Retail Staking
Retail Staking evaluated on how much of the ETH reward reaches you, how fast you can get your ETH back, and whether you can see the rate before you sign up.
7providers tracked
7ranked (methodology v2026.10.18)
3 November 2026Ranking snapshot
28 October 2026oldest read · due 12 DecIndependent. Evidence-based.We rank with a published method and sourced evidence. No one can pay to rank.How it works
Your setup
What your country changes
Pick a country to see which retail staking providers serve it. Nothing is hidden — any that does not is listed with that reason.- 🇺🇸 United States
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- 🇲🇽 Mexico
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- 🇫🇷 France
- 🇮🇹 Italy
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands
- 🇨🇭 Switzerland
- 🇸🇪 Sweden
- 🇳🇴 Norway
This affects provider availability.
Requirements (0)
Preferences (0)
Preferences re-weight Fit for you, which needs your country.
More filters
Funding & access
7 providers match your requirements
Out of 7 ranked providers. 0 excluded.
What this ranks
Ranked here: ETH staking a retail account can open today, inside an app or exchange or with a staking token you hold yourself, compared on the share of the reward you keep.Not ranked here: institutional validator operators sold by contract, restaking, and staking of assets other than ETH.7 of the 7 assessed are ranked.Requirements narrow the list; they never change a published ChainChoice Score. How the ranking works
Lido (stETH)
How Lido (stETH) was chosen
Leads this ranking on Way back to ETHSelf-custody ETH staking
ChainChoice Score80 / 100 out of 100
Evidence
High
3/3 criteria scored, with 3 dated sources quoted.Share of the ETH reward you keepWay back to ETH
Why it leads
- Lido (stETH) is 24 points ahead of Kraken ETH Staking, mainly because it scores higher on its net yield after commission and its exit path.
- Best in this ranking on exit path (8/10; next 7/10)
- Ahead of Kraken ETH Staking on net yield after commission (+12.5 points) and exit path (+7.5 points)
Tradeoff
Rate disclosure: 3 points below the best in this ranking
Commission on rewards
10%
Share
#ProviderCommission on rewardsCompare
2
Bonded ETH staking at Kraken
56 / 100 out of 100
25%
3
In-account ETH staking at Coinbase
55 / 100 out of 100
35%
4
RE
In-app ETH staking
54 / 100 out of 100
3%
5
OK
ETH staking at OKX
51 / 100 out of 100
6
BI
Flexible ETH staking at Bitstamp
46 / 100 out of 100
15%
7
BY
ETH staking through Bybit's global platform
45 / 100 out of 100
Compare providers (0)
See key differences in features, fees, security and more.
Net yield after commission
Share of the ETH reward you keep
50% of the published criteria weight. Scored 0–10 from the published evidence; the order below is by this criterion, then the published ranking.
| Provider | Net yield after commission (0–10) | ChainChoice Score |
|---|---|---|
| Revolut ETH Staking | 9 | 54 |
| Lido (stETH) | 8 | 80 |
| Bitstamp Earn Staking | 6 | 46 |
| Kraken ETH Staking | 4 | 56 |
| Coinbase ETH Staking | 3 | 55 |
| OKX ETH Staking | 2 | 51 |
| Bybit ETH Staking | 1 | 45 |
Exit path
Way back to ETH
30% of the published criteria weight. Scored 0–10 from the published evidence; the order below is by this criterion, then the published ranking.
| Provider | Exit path (0–10) | ChainChoice Score |
|---|---|---|
| Lido (stETH) | 8 | 80 |
| Coinbase ETH Staking | 7 | 55 |
| OKX ETH Staking | 7 | 51 |
| Bybit ETH Staking | 5 | 45 |
| Kraken ETH Staking | 4 | 56 |
| Revolut ETH Staking | 3 | 54 |
| Bitstamp Earn Staking | 3 | 46 |
Rate disclosure
Rate shown before sign-up
20% of the published criteria weight. Scored 0–10 from the published evidence; the order below is by this criterion, then the published ranking.
| Provider | Rate disclosure (0–10) | ChainChoice Score |
|---|---|---|
| Kraken ETH Staking | 8 | 56 |
| Bitstamp Earn Staking | 7 | 46 |
| Revolut ETH Staking | 6 | 54 |
| Lido (stETH) | 5 | 80 |
| Coinbase ETH Staking | 5 | 55 |
| OKX ETH Staking | 5 | 51 |
| Bybit ETH Staking | 3 | 45 |
All 3 published criteria
Every ranked row’s score on each criterion, in the published order. Choose a column to order by it.
| Provider | ChainChoice Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lido (stETH) | 8 | 8 | 5 | 80 |
| 2 | Kraken ETH Staking | 4 | 4 | 8 | 56 |
| 3 | Coinbase ETH Staking | 3 | 7 | 5 | 55 |
| 4 | Revolut ETH Staking | 9 | 3 | 6 | 54 |
| 5 | OKX ETH Staking | 2 | 7 | 5 | 51 |
| 6 | Bitstamp Earn Staking | 6 | 3 | 7 | 46 |
| 7 | Bybit ETH Staking | 1 | 5 | 3 | 45 |
How this ranking works
How firm the #1 is, the per-criterion arithmetic behind each score, who pays ChainChoice, and which retail staking were assessed and left out.
FirmThis verdict holds under every one-point re-read
See the arithmetic
Every published criterion was moved up and down by one point and the ranking re-run. The same product came first each time. The published rankings file
Why this score3 published criteria · leads 1 of 3
Published criterionWtScore, and the best hereGap/10 out of 10Pts
Share of the ETH reward you keep12−1812.8
Way back to ETH7.2·87.7
Rate shown before sign-up4.8−353.2
Σ methodology points23.7/32
Each bar is the score on that criterion’s own 0–10 scale, never rescaled to the pool. The dark line is the best any product here reached on that axis. Wt is the most the criterion can add to the 86-point weighted total. Pts is weight × score × 32; the sum is the methodology score, and each weighted point behind the leader costs 2.6 on the displayed score. how these are weighted
Why it ranks first
Why Lido (stETH) leads this category right now
Self-custody ETH staking that keeps 90% of the reward for you, publishes its rate as a 7-day average of the stETH share rate, and lets you leave the same day by selling stETH or at par through a queue of 1-5 days. Strongest on share of the ETH reward you keep (8/10): the 10% protocol fee is published, so you keep 90%. Weakest on rate shown before sign-up (5/10): the rate, the fee and the 7-day window are public, but no Lido page says whether that rate is before or after the fee.
Best for
Share of the ETH reward you keep — 8/10
Main tradeoff
You hold stETH in your own wallet: no venue can freeze it, and none can recover it if you lose the keys. Its market price can sit below ETH when many holders sell at once; Lido says stETH "is intentionally not pegged to ETH".
Verify before signup
lido.fi/how-lido-works/protocol-fee (read 28 October 2026): "Lido charges a protocol fee (currently 10%) on the rewards accumulated by the staked ETH underlying the protocol." eth-api.lido.fi/v1/protocol/steth/apr/sma (read 28 October 2026): "smaApr":2.3261428571428575. Lido's APR page: "The APR displayed on Lido UI is calculated as a rolling moving average over the last 7 days." Its APR calculator page defines Protocol APR as "the overall Consensus Layer (CL) and Execution Layer (EL) rewards received by Lido validators relative to total ETH in the protocol", which reads as before the fee; its API docs compute userAPR with "sharesMintedAsFees /* fee part included in `postTotalShares` */", which suggests after. No page states the basis in words, so it is scored as not stated.
Recommendation summary
What should decide this category
Do you want the provider to hold your ETH, or would you rather hold a staking token in your own wallet?
Might you need your ETH back the same day, or can you wait for the network exit queue?
Is the provider's ETH staking open where you live? Several are not open in the UK or the US.
Quick picks
Strong options in this category
Start with the lead choice first, then use the shortlist only if you still need a challenger or stronger fit for a specific setup.
Best overall
Lido (stETH)
Self-custody ETH staking that keeps 90% of the reward for you, publishes its rate as a 7-day average of the stETH share rate, and lets you leave the same day by selling stETH or at par through a queue of 1-5 days.
Self-custody ETH staking that keeps 90% of the reward for you, publishes its rate as a 7-day average of the stETH share rate, and lets you leave the same day by selling stETH or at par through a queue of 1-5 days. Strongest on share of the ETH reward you keep (8/10): the 10% protocol fee is published, so you keep 90%. Weakest on rate shown before sign-up (5/10): the rate, the fee and the 7-day window are public, but no Lido page says whether that rate is before or after the fee.
Best for: Share of the ETH reward you keep — 8/10
Share of the ETH reward you keep · weight 50%8/10Way back to ETH · weight 30%8/10Rate shown before sign-up · weight 20%5/10
Quick pick
Kraken ETH Staking
Bonded ETH staking at Kraken that keeps 25% of the reward on balances under $1M, prints its 2.81% ETH rate before that commission, and is open in the UK, the EEA and Canada; in the US only in states Kraken does not name.
Bonded ETH staking at Kraken that keeps 25% of the reward on balances under $1M, prints its 2.81% ETH rate before that commission, and is open in the UK, the EEA and Canada; in the US only in states Kraken does not name. Strongest on rate shown before sign-up (8/10): rate, basis, the tier table and the compounding formula are public. Weakest on share of the ETH reward you keep (4/10): a retail balance keeps 75% of what the network pays.
Best for: Rate shown before sign-up — 8/10
Share of the ETH reward you keep · weight 50%4/10Way back to ETH · weight 30%4/10Rate shown before sign-up · weight 20%8/10
Quick pick
Coinbase ETH Staking
In-account ETH staking at Coinbase with an instant-unstake option, that keeps 35% of the reward for a non-member (25.25% to 31.75% for Coinbase One), and is open in the UK, the EEA and most US states.
In-account ETH staking at Coinbase with an instant-unstake option, that keeps 35% of the reward for a non-member (25.25% to 31.75% for Coinbase One), and is open in the UK, the EEA and most US states. Strongest on way back to ETH (7/10): you can unstake instantly for a fee or wait the network queue for free. Weakest on share of the ETH reward you keep (3/10): the standard rate leaves you 65% of what the network pays, the largest cut in this ranking.
Best for: Way back to ETH — 7/10
Share of the ETH reward you keep · weight 50%3/10Way back to ETH · weight 30%7/10Rate shown before sign-up · weight 20%5/10
Quick pick
RE
Revolut ETH Staking
In-app ETH staking for Revolut customers in the EEA that states a 0% platform fee on rewards, with validators keeping up to 3% on some chains, but shows its ETH rate and exit wait only inside the app.
In-app ETH staking for Revolut customers in the EEA that states a 0% platform fee on rewards, with validators keeping up to 3% on some chains, but shows its ETH rate and exit wait only inside the app. Strongest on share of the ETH reward you keep (9/10): Revolut states it gives "100% of the staking rewards we receive on-chain". Weakest on way back to ETH (3/10): you can unstake at any time, but the waiting period is shown only in the app.
Best for: Share of the ETH reward you keep — 9/10
Share of the ETH reward you keep · weight 50%9/10Way back to ETH · weight 30%3/10Rate shown before sign-up · weight 20%6/10
Considered and not ranked
None left out by name
We assessed 7 products here and rank all 7. No product has been turned away by name; when one is, its name and the reason appear here. Evidence last read 28 October 2026.
What this ranking does not assess
- Control failure: a key or vote changes the rules, freezes or mints.
- Liveness failure: the operator stops, censors you or loses data.
- Custody failure: whoever holds the assets loses or withholds them.
- Insolvency failure: the firm or issuer that owes you cannot pay.
- Regulatory failure: no licence where you are, or a forced market exit.
- Execution failure: you get a worse price, later, or nothing.
These can still cost you money here; the ranking does not measure them, so a high place says nothing about them. Which criterion scores each family, and why the others do not apply, is in /data/risk-coverage.json.
How this ranking is built
Reviewed on the share of the ETH reward the reader keeps, the routes back to spendable ETH, and what the provider shows about its rate before sign-up. ETH only for now.
Data checked Oct 2026 · Independent rankings · We show our work
How this page is reviewed
Reviewed means every product ranked on this page was read against its sources on or after that date; every ranked category is re-read at least every 45 days. Models research, extract and parse. A deterministic engine ranks. Every quote passes an adversarial refute pass.
Accountable for this review: Mathias Siemonsmeier, Founder.
How we review · Review calendar · Corrections log · How we make money
Direct answer
What is the best retail staking provider in 2026?
Lido (stETH) ranks #1 overall for retail staking on ChainChoice. Self-custody ETH staking that keeps 90% of the reward for you, publishes its rate as a 7-day average of the stETH share rate, and lets you leave the same day by selling stETH or at par through a queue of 1-5 days. It holds that rank under an affiliate-blind methodology scored across 3 published, weighted criteria — the code that ranks providers physically cannot read affiliate payouts (CI-enforced), so a payout can't move a rank. The verdict re-computes on every fee change, incident, or regulatory action; the full reasoning and the audit receipt are under Methodology.
How you can lose money here, and what the ranking scores
- Exit failure: you cannot get out at par, on time, or with what is yours.Scored by Way back to ETH · 30% (Lido (stETH) 8/10, Kraken ETH Staking 4/10, Coinbase ETH Staking 7/10)
- Information failure: the number is wrong or bought, or your data leaks.Scored by Rate shown before sign-up · 20% (Lido (stETH) 5/10, Kraken ETH Staking 8/10, Coinbase ETH Staking 5/10)
Not assessed by this ranking: Control failure, Liveness failure, Custody failure, Insolvency failure, Regulatory failure, Execution failure. A high place says nothing about these; the Methodology tab says what each means.
Also scored, as cost, quality or a summary of several families: Share of the ETH reward you keep (50%).
FAQs
3 questions readers ask before choosing retail staking.
Frequently asked
Questions people ask before choosing retail staking
Why is one provider's ETH rate higher than another's?
Mostly because they measure it differently. Kraken shows its rate before its commission, Bitstamp and OKX show theirs after, and Lido shows a 7-day average of what a stETH holder earned. The network pays them all about the same, so compare the commission.
What is the difference between retail staking and liquid staking?
Here a company holds your ETH and stakes it for you, inside your account. Liquid staking gives you a token such as stETH in your own wallet; Lido is listed here as that self-custody yardstick, and the full liquid-staking ranking is under Liquid Staking.
What matters most when choosing where to stake ETH?
The ranking weighs the share of the ETH reward you keep (50%), the routes back to spendable ETH and what is said about their timing and cost (30%), and what you can see about the rate before you open an account (20%).
Free advisor·No signup needed
Still unsure? Get your best retail staking pick
Answer a few quick questions and get one clear recommendation based on how you actually plan to use crypto — then review the evidence before deciding.
No signup·Free first pass · Private·No spam · No account
Not financial advice · Independent · Always do your own research
Best picks
Best retail staking in 2026
Weighted on how much of the ETH reward reaches you (50), how fast you can get your ETH back (30) and whether you can see the rate before you sign up (20). Every provider stakes the same ETH on the same network, so the share it keeps decides your net yield; the quoted APYs are measured in different ways and are shown, not scored.
Best overall
Lido (stETH)
Self-custody ETH staking that keeps 90% of the reward for you, publishes its rate as a 7-day average of the stETH share rate, and lets you leave the same day by selling stETH or at par through a queue of 1-5 days.
Data checked Oct 2026
Self-custody ETH staking that keeps 90% of the reward for you, publishes its rate as a 7-day average of the stETH share rate, and lets you leave the same day by selling stETH or at par through a queue of 1-5 days. Strongest on share of the ETH reward you keep (8/10): the 10% protocol fee is published, so you keep 90%. Weakest on rate shown before sign-up (5/10): the rate, the fee and the 7-day window are public, but no Lido page says whether that rate is before or after the fee.
Best for: Share of the ETH reward you keep — 8/10
Browse this network
MS
Written and reviewed by Mathias Siemonsmeier, Founder
Not financial advice · For informational purposes only · Always do your own research