Top 5 Stacking Platforms of 2025 Standouts
Ready to get the lowdown on the best staking platforms for your crypto in 2025? Here's your insider guide!
Staking crypto is the backbone of Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchains and a crucial part of maintaining network security and transaction validation. It also serves as a financial incentive for validators to act honestly. We'll go over the top crypto staking platforms, analyze their features, and discuss different staking methods.
So, what's DeFi Staking all about?
In a nutshell, staking is the process of holding crypto assets in a wallet to support a blockchain's security and maintain its sustainability. In PoS blockchains, users typically earn additional crypto rewards in exchange for staking their tokens. By staking, you contribute to the network's security, validate transactions, and help create new blocks.
The Perks of Crypto Staking
Staking comes with plenty of benefits for both users and blockchain networks:
Passive Income Generation
Staking allows you to earn rewards without selling your crypto, creating a regular passive income stream. The compound interest effect can increase your total earnings even more.
High Yields
Annual percentage yields (APY) can range from single-digit percentages to over 20%, depending on the blockchain and market conditions. This makes staking an attractive alternative to traditional financial instruments.
Increased Accessibility and Network Support
Staking enables more users to participate in the network and support its growth, fostering a more robust and decentralized ecosystem. Plus, Proof of Work (PoW) blockchains aren't as demanding as PoS systems, making staking accessible to a broader user base.
Top Crypto Staking Platforms in 2025
We've compiled a list of the top platforms for crypto staking based on features, assets supported, and other essential information for you:
Jito: The Largest Liquid Staking Platform on Solana
Jito is the leader in liquid staking on the Solana blockchain. Users stake Solana's native token, SOL, and receive JitSOL in return. This serves as a liquid staking token (LST) that can be used in other Solana-based DeFi projects, even if the staked assets remain locked. By using JitSOL, users can earn additional yields by utilizing tokenized versions of their staked assets in various DeFi projects.
What is JitSOL?
Jito's Maximum Extractable Value (MEV) approach can be controversial. Some argue that it allows traders to front-run or reorder transactions, while others contend it improves market efficiency and helps borrowers meet their repayment obligations.
Jito: Leveraging an Open Bidding System to Control MEV
Jito utilizes an open bidding system to manage MEV. Traders submit bids for the most profitable transaction orders. Third-party block producers simulate these bids to determine the most valuable transaction groups. The resulting fees are directed towards validators and JitSOL holders, reducing spam transactions and increasing staking rewards.
Key Features of Jito
Liquid Staking: Users stake SOL and receive JitSOL in return. JitSOL can be used on DeFi platforms (lending, trading, liquidity pools, etc.) and continues to earn staking rewards.
MEV Integration: Jito optimizes transaction ordering to redistribute MEV profits to JitSOL holders and increase overall staking yields.
Decentralized Governance: Jito's governance token, JTO, grants holders voting rights on platform delegation strategies, treasury management, and protocol upgrades. Jito DAO offers a community-driven control mechanism.
Security and Transparency: Jito relies on audited smart contracts and delegates staked SOL to recognized validators on the Solana ecosystem. Jito DAO's governance enhances platform transparency.
Supported Assets
Currently, Jito only supports SOL tokens as it is integrated solely with the Solana blockchain.
EigenLayer: The King of Restaking
EigenLayer is a middleware protocol built on Ethereum that innovates the concept of restaking. Restaking involves investing previously staked ETH (such as stETH) into a new liquidity pool. These staked assets are then allocated to various decentralized applications (dApps), Active Validation Services (AVS), oracles, Layer 2 networks, data availability layers, and cross-chain bridges.
What is EigenLayer?
Using this approach, EigenLayer enables other projects to leverage Ethereum's robust security without needing to establish their independent validator networks.
Key Features of EigenLayer
Restaking Market: EigenLayer functions as a marketplace. Validators and protocols can negotiate on shared security for a specified cost. Protocols can purchase staked tokens or stETH to provide an additional security layer. Validators can choose which protocols to back, balancing risk-reward ratios and managing capital efficiently.
Flexible Staking Options allow users to:
- Perform solo staking,
- Operate own validators,
- Delegate stakes to third parties,
- Enable dual staking (stake ETH and a local token simultaneously). This flexibility attracts advanced validators, users, and developers to its ecosystem.
Programmability: Developers can create custom validation rules and security parameters for EigenLayer-based applications, enabling innovative security solutions like multi-token staking mechanisms tailored to specific risk profiles.
Modular Security: EigenLayer offers a modular structure, allowing staked assets to be secured for storage, DeFi applications, or cross-chain bridges. This flexibility enables each project to build a structure that meets its own security needs.
Supported Assets
EigenLayer currently supports assets such as ETH, ERC-20 tokens, and liquid staking tokens (Lido's stETH and Rocket Pool's rETH).
Lido Staking: The Leader in Liquid Staking
Lido is a prominent player in the decentralized liquid staking space. By mid-2024, it had reached a total value locked (TVL) of $40 billion, solidifying its place as a mainstay in the DeFi ecosystem.
Lido TVL (Total Value Locked)
Lido's appeal is simple: Users can earn staking rewards without having to unlock their staked assets. Lido creates tokenized staking assets like stETH, allowing users to freely use their assets while staking. This enables users to earn additional yield by using stETH in various DeFi projects on Ethereum.
Key Features of Lido
Liquid Staking: When you stake with Lido, you'll receive a 1:1 derivative token (like stETH). Anyone can stake any amount (though a minimum of 32 ETH is required for validators).
Validator Distribution: Staked tokens are distributed among professional validators selected by the Lido DAO, reducing risks from validator errors or penalties.
Open Source and Audited System: Lido's smart contracts are open-source and regularly audited. Audit reports are published on GitHub.
Fee Structure: Lido charges a 10% commission on staking rewards, which is shared between node operators and the Lido DAO treasury.
Supported Assets
Lido supports a variety of cryptocurrencies:
- Ethereum (ETH),
- Polygon (MATIC),
- Kusama (KSM),
- Polkadot (DOT).
However, Solana (SOL) staking has been discontinued. Due to community votes and long-term unsustainable fee structure, the Lido team has terminated the SOL staking service.
Binance Earn: Passive Income from Your Crypto Assets
Binance Earn is an income platform within the Binance ecosystem designed for passive income. It offers various staking and savings options, making it suitable for beginners and experienced investors alike.
Key Features of Binance Earn
DeFi and Liquid Staking: Users can earn higher annual yields (APY) by connecting to DeFi protocols, but this comes with higher risks associated with decentralized platforms. Binance also offers ETH 2.0 Staking service, allowing users to stake Ethereum without running their own validators, and they receive BETH tokens representing their staked ETH.
Savings Products:
- Flexible Savings: Users can withdraw funds at any time, but interest rates are lower.
- Locked Savings: Higher yields require locking assets for a specified period.
Dual Investment: A product tailored for advanced investors, offering high yields by using two different cryptocurrencies based on market conditions.
BNB Vault: A special investment pool for BNB holders, combining staking, savings, and liquidity mining to maximize yields from BNB assets.
Supported Assets
Binance Earn supports over 180 cryptocurrencies. Major supported assets include:
- Bitcoin (BTC),
- Ethereum (ETH),
- Solana (SOL),
- Cardano (ADA),
- Stablecoins like USDT, USDC, etc.
Binance Earn caters to different risk profiles by offering a wide range of options to turn your crypto into a passive income source.
Ethena: Stablecoin Yielding Passive Income with Crypto Collateral
Ethena (USDe) is a synthetic stablecoin built on Ethereum, backed by crypto collateral, and maintains 1:1 dollar parity through delta-neutral risk management.
Key Features of Ethena
USDe - Delta-Neutral Stablecoin: USDe is backed by assets traded in derivative markets to protect against price fluctuations. Short positions are taken to maintain the stablecoin's value at $1, eliminating the need for fiat reserves or centralized storage services.
Crypto Collateral: All USDe supply is backed by crypto assets on the blockchain (Ethereum, stETH, Bitcoin, other stablecoins). This model ensures stability while maintaining sufficient collateral ratios.
Yield-bearing Token - sUSDe: Users who stake USDe earn the yield-bearing derivative token sUSDe. Yield sources include Ethereum staking rewards and funding rates from delta-neutral derivative positions.
Insurance Fund: Ethena offers an insurance fund to improve security in the decentralized finance (DeFi) space.
Supported Assets and Staking
Ethena enables users to stake USDe and earn sUSDe. sUSDe reflects yields from derivative funding rates and Ethereum staking rewards, increasing in value over time.
Ethena aims to create an innovative stablecoin model in decentralized stablecoin ecosystems, offering both security and yield.
A Guide to Crypto Staking
There are different ways to stake crypto. Regardless of the method you choose, first secure a crypto wallet to store your assets. Some popular wallets include Trust Wallet, Exodus, and Phantom. Let's go over the three main staking methods:
1. Staking with Crypto Wallets
Some crypto wallets allow you to stake directly from the app. You can compare the best DeFi wallets to find one that suits your needs.
2. Staking Platforms
You can stake in pools using crypto wallets, even with small amounts. For example, to stake Ethereum (ETH):
- Go to a platform like Lido.
- Choose the amount of ETH you want to stake.
- After confirmation, receive stETH tokens.
This method allows you to stake ETH while still using it in DeFi projects. Ideal for? Users who cannot meet minimum staking requirements or want to value their funds in a liquid way.
3. Node Staking
Node staking is more complex and suitable for users running validator nodes on Solana or Ethereum.
Now you're equipped with everything you need to get started with crypto staking! Choose a method that suits your risk tolerance and strategy to securely invest your crypto and contribute to blockchain networks' growth while earning passive income. Staking is a great way to build wealth and ensure the long-term sustainability of your favorite cryptocurrencies!
- In the context of the given text, Jito, a top crypto staking platform in 2025, utilizes an open bidding system to control MEV, which is a layer 2 optimization technique within the finance aspect of blockchain networks.
- EigenLayer, another prominent staking platform, offers a restaking market as part of its services, operating as a middleware protocol on the Ethereum blockchain's finance layer, catering to numerous decentralized applications (dApps), Active Validation Services (AVS), oracles, Layer 2 networks, data availability layers, and cross-chain bridges.
