The world of crypto develops rapidly, and blockchain enables financial processes and solutions that were unimaginable not so long ago. On top of new principles of currency creation, valuation, and payment systems, DeFi (decentralized finance) brings new opportunities for earning and managing your funds without the intervention of third parties or paying big fees for every transaction.
DeFi was born as a principle of secured independent ledgers where funds are stored and from where they are transferred to whichever destination you need, mainly to other secured ledgers. Yes, you skip banks, operators, fees, approvals, weekends, delays, and other benefits of centralized finance. You earn money, hold it and spend it as you wish. All you need is the Internet and a bit of software, and you are your banker.
No wonder DeFi gave rise to new kinds of services and blockchain applications that come together to create whole new financial sectors that benefit first and foremost the users – and it is just wonderful. One of these new sectors is staking, and it opens opportunities for earning additional income while simply holding your coins. We will explain in detail what staking is, and what coins to stake now for higher profits and safety.
The Process Of Staking Explained
Staking is a process of holding coins in a ledger where these coins can be used for purposes of transactions validation. If BTC relies on Proof-of-Work validation, then many other coins rely on the Proof-of-Stake mechanism. Both mechanisms maintain consensus in the crypto networks and confirm that this or that coin has particular value, thus enabling financial transactions.
So literally, you own coins and put them in a separate ledger that allows staking or keep them in your account on a staking platform. In such a way you become a validator who runs a validation nod. Then the system will assign new blocks for validation randomly, a validator reviews and confirms the correctness of the block data, and receives additional tokens or coins as a reward. The internal procedure is complex, based on smart contracts and so on, but on the outside, all you have to do is to own coins, keep them in an assigned account or ledger for validation purposes and be ready to earn additional money for staking.
It somehow resembles bank deposits, where you deposit a certain sum for a certain period and then withdraw it with accrued interest. Yet here, your coins do not support someone else’s business. Your coins support the crypto network’s stability, making it operate faster and more efficiently. So you invest into your financial advantage, so to say.
Besides, in contrast to mining, staking as a tool of validation is more sustainable (no energy for mining is required), is easier to scale, and is accessible to practically everyone.
Today many platforms offer a staking option and many coins claim to be the best investment ever. However, before you engage in staking, read about the interest rate they offer, conditions of staking, and technical requirements you need to meet with your hardware. In addition, do not forget to read about the coins on Reddit and in the crypto-dedicated media. Such independent pieces of analysis will let you make your own decision about the coin you are considering.
And to get you started, read our list of the best coins for 2022 that represent important aspects of staking and the technology that enables it.
Top 5 Coins For Profitable Staking In 2022
MetaHash
Our number one may be not the obvious one, but it all is in the potential, not in what the coin has already accomplished. BTC and the like have reached peak values and slipped out of reach for many beginning stakers, so it’s high time to look for other coins that have great potential. MetaHash represents a cohort of new coins that have their blockchain and a related ecosystem. Under ecosystem, we mean a payment system, smart contracts, dedicated apps, coins (as you could guess), and plans to venture into NFTs and integrate with other cryptocurrencies.
The true power of MetaHash technology lies in its processing capacity as a payment channel provider. Imagine 100,000 transactions per second, which means instant transactions executed easily en masse. With its proprietary blockchain, big working capacity, and equally big (and realizable) plans, Metahash has a right to offer 17% of the annual interest as a reward for staking. Another key advantage is a very low entry barrier because now you can start staking with only around $50, which will buy you 512 MHC. Start slow and see your coin – and earnings – gain momentum and fly to the moon, as they say.
The only possible disadvantage as of today is the lack of publicity that may make you concerned. However, MetaHash is already traded at reputable platforms and backed by a team of strong developers who know what they are doing.
You can stake MHC at aStake.io, another crypto player well worth your attention. It’s a staking platform that lends its solid technical capacities and expertise to MetaHash and helps the community grow in a healthy sustainable way. The tandem is really set for success, so go and check on them right away.
Polkadot
This is another important player on the staking field. Polkadot relies not on standard proof-of-Stake but Nominated Proof-of-Stake. The consensus is based on the fact that nominators back many validators at once, and both kinds of participants stake their funds as collateral. The ace up the Polkadot’s sleeve is interoperability. Its technology bridges the gap between BTC and Ethereum, enabling communication between the legacy blockchains. Its price now is still affordable to the majority of stakers and yet its growth through 2022 indicates that its story of success has just started.
Among the drawbacks of the coin, one can name the high technical requirements to validators (hardware capacity, etc.), so it’s easier to become a nominator. The number of the coin you own does not impact the amount of reward. Rather, it is the amount of work that you put into the network functioning that matters. For this reason, all participants are given roughly equal amounts of rewards.
Polkadot is set for a long period of growth, so if you plan to stake and at the same time see the price of your coins grow steadily, this crypto is right for you.
You can stake it at platforms like Crypto.com or crypto exchanges that allow staking. The popularity of this coin makes it easy to find a place where to stake. So, stake while the price is accessible.
Cardano
Cardano is yet to demonstrate its full price potential, but today it is already known as one of the biggest networks and the most successful cases of deploying PoS consensus as a validation mechanism, with its proprietary Ouroboros protocol. Cardano already supports smart contracts technology and thus has a bright future. The coin is dabbed the best in terms of sustainability and energy-saving, plus it has high scalability potential.
Its advantage, along with the tech at its foundation and eco-approach, is the low price that makes it an accessible staking investment. Everything’s relative: although the price is low, it has gained around 4,500% in value from the start. So the matter of further boost-like price increase is only a matter of time.
On the downside, Cardano is still to develop a wider ecosystem of services and opportunities, but even now, with its ledgers and technology, it performs pretty well. The interest offered for staking will differ from platform to platform.
You can stake Cardano on dedicated staking platforms like eToro or exchanges like Binance, in the dedicated staking accounts.
Uniswap
If you seek to add meaning to your staking process, look at Uniswap. It is one of the best coins representing DeFi principles and streamlining payment processes running directly peer-to-peer. Its popularity is confirmed by the fact that it constitutes around a quarter of all transactions undertaken in the Ethereum network. The crypto tries to reduce fees as much as possible, and its Uniswap V3 protocol makes it possible.
Uniswap’s potential for staking is very high for several reasons. It is considered to be very undervalued as of 2022, so buying it now and staking for added interest means making a bullet-proof investment. Its growth potential only starts showing itself, and many investors who look for long-term buys pay close attention to Uniswap. UNI owners can also take part in decisions on the network maintenance and operation, so that’s DeFi as it should be.
It may seem a downside that the price of the coin is low. But consider this: Uniswap is now affordable for bulk purchase (in terms of pricing), so grab the opportunity while it’s available. As of now, it’s an upside, we’d say.
You can buy and stake Uniswap on platforms like Crypto.com or eToro. Staking means that you have to lock in your coins for a certain period, but third-party services let you withdraw your assets any time you need them.
Solana
Solana has demonstrated a real miracle of price growth through 2021, riding from $19 to $250 and then falling back to a robust $100. So if you buy and stake it, you definitely won’t regret it. Solana is another example of DeFi that has far-reaching plans. The tech focuses on high scalability, fast transactions, and low fees, which ensured its popularity and growth. It claims to enable developers to build easy-to-use and scalable apps and to maintain the fastest-growing ecosystem (as their site says) in the crypto world, with hordes of projects in DeFi, NFT, and Web3 being run simultaneously.
It does sound impressive, and that’s probably why it is very appreciated by developers. The price seems to be poised to grow again, and it explains the popularity of the coin at staking platforms. Depending on the platform, interest in staking can vary between 7% and 11%.
Relatively high prices can chase away micro-investors, but think in the long-term perspective and pay once to earn regularly.
Solana staking can be done either with help of a staking-supporting ledger or in a staking account on platforms like Binance or Crypto.com.
Afterword
As you see, the selection of coins for staking and platforms that enable staking is wide, and we picked only the ones that are truly worth your attention. Read more, ask questions at forums, and decide what crypto segment you want to support with your money.
If you earn through staking and at the same time invest in something that you appreciate and want to develop, it’s a very satisfying and inspiring combo. Don’t miss this opportunity now.