies risks if markets are moving in the opposite direction of a position.

Risk management and hedging are also very important. Long-term cryptocurrency holders can hedge against loss using crypto futures. A Bitcoin holder, for example, can short Bitcoin futures in an attempt to hedge exposure during periods of falling markets, reducing overall portfolio risk.

Ease of use and liquidity are also attractive. High liquidity is offered by leading exchanges like Binance, CME, and Bybit, enabling rapid execution and competitive prices. Perpetual contracts and various types of settlements provide traders products best aligned with their strategy.

All in all, the hedging, speculation, and leverage characteristics explain why trade crypto futures has emerged as such a powerful tool in modern digital finance.

Risks of Crypto Futures Trading
-------------------------------

Although there are numerous opportunities in trading crypto futures, it is fraught with extreme risks that all traders must be aware of prior to taking a position. One must be aware of such risks in order to fully grasp what futures trading in crypto is.

-   Leverage risk is the most straightforward. Same leverage that is applied to enhance gains is applied to enhance losses. A small movement of the price against the trade can potentially wipe out the trader's margin entirely, even resulting in liquidation at times. Risk management, for instance, through the application of stop-loss orders and high leverage conservatism, is hence of the highest priority in trading crypto futures.

-   Volatility amplifies risk. Cryptocurrency prices move very fast and suddenly. Volatility creates opportunities but creates quick losses, particularly for leverage traders.

-   Liquidation risk refers to margin requirements. Once the market value of the collateral falls below the maintenance margin level, the exchange will automatically close the position to prevent further loss. It may happen faster than new traders expect.

-   Platform and counterparty risk must also be taken into consideration. Large exchanges such as CME or Binance are reputable, but small or unregulated platforms can be prone to being hacked, having an outage, or even becoming insolvent.

-   Finally, there is regulatory ambiguity. Futures in traditional financial markets are heavily regulated, but regulations for crypto futures trading are very different from country to country. Surprise regulatory changes can impact access, liquidity, and even legality of some contracts.

In short, it's all about seeing both sides: the benefit of leverage and flexibility, but also the risk of quick and sizable losses.

Popular Sites for Crypto Futures Trading
----------------------------------------

The expansion of crypto futures trading has brought with it many venues for trading these contracts. Where one decides to trade is as vital a piece of information as what crypto futures trading is, as fees, liquidity, and security differ from one exchange to another.

-   Among the largest crypto futures exchange platforms is Binance Futures. It has great liquidity for its large set of perpetual and quarterly contracts along with 125x leverage and numerous trading pairs. Because of its size, it is used by professional traders as well as retail traders.

-   Bybit is now the favorite owing to backing for an easy-to-use platform, solid charting capabilities, and deep liquidity for perpetual contracts. There is a preference for using Bybit to trade crypto futures because it is light on fees and possesses solid execution when having to navigate unstable market volatility.

-   OKX (previously OKEx) is also one of the established exchanges, offering a full suite of crypto futures products that include linear and inverse contracts. It also offers cross-margin and isolated-margin modes, which offer a degree of flexibility to the trader in managing risk.

-   CME Group is the most established regulated Bitcoin and Ethereum futures exchange. It is largely used by institutional investors and traders who want exposure to crypto derivatives under regulation.

-   FTX was the leading exchange for crypto futures trading until its collapse in 2022, but its collapse highlighted the necessity to use exchanges that have set up transparency and sound governance.

Today, institutions prefer the use of CME due to compliance with regulations, while retail trading is carried out by active traders on Binance, Bybit, or OKX. A proper platform is needed to effectively and safely participate in the market of crypto futures.

### Which cryptocurrency is appropriate for future trading?

The most liquid of cryptocurrencies to trade crypto futures in are [Bitcoin](https://exolix.com/currencies/btc){:target="_blank" rel="dofollow"} and [Ethereum](https://exolix.com/currencies/eth){:target="_blank" rel="dofollow"} since both are highly-liquidated and have large markets. Stablecoin pairs and other large-cap coins like [BNB](https://exolix.com/currencies/bnb){:target="_blank" rel="dofollow"} or [XRP](https://exolix.com/currencies/xrp){:target="_blank" rel="dofollow"} are also popular, depending on the platform.

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In simple terms, crypto futures are agreements between two parties to purchase or sell a virtual currency, at a predetermined price on a certain date.

Authors Page

Bradley Pierce

Crypto Niche Expert

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10 Best Crypto for Staking (2026 List)

What Is Futures Trading in Crypto?

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