Crypto Staking Rewards Calculator
Staking typically earns about 2.5-3.5% a year on Ethereum, 6-7.5% on Solana and 2-3.5% on Cardano (typical ranges checked September 23, 2026). Enter your stake and your provider’s rate to see rewards with correct compounding, fees and the tax you may owe on them.
Last updated · Staking ranges verified 2026-09-23
Projected rewards
Staking $1,000.00 of Ethereum at 3.00% APY for 12 months with rewards restaked earns about $30.00, an effective 3.00% a year. Rewards are paid in ETH, so dollar figures assume today’s price; what they are worth later depends on the ETH price.
- Rewards
- $30.00
- Final balance
- $1,030.00
- Effective yearly yield
- 3.00%
- Doubles in ~23 years
- USD value if ETH rises 0%
- $1,030.00
Cumulative rewards by month (USD)
Rewards grow from $2.47 after month 1 to $30.00 after month 12.
Tax on staking rewards (US)
Rewards are ordinary income when you receive them (IRS Rev. Rul. 2023-14), valued at the price that day. At today’s price and a 22% income tax rate, these rewards would add roughly $6.60 of tax, even if you never sell. The reward value becomes your cost basis for a later sale. Not tax advice.
Ethereum staking at a glance
- Typical rate
- 2.5-3.5% APY, before commission
- Rewards
- Consensus-layer rewards plus priority fees and MEV. The rate falls as more ETH is staked.
- Unstaking
- Withdrawals go through an exit queue that has ranged from under a day to several weeks. Liquid staking tokens can be sold on the market instead.
- Minimum
- 32 ETH to run a validator yourself; any amount through a pool, liquid staking protocol or exchange.
- Slashing
- Yes, for validator misbehaviour; pooled and exchange stakers share the operator’s risk.
- Inflation
- ETH supply has been close to flat since 2022 (issuance partly offset by fee burning), so most of the reward is real yield.
Ways to stake ETH
Listed for reference, not endorsements. Rates change often, so check each provider’s current net rate.
- Coinbase (opens in a new tab)Exchange (custodial)
Custodial: the exchange holds your coins and keeps a commission from rewards. Availability varies by US state.
- Kraken (opens in a new tab)Exchange (custodial)
Custodial: the exchange holds your coins and keeps a commission from rewards. Availability varies by US state.
- Lido (stETH) (opens in a new tab)Liquid staking
Liquid staking token you can hold or trade; Lido takes 10% of rewards. Smart-contract risk.
- Rocket Pool (rETH) (opens in a new tab)Liquid staking
Decentralised liquid staking; rETH rises in value instead of paying out. Smart-contract risk.
Typical staking rates by coin
| Coin | Typical APY | Unstaking | Slashing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethereum (ETH) | 2.5-3.5% | Withdrawals go through an exit queue that has ranged from under a day to several weeks. Liquid staking tokens can be sold on the market instead. | Yes, for validator misbehaviour; pooled and exchange stakers share the operator’s risk. |
| Solana (SOL) | 6-7.5% | Deactivating a stake takes until the end of the current epoch (about 2-3 days). | Solana has not slashed stakers automatically to date; validator downtime lowers rewards. |
| Cardano (ADA) | 2-3.5% | None: ADA never leaves your wallet and can be spent at any time. | No slashing. |
| Polkadot (DOT) | 11-14% | Historically 28 days. Polkadot has been changing its staking and unbonding rules during 2026, so check the current period before staking. | Yes, nominators can be slashed with their validators. |
| Cosmos (ATOM) | 14-20% | 21 days, with no rewards during unbonding. | Yes, for validator downtime or double-signing. |
| Avalanche (AVAX) | 6-8% | Coins are locked for the whole delegation period you pick (minimum 2 weeks). | No slashing, but you earn nothing if the validator’s uptime is too low. |
Typical ranges from public staking dashboards and network explorers (e.g. beaconcha.in for Ethereum, validator explorers for other chains) and staking-rate aggregators, checked September 2026.
How staking rewards are calculated
- Pick the coin. The calculator fills in the midpoint of that network’s typical staking range and its usual payout schedule.
- Enter your stake. In dollars or in tokens. The math is the same; rewards come out in the unit you chose.
- Set the rate and fees. Paste your provider’s quoted rate, say whether it is an APY or an APR, and add the provider’s commission if the quote is before fees.
- Choose restake or payout. Restaking compounds rewards into the stake; payouts leave the stake unchanged.
- Read the result. Rewards, final balance, the effective yearly yield, an optional price-change scenario and an estimate of the income tax due on rewards.
APY, restaked: balance = stake × (1 + APY)years. APY, paid out: each payout = stake × ((1 + APY)1/n − 1), n payouts a year. APR, restaked: balance = stake × (1 + APR/n)n × years. APR, paid out: rewards = stake × APR × years. Commission is taken off the rate first: net rate = rate × (1 − commission).
Frequently asked questions
How are staking rewards calculated?
Rewards = stake × rate × time, adjusted for compounding. If the rate is an APY it already includes compounding, so a restaked 1,000 tokens at 4% APY becomes 1,040 after a year. If it is an APR, restaking n times a year gives 1,000 × (1 + APR/n)^n. Provider commissions come off the rate first. This calculator does exactly that and shows the formula it used.
What is a typical staking APY in 2026?
Checked September 23, 2026: roughly 2.5-3.5% for Ethereum, 6-7.5% for Solana, 2-3.5% for Cardano, 11-14% for Polkadot, 14-20% for Cosmos and 6-8% for Avalanche before provider commission. High headline rates usually come with high token inflation, so compare real (after-inflation) yield.
Are staking rewards taxed in the US?
Yes. Under IRS Revenue Ruling 2023-14, staking rewards are ordinary income at their fair market value when you gain control of them (can sell or move them). That value becomes your cost basis, and selling later creates a capital gain or loss. Liquid staking tokens that grow in value instead of paying out are less settled; keep records and ask a tax professional.
What is the difference between APY and APR?
APR is a simple yearly rate; APY includes the effect of compounding. At 10% APR compounded daily the APY is about 10.52%. Most staking dashboards quote APY. Treating an APY as an APR and compounding it again overstates rewards, a common calculator mistake.
What are the risks of staking?
The token price can fall far more than the reward earns; some networks lock or unbond your coins for days or weeks; validators can be slashed; exchanges hold your coins (counterparty risk); and liquid staking adds smart-contract risk and the chance the token trades below its underlying value.
Should I stake on an exchange or in my own wallet?
Exchanges are simplest but hold your coins and keep a larger commission. Delegating from your own wallet keeps custody and usually a better net rate but takes a few more steps. Liquid staking tokens (stETH, rETH, JitoSOL, mSOL) keep your coins usable but add smart-contract risk.
Estimates for education only, not financial or tax advice. Staking rates change constantly and are not guaranteed; the token’s price can fall by more than the rewards earned.