How to Stake Ethereum in 2026
How much can you earn?
Estimate your rewards from staking Ethereum.
What is Ethereum staking?
Staking Ethereum means locking your ETH to help validate transactions on the Ethereum network. In return you earn rewards — currently about 2.2% a year. Your ETH stays yours the whole time; you're delegating it, not giving it away.
Is staking Ethereum worth it in 2026?
Ethereum is one of the more established staking options — the ~2.2% APY comes with relatively low risk thanks to a mature validator set. For most holders who plan to keep their ETH anyway, staking it is close to a no-brainer: you earn yield on assets you'd be holding regardless.
Follow the step-by-step guide below to start staking ETH.
How to stake Ethereum
Set up your wallet
Download a Ethereum-compatible wallet (MetaMask, Ledger, or the native wallet). Secure your seed phrase offline.
Get ETH
Buy ETH on a major exchange (Coinbase, Binance, Kraken) and transfer to your wallet. Keep a little extra for gas fees.
Choose a staking option
You need at least 0.001 ETH to start. Navigate to the staking interface or delegate to a trusted validator.
Start earning
Confirm the transaction and you're staking. Rewards accumulate automatically — check in periodically to monitor your position.
What to watch out for
Ethereum staking — common questions
What is the current ETH staking APY?
The current Ethereum staking APY is approximately 2.22%. This rate fluctuates based on network participation and total staked supply. Data is updated every few hours.
Is there a minimum to stake ETH?
Yes, the minimum stake for Ethereum is 0.001 ETH. Some third-party platforms allow smaller amounts through pooled staking.
How risky is ETH staking?
Ethereum staking carries low risk. The network is well-established with strong validator infrastructure and slashing protection.
What type of staking does ETH use?
Ethereum uses native staking. Stake directly on the blockchain by delegating to validators.
What percentage of ETH is staked?
About 28.0% of the total Ethereum supply is currently staked, worth $17.11B.