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EarnBitcoin .GUIDE

Comparison

Every crypto earn rate we track, with the asterisks removed

Four tables covering stablecoins, Bitcoin, staking and Ethereum. Where an advertised rate applies to a first tranche or excludes commission, we show what a realistic balance actually receives instead.

Platforms compared
14
Widest advertised gap
11% → 3.5%
Honest stablecoin band
3.5–8.5%
Verified
16 Sep 2026
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Rates are variable and change without notice. Always confirm with the provider before depositing.

Independently researched Updated 7 min read

The short version

  • 1

    The honest stablecoin band is 3.5% to 8.5%. Rates outside it are either promotional, tier-gated, or carrying risk the number does not disclose.

  • 2

    The widest advertised-to-effective gap we track is 11% to about 3.5% — a high rate applied to roughly the first $200 of a deposit.

  • 3

    Bitcoin is structurally the worst-paying major asset at 0.25% to 5.25%, because almost nobody borrows it.

  • 4

    On Ethereum, every route stakes into the same mechanism. The entire difference between 3.5% and 4.1% is the fee.

How we calculate an effective rate

Three adjustments, applied consistently across every platform.

Promotional tranches. Where a high rate applies only to a capped first slice, we model a $5,000 stablecoin balance and blend the tranche rate with the rate above it. This is the adjustment that changes the ranking most.

Commission. Where a platform quotes a gross network reward and deducts a commission separately, we apply the commission. This matters most on staking, where exchange commissions run from 15% to 35%.

Tier conditions. Where a rate requires a portfolio threshold, a subscription or a native token holding, we show the rate but label the condition. We do not attempt to price the token risk — that is a separate decision — but we flag that it exists.

Rates marked "real" in the tables below need none of these adjustments: they apply to the whole balance, from the first unit, with no conditions.

3.5–8.5%
Honest stablecoin band

Outside this, ask what is funding it

0.25–5.25%
Bitcoin range

Thin borrow demand, structurally low

1.5–12%
Staking range

Set by each chain, not by platforms

3.5–4.1%
Ethereum net range

The gap is entirely fee

Stablecoin rates

Sorted by advertised rate, with the condition stated. Note how the ordering changes once you read the fourth column — the two lowest entries on this list advertise some of the highest numbers in the market.

  • Ledn

    USDC above $100,000

    8.5%

    Type
    CeFi lending
    Verdict on the number
    Real. 6.5% below the threshold

  • Nexo

    USDT, platinum tier

    9.5%

    Type
    CeFi lending
    Verdict on the number
    Needs $5k portfolio + NEXO holding

  • YouHodler

    Stablecoins, top tier

    8–15%

    Type
    CeFi lending
    Verdict on the number
    Tier-gated; leverage-funded

  • Bitget

    Fixed-term stablecoins

    Up to 11%

    Type
    Fixed term
    Verdict on the number
    Capped allocation

  • Aave v3

    USDC supply

    3.8–5.2%

    Type
    DeFi lending
    Verdict on the number
    Real and floating. Check Base

  • Coinbase Wallet

    USDC on Base

    4.7%

    Type
    Onchain rewards
    Verdict on the number
    Real. Self-custody

  • Ethena sUSDe

    Synthetic dollar

    4.75%

    Type
    Basis trade
    Verdict on the number
    Was 10–15% in strong funding

  • Coinbase

    USDC rewards

    ~4.1%

    Type
    Rewards
    Verdict on the number
    Real. No conditions

  • CEX.IO Earn

    USDC and USDT

    4%

    Type
    Flexible savings
    Verdict on the number
    Real. Flat, full balance

  • Sky sUSDS

    Sky Savings Rate

    3.60%

    Type
    Governance rate
    Verdict on the number
    Real. Set by DAO

  • Bybit

    USDT, effective on $5,000

    ~3.5%

    Type
    Flexible
    Verdict on the number
    Advertised 8.2–11% on first $200

  • OKX

    Simple Earn flexible

    ~2.6%

    Type
    Flexible
    Verdict on the number
    Real base rate, no promo layer

  • Binance

    USDT, effective on $5,000

    ~1.6%

    Type
    Flexible
    Verdict on the number
    Advertised up to 6% APR
Stablecoin rates verified 16 September 2026. Bybit and Binance rows show the effective rate on a $5,000 balance rather than the advertised ceiling; both advertise considerably more. Rates are variable.

Bitcoin rates

The lowest-paying major asset in crypto, for a structural reason: borrowing demand for BTC is thin, because borrowing it means betting it will fall. Our earn Bitcoin guide covers every route in detail.

  • Ledn

    Under 0.5 BTC

    Up to 5.25%

    Mechanism
    CeFi lending
    The condition
    Falls to 2% above 0.5 BTC

  • Nexo

    Top tier

    Up to 4.7%

    Mechanism
    CeFi lending
    The condition
    5.7% if paid in NEXO tokens

  • YouHodler

    Blue-chip savings

    3–7%

    Mechanism
    CeFi lending
    The condition
    Tier and term dependent

  • Aave v3

    WBTC supply, mainnet

    0.5–2.5%

    Mechanism
    DeFi lending
    The condition
    Morpho vaults reach 3–4%

  • Babylon

    Native BTC timelock

    1–3%

    Mechanism
    Timelock protocol
    The condition
    Paid in BABY, not BTC

  • CEX.IO Earn

    Flexible savings

    0.25%

    Mechanism
    CeFi savings
    The condition
    Deliberately conservative

  • Coinbase

    No BTC product

    0%

    Mechanism
    None
    The condition
    BTC on-exchange earns nothing
Bitcoin yields verified 16 September 2026. Ledn's headline applies below 0.5 BTC only. Babylon's reward is denominated in BABY tokens rather than Bitcoin. Rates are variable.

Staking rates

Staking rates are set by each blockchain's own issuance schedule, not by any platform. What platforms control is how much of that reward they keep and whether they pass through the network's unbonding period. Both variables are visible below.

  • Cosmos (ATOM)

    Via CEX.IO, no lock-up

    12%

    Mechanism
    Staking
    Terms
    Real. High issuance chain

  • Polkadot (DOT)

    Direct nomination

    ~10–13%

    Mechanism
    Native NPoS
    Terms
    28-day unbonding applies

  • Ontology (ONT)

    Via CEX.IO

    10%

    Mechanism
    Staking
    Terms
    Real. Small-cap chain

  • Polkadot (DOT)

    Kraken bonded, net

    ~8.4%

    Mechanism
    Bonded staking
    Terms
    12% gross less ~30% commission

  • Zilliqa (ZIL)

    Via CEX.IO

    7%

    Mechanism
    Staking
    Terms
    Real. No lock-up

  • Solana (SOL)

    Direct delegation

    ~6–7%

    Mechanism
    Native staking
    Terms
    Real. 5–8% validator fee

  • Polkadot (DOT)

    Via CEX.IO, no lock-up

    6%

    Mechanism
    Staking
    Terms
    Real. Withdraw any time

  • Solana (SOL)

    Kraken, net in-app

    ~4.71%

    Mechanism
    Exchange staking
    Terms
    Advertised up to ~8% gross

  • Cardano (ADA)

    Direct delegation

    ~2.5–3%

    Mechanism
    Native delegation
    Terms
    Real. No lock-up, keeps custody
Staking rates verified 16 September 2026. Note that Polkadot appears three times at three different rates, reflecting direct nomination, bonded exchange staking net of commission, and no-lock-up exchange staking. High rates on high-issuance chains largely offset dilution rather than generating a real return.

Ethereum rates

The cleanest illustration of fee impact in the whole dataset. Every route below stakes into the same Ethereum consensus mechanism and collects the same underlying reward. The entire spread is what each intermediary keeps.

  • Kraken

    Advertised gross estimate

    Up to ~7%

    Mechanism
    Exchange staking
    What the number means
    Before ~30% commission

  • Nexo

    ETH savings, top tier

    Up to 5.25%

    Mechanism
    CeFi lending
    What the number means
    Lending, not staking

  • Lido

    stETH liquid staking

    3.8–4.1%

    Mechanism
    Liquid staking
    What the number means
    Real. Net of 10% fee

  • Rocket Pool

    rETH

    3.5–3.9%

    Mechanism
    Liquid staking
    What the number means
    Real. More distributed

  • Coinbase

    ETH staking, net

    ~3.5%

    Mechanism
    Exchange staking
    What the number means
    After 25–35% commission

  • CEX.IO Earn

    ETH flexible savings

    2%

    Mechanism
    CeFi savings
    What the number means
    Real. Lending, paid daily
Ethereum yields verified 16 September 2026. Kraken's figure is a gross estimate before commission. Nexo's is a lending rate, not a staking rate. Base network APR sits around 3.2–3.8% with MEV adding 0.3–0.5%.

A rate that needs no asterisk

Our highest-scoring venue publishes a flat 4% on USDC and USDT that applies from the first dollar, alongside thirteen staking assets with no lock-up — with staking and lending kept as separate products so you always know which mechanism pays you.

  • No tier table, no promotional tranche
  • Interest accrues daily
  • Staking up to 12%, withdraw any time
  • FCA registered, Gibraltar FSC DLT licence FSC0686FSA
Open an earn account
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Every figure in these tables was checked against the provider’s own published rate page.

The biggest gaps between advertised and actual

Worth listing explicitly, because these are the comparisons most likely to lead someone wrong.

Advertised → effective, ranked by gap

Bybit USDT on $5,000promo tranche
11% → ~3.5%
Binance USDT on $5,000real-time + capped bonus
6% → ~1.6%
Kraken SOLgross before commission
~8% → ~4.71%
Kraken DOT bonded30% commission
12% → ~8.4%
Ledn BTC on 2 BTCtier at 0.5 BTC
5.25% → ~2.8%
Coinbase ETH25–35% commission
~4% gross → ~3.5%

None of these is hidden. All of them are disclosed somewhere. The point is that none of them is disclosed next to the number you first see.

The pattern across all six is the same: the advertised figure is technically accurate for some specific circumstance, and the circumstance is not the one most readers are in. Doing the arithmetic takes two minutes per platform and it is the highest-return activity in this entire category.

Our earnings calculator will run the compounding for you once you have the effective rate. And if you would rather not do arithmetic at all, the entries marked "real" in the tables above are the ones where the advertised number and the received number are the same.

FAQ

Comparing earn rates: common questions

What is an "effective rate"?
The rate a realistic balance actually receives once tier thresholds, promotional caps and commissions are applied. Where a platform pays a high rate on only a first tranche, we model a $5,000 stablecoin balance and report the blended result. Where a platform quotes a gross figure before commission, we apply the commission. The advertised number is shown alongside so you can see both.

Which platform has the best crypto earn rates?
On stablecoins with no conditions attached, Coinbase Wallet's 4.7% on Base and a flat 4% at a registered exchange lead. With conditions, Ledn's 8.5% above $100,000 and Nexo's 9.5% at platinum tier are higher and genuinely achievable. On staking, Cosmos at 12% is the highest mainstream network rate. On Bitcoin, Ledn at up to 5.25% below 0.5 BTC.

How often do these rates change?
Constantly. DeFi rates float with utilisation and can move several points in a week. CeFi promotional rates change monthly or faster. Network staking rates drift as total staked supply changes. We re-verify the whole table monthly and date every figure — always confirm with the provider before depositing.

Why is the same asset paying different rates on different platforms?
Because the platforms are doing different things with it. A staking rate comes from protocol issuance; a savings rate comes from lending. Two lending rates differ because the platforms lend to different borrowers on different terms. The rate difference is a risk difference, not an efficiency difference.

Should I just pick the highest number?
No, and this table exists specifically to explain why. The highest rates in 2021 belonged to Celsius, and the highest advertised rate today usually applies to a fraction of a real balance. Pick on the effective rate, then on who is holding your assets, then on what happens if you want out on a bad day.

Sources and further reading

Rates, terms and regulatory details on this page were checked against the following sources on . Variable figures move constantly — always confirm with the provider before depositing.

  1. 01 CEX.IO — staking and savings rates — published flat rates and terms
  2. 02 Nexo — Earn Crypto tier table — loyalty tiers and maximums
  3. 03 Ledn — crypto interest rates — BTC and USDC tiering
  4. 04 Coinbase — USDC rewards FAQ — rewards rate and eligibility
  5. 05 Kraken — staking overview — commission and bonded terms
  6. 06 Binance — USDT flexible product terms — tiered APR caps
  7. 07 Aave — documentation — utilisation-based rate model
  8. 08 Lido — protocol documentation — stETH APR and fee
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