Some blockchain protocols allow participants to earn additional cryptocurrency (rewards) by contributing to the network. These rewards can be earned in many different ways including staking and inflation. Coinbase participates in these networks and distributes the rewards to eligible customers who have opted in to staking or inflation.
Note: Interest earned is equivalent to earned rewards on Coinbase.com or the Coinbase mobile app. Business accounts aren’t eligible for rewards.
What is staking?
Staking is the process of actively participating in transaction validation (similar to mining) on a proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchain. On these blockchains, anyone with a minimum-required balance of a specific cryptocurrency can validate transactions and earn staking rewards.
When the minimum balance is met, a node deposits that amount of cryptocurrency into the network as a stake (similar to a security deposit).
The size of a stake is directly proportional to the chances of that node being chosen to forge the next block.
If the node successfully creates a block, the validator receives a reward, similar to how a miner is rewarded in proof-of-work chains.
Validators lose part of their stake if they double-sign or attempt to attack the network.
The Algorand (ALGO) asset earns rewards through inflation, or community rewards, versus staking. With inflation, new tokens are added to the network at a rate determined by the protocol and those tokens are then distributed to holders as rewards.
How does earning rewards on Coinbase work?
Some protocols offer asset holders the ability to earn rewards via Proof of Stake, which means that you're able to earn rewards just for holding a minimum balance. Rewards are calculated based on the amount of the cryptocurrency you hold in that particular balance. Meaning, the more you hold of the cryptocurrency, the more Coinbase can stake on your behalf; and the more potential rewards you receive.
Rewards are also impacted by the frequency of blocks produced by that cryptocurrency’s network. Coinbase helps connect eligible customers to those platforms to earn rewards from those protocols.
Depending on the asset, you may be required to accept specific terms or opt in to staking.
You may be required to accept User Terms specific to the asset you’d like to stake. Please read them carefully.
You will retain full ownership of your staked crypto. In the event of a slashing incident involving staked ETH2, Coinbase may or may not replace your assets—depending on the cause of the slashing. Learn more about the slashing policy for ETH2.
Some protocols impose waiting periods before assets can be unstaked. You can ask us to unstake your assets at any time, but in some cases you may have to wait until this protocol “unbonding” period is complete before you can transfer or sell your staked assets. Coinbase does not impose any additional lock ups.
We take a commission on all rewards received. The return rate for our customers reflects this commission and the actual amount of your crypto that was staked. Users in the United States can find our current commission in this version of the Coinbase User Agreement, and users in Europe can find our current commission in this version of the Coinbase User Agreement.
What cryptocurrencies are eligible for staking?
Cryptocurrency | Minimum Balance Needed | Rewards Payout Rate |
---|---|---|
Algorand (ALGO) | 0.01 ALGO | Quarterly |
Cosmos (ATOM) | 0.0001 ATOM | After 7-14 days (initially), then every 7 days |
Ethereum (ETH) | No minimum balance | 3-5 days |
Tezos (XTZ) | 0.0001 XTZ | After 35-40 days (initially), then every 3 days |
Cardano (ADA) | $1 worth of ADA | After 20-25 days (initially), then every 5 days |
Solana (SOL) | $1 worth of SOL | After 5-7 days (initially), then every 3-4 days |
What regions are eligible for staking and inflation?
Angola
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi (ETH2 only)
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Côte d'Ivoire*
Djibouti
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia (ETH2 only)
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mozambique
Niger
Nigeria
Reunion
Rwanda
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
Swaziland
Togo
Tunisia
Uganda
Western Sahara
Zambia
*Currently not eligible for ALGO rewards
Azerbaijan
Bahrain
Bangladesh (ETH2 only)
Bhutan
British Indian Ocean Territory
Brunei Darussalam
Cambodia
Hong Kong
India
Indonesia
Kazakhstan
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Macau
Maldives
Mongolia
Nepal
Philippines
Qatar
South Korea
Sri Lanka
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Timor-Leste
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
Aland
Albania
Andorra
Armenia
Aruba
Austria*¹
Belarus
Belgium*
Bosnia
Bouvet Island
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Faroe Islands
France*
Georgia
Germany*
Guernsey
Gibraltar
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland*
Isle of Man
Italy¹
Jersey
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Moldova
Monaco
Netherlands*
Norway*¹
Poland
Portugal
San Marino
Serbia
Slovakia*
Spain*
Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
United Kingdom*
*This country is currently not eligible for ALGO rewards.
¹This country is currently not eligible for ETH2 rewards.
Jordan
Lebanon
Pakistan
Palestine
UAE*
*These countries are currently not eligible for ALGO rewards.
Anguilla
Antigua & Barbuda
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bermuda
Canada
Cayman Islands
Costa Rica
Curacao
Dominica
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Martinique
Mexico
Montserrat
Nicaragua
Panama
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin (French part)
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Sint Maarten
Trinidad and Tobago
Turks and Caicos Islands
United States (excluding Hawaii residents and excluding New York for ADA, ATOM, ETH, SOL, and XTZ)
Virgin Islands (British)
Australia
Heard and McDonald Islands
Kiribati
Marshall Islands
Micronesia
Nauru
New Zealand
Niue
Norfolk Island
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Solomon Islands
Tokelau
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu
Wallis and Futuna Islands
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Falkland Islands
French Guiana
Guyana
Paraguay
Peru
Pitcairn
Saint Helena
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands
Suriname
Uruguay
Venezuela
What are the eligibility requirements for rewards?
You must have your identity verified
You must have the minimum balance needed for that specific cryptocurrency
You can purchase or maintain the minimum balance on Coinbase, or transfer that cryptocurrency from an outside wallet or exchange
You must hold the eligible cryptocurrency on Coinbase.com
Learn more about sending and receiving cryptocurrency.
How do I earn rewards on Coinbase?
With the exception of ETH, eligible staking balances for all supported assets will start earning rewards without any further action needed. You can explore eligible assets and opt out of earning rewards at any point in time at Coinbase Earn.
If you’re eligible to stake but don’t hold the minimum balance needed for the asset, you’ll need to purchase the asset then opt in to begin earning rewards.
Note: For ETH, if you’re signed in and eligible, you may be able to stake your ETH and start earning rewards. Learn more about staking ETH.
Learn more about our Terms and Conditions by reviewing our User Agreement.
Manage rewards
You can manage your Rewards from Coinbase.com or on the mobile app. If you opt out of rewards for an asset, you won’t receive rewards until you opt back in.
Coinbase.com
Sign in to your Coinbase account.
Select Earn from the left-hand navigation.
From the Earn page, select the asset you want to earn rewards on or opt out of.
Continue with these steps:
To earn rewards on an asset you don't currently own: Follow the prompts to purchase the asset.
To opt out: Select Manage, then from the subsequent Select a rate screen, select None.
To opt in: Select Manage, then from the subsequent Select a rate screen, select Standard.
Mobile app
Sign in to your Coinbase account.
Tap the menu icon in the top left corner, then Earn.
Select the asset you want to earn rewards on or opt out of.
Continue with these steps:
To earn rewards on an asset you don't currently own: Follow the prompts to purchase the asset.
To opt out: Select Manage, then from the subsequent Select a rate screen, select None.
To opt in: Select Manage, then from the subsequent Select a rate screen, select Standard.
When and where are rewards reflected?
All rewards are credited to your asset balance and appear as a transaction. Learn more about reward payments below:
What changed with ALGO rewards?
In 2022, Algorand (ALGO) moved to a new rewards model. Rather than receiving rewards daily, ALGO holders now receive rewards quarterly (every 3 months; exact dates align with the individual governance periods). This change was decided by the Algorand community as part of its switch to governance rewards.
Your first reward payment will be credited approximately after 20-25 days
After your first reward payment, your reward payment will be credited to your account every 5 days
The first rewards payment is credited after approximately 7-14 days
Every payment after that is credited approximately every 7 days
Your rewards payment is credited every 3-5 days
Note: This will occur once the upgrade to the Ethereum network is complete. In the meantime, ETH2 staking rewards will be reflected in your account under Lifetime Rewards and will be updated on a regular basis. At this time, staking rewards won’t be added to your overall staking balance and you won’t be able to access them. Learn more about Ethereum 2 staking.
The first rewards payment is credited after approximately 35-40 days
After your first reward payment, every payment after that will be credited approximately every 3 days
The first rewards payment is credited after approximately 5-7 days
Every payment after that is credited approximately every 3-4 days
Frequently asked questions
Can I earn rewards in a Coinbase vault?
Yes, you can receive staking rewards for storing in vaults. If the cryptocurrency you're storing is eligible for rewards (staking rewards, APY, etc.), you'll receive rewards for that crypto.
DeFi Yield is not currently supported in vaulted assets at this time.
Note: You cannot earn rewards for storing ADA, ETH2, or SOL in a vault.
Can I trade or send funds while they’re earning rewards?
You’ll typically be able to cash out your cryptocurrency that’s earning rewards on Coinbase as you would any other cryptocurrency. Cashing out may be subject to factors including, but not limited to, your account history, transaction history, and banking history.
In rare circumstances, trades and cash-outs may be delayed while we wait for staked funds to be unlocked. When this happens, any limits or delays will be communicated clearly via notification on Coinbase.com and the Coinbase mobile app, or via email notification.
Will the reward rate always be a fixed percent?
The reward rate can move up or down depending on multiple factors primarily determined by the network’s protocol. The reward rate can also be influenced by factors including, but not limited to, validator performance, amount staked/stakers, and inflation and savings rates set by the network.
Why would estimated rewards differ from actual payout?
The amount reflected in your Coinbase account is our estimate of the rewards that you could potentially earn when rewards are distributed by the network. Our estimation is based on Coinbase’s prior staking performance for that cryptocurrency.
Is receiving rewards a taxable event?
US customers who are subject to US tax reporting are required to report their earnings from staking rewards. US customers that earn over $600 in staking rewards will receive a 1099-MISC from Coinbase. You can learn more about the 1099-MISC on the official website of the IRS.
Where do I find my history of reward deposits for accounting purposes?
Each reward will populate as a line item in your transaction history report.
Are rewards guaranteed?
Coinbase does not guarantee that you’ll receive staking rewards, any specific reward, or any staking return over time.
What is Annual Percentage Yield and how is it calculated?
Annual Percentage Yield (APY) refers to a percentage rate reflecting the total amount of staking rewards projected to be earned over an annual period based on the then-current Rewards Rate compounding at set intervals for a 365-day period.
The APY is a projection based on the rewards we have historically received (“Rewards Rate”) from the applicable asset protocol.
We take a commission on all rewards received, and the APY for our customers reflects this commission. You can find more about our commissions here.
Where can I see the APY for each cryptocurrency?
Each cryptocurrency has its own APY value. You can view the APY values on Coinbase.com and on the Coinbase mobile app.
To view APY values on Coinbase.com:
Sign in to your Coinbase account.
From the Assets tab, click the Earn interest modal on the right side.
To view APY values on the Coinbase mobile app:
Sign in to your Coinbase account.
Tap the menu icon in the top left corner.
Tap Earn interest > See what you can earn.