These numbers speak a volume about the opportunity and value locked in this Defi ecosystem. Before we go ahead to define and understand more about what is crypto staking we must be aware Proof-Of-Stake,

Proof of stake is a type of consensus mechanism used by blockchain networks to achieve distributed consensus through staking. Here the validators, now need to be in the possession of the native token of the concerned blockchain (for example ETH in the case of Ethereum), which they are required to stake to validate any transaction and build a consensus among all the nodes in the network

I have covered the PoS in detail here in the article linked below:

Please do spend some time to understand the underlying technology and how it works, this will help you to be more informed before you learn more about Crypto staking going ahead in this article.

Now that you have understood what is proof-of-stake, its time to define,

Crypto Staking:

Crypto staking is a financial tool that allows users to lock in their crypto tokens to help the concerned blockchain platforms achieve the required consensus in the network via proof-of-stake.

It is a more efficient and less resource-intensive alternative to crypto mining (which uses Proof-Of-Work). Staking involves validators who lock up their tokens, so that they can be randomly selected by the DefI protocol at specific intervals to create a block.

Does Every User Stake Gets Accepted As Validator ?

Not every one who has decided to stake their tokens gets the right to validate the blockahin transactions, as there are certain rules applicable which varies based on blockchain DeFi protocols. The decision of who will be able to participate and validate mostly depends upon the total count of crypto tokens at stake.

For Eaxmple :

In Ethereum 2.0 , users need to stake at least 32 ETH to become eligible for acting as a validator, rest any user can act as delegator of their token at stake and win rewards for the same.

But users can definitely stake their coins and act as a delegator to earn rewards for their locked in coins. Their staked coins in this case is lended to the selective validators and the user gets rewarded on their behalf .

Proof-of-stake blockchain Projects are highly scalable and have high transaction throughput.

In a nutshell:

Staking simply means locking funds in a suitable & secure wallet, enabling users to perform various network functions pertaining to the Defi platform & earn decent staking rewards for the same. User can also add funds to a staking pool,

What Is a Staking Pool?

A staking pool allows multiple stakeholders to combine their computational resources as a way to increase their chances of being rewarded.Simply put, it is mechanism to team up and have unified staking power to verify and validate new blocks, thus enhancing the chance to earn more block rewards

The return on your staked coins vary based on the type of Defi protocols and are majorly dependent on following key factors :

• Count of coins at stake
• Total locked in token count in the given DeFi network
• The market condition and rate of inflation
• The duration of the concerned validator and his longevity in term of active staking

Staking on Ethereum 2.0:

Requirements :

You’ll need 32 ETH to become a full validator or some ETH to join a staking pool.

Rewards:

• You will be rewarded for actions that help the network reach consensus. –
• Also you will get rewards for batching transactions into a new block or checking the work of other validators , as you enhance the security of the network by doing so

Risk:

• If you act inappropriately or found to be malfunctioning you will risk yourself to lose all your staked 32 ETH .
• You can lose ETH for malicious actions, going offline, and failing to validate.

Staking on Tezos:

To become a staker/baker on Tezos,

Requirements :

User needs to hold 8,000 XTZ coins and run a full node.

Returns:

Annual percentage yield (APY)on XTZ staking ranges anywhere from five to six percent.

Risk:

If you act inappropriately or found to be malfunctioning you will risk yourself to loose all your staked XTZ

Staking on Binance:

Similarly you can execute crypto staking on Binance smart chain, which supports the token like USTD, BUSD, DAI, BTC etc.

• The only requirement is to hold your PoS coins on Binance exchange , and all the technical requirements will be taken care of for you
• The staking rewards are usually distributed at the start of each month.

Coinbase is also another top exchange like finance where you can earn rewards for your crypto tokens. Apart from ETH 2.0 staking it also supports other coins accommodated on Coinbase staking include ALGO and XTZ etc..

In a nutshell:

• You have multiple platforms like centralized crypto exchanges viz, Coinbase, Binance, which allows you to lock in your coin and earn a passive income for staking.
• Though returns are low as compared to Defi protocols , as they cover lot of pain points of setting up your wallet, securing it , and transacting. But if you are comfortable with the DeFi ecosystem you can earn a higher return .
• Exchange mostly offer returns in APY ranging from 5–12 percent which depends upon the coin type staked . You get most returns for staking stable coins like, USDT, USDC, BUSD, DAI etc.
• Defi platforms like AAVE, UniSwap, Maker, Synthetix, Compound, Yearn Finance , offer higher returns and can shoot up to 25–40 % and even higher . The rewards are highly fluctuating , to check the returns , please visit the below given link . Here you will get the calculator to make your life easy.

• Risks associated with DeFi protocols are extremely high and users are required to do their own research before staking. Don’t get too caught up in annualized rewards or APYs. There are many other crucial factors to consider such as the reputation and age of the platform.

Crypto staking, crypto lending, staking in pool, all these alternate instrument to put your crypto to work while you sleep definitely provides you the extra luxury to earn more , but understanding the underlying technology, project reputation , network stability is extremely important for you to understand as a crypto investor .

Compound platform set the trend in 2020, and now AAVE is shining ahead , and there are many more in the line, and I feel the future of DeFi is here to stay , as now technology and infrastructure is more congenial with the advent of multiple blockchain scaling platforms like Polygon, Solana, Ethereum 2.0, Cardano, Fantom, etc..

The network stability, security and scalability has been the largest concern associated with Defi protocols, but now these concerns are being mitigated fastly, but still as a user you need to be invested not only in terms of fund but also in terms of amount of research you put in, before choosing the right platform for crypto lending or staking .

“Be a responsible investor as there is lot at stake apart from funds ”

Next in the series of Crypto basics, we will cover

• What Is DeFi?
• How Defi Functions ?
• Different Defi platforms
• Pros & Cons Of Defi , as much more…

On this note, I would like to sign-off and would like to extend my heart-felt gratitude to all you awesome readers, you all are my true inspiration motivating to me to write and share as always.

Thanks a lot……

Coinsmart. Beste Bitcoin-Börse in Europa
Source: https://medium.com/crypto-wisdom/crypto-basics-what-is-crypto-staking-7fd45ef915ef?source=rss——-8—————–cryptocurrency