Staking means committing coins to help run a blockchain network. In return, the network pays you rewards in the same coin. It's one of the few ways to earn on crypto you already hold without lending it to anyone.
Why networks pay you
Bitcoin is secured by miners using computing power. Many newer networks, including Solana and TRON, use proof of stake instead: the computers that confirm transactions, called validators, are backed by staked coins. The more stake behind honest validators, the harder the network is to attack.
To encourage people to stake, the network creates new coins and shares out transaction fees as rewards. Those rewards are paid by the network itself, not by the company you stake through.
What the rate means
Staking rates are quoted as an estimated yearly percentage, for example around 6.5% for Solana or 3.5% for TRON. Three things to know:
- It's an estimate, not a promise. The rate comes from recent network rewards and changes every day.
- It's paid in the coin you stake. If you stake 100 SOL at 6.5%, you'd earn about 6.5 SOL over a year. What that's worth in dollars depends on the price of SOL.
- Rewards can compound. When rewards are added to your stake automatically, they earn rewards too.
The trade-offs
| Consider | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Unstaking period | Networks take time to release staked coins: about 3 days on Solana and 14 days on TRON. You can't sell or send them in the meantime. |
| Price risk | Rewards don't protect you from the coin's price falling. A 6% reward doesn't make up for a 30% drop. |
| Validator performance | If a validator is offline or underperforms, rewards fall. |
| Commission | Validators and staking services keep a share of rewards. Check it before you stake. |
Staking with Helio
In the Helio app, open Earn, choose Solana or TRON staking and enter an amount. We show the estimated rate, our commission and the unstaking time before you confirm. Rewards arrive daily from your stake's second day and stay staked, and you can unstake at any time. See the details on our rates & fees page.
Holding SOL or TRX?
See how staking works in the app on our Earn section.
This article is general information, not financial, tax or legal advice. Staking rewards aren't guaranteed and may be taxable where you live.