A Beginner’s Guide to Earning Staking Rewards on Coinbase
Earn passive income on Coinbase using these steps
By Wendy’s Whitepaper Contributor: Dragonwolftech
User Level: Beginner
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Over the last few years, staking and earning rewards on crypto held in wallets and exchanges has become a popular way of earning passive income. Staking crypto lets users earn crypto by contributing to the Proof of Stake (POS) network of a digital asset. Originally, staking was only available on exchanges, but more and more desktop, mobile apps, and private wallets allow for staking which we will cover in future articles.
Staking and Earning Rewards on Coinbase
For this article, we are going to look at staking and earning rewards on Coinbase.com. This article assumes that you have already set up your Coinbase account and gone through KYC verification. To get started staking on Coinbase, make sure you have the option enabled. Go to “Settings” and enable the option to stake and earn rewards under the “Financial Services” tab.
Next to each asset in the “Financial Services” section, the description will tell you whether the asset is earning staking rewards or another type of reward. For example, Tezos (XTZ) and Cosmos (ATOM) earn staking rewards, whereas USD Coin (USDC), DAI Stablecoin (DAI), and Algorand (ALGO) are not staking rewards but payout rewards just the same.
Go to your portfolio, and on the right side of the screen, you will see all of the current rewards offered on Coinbase. Your options to earn rewards are USD Coin (USDC), DAI Stablecoin (DAI), Tezos (XTZ), Algorand (ALGO), and Cosmos (ATOM). Each digital asset has its minimum required to begin earning rewards.
What is APY?
Annual percentage yield (APY) is the interest rate based on a compounding period of one year. On Coinbase, USDC earns 0.15% APY, DAI earns 2.00% APY, XTZ earns 4.63% APY, ALGO earns 6.00% APY, and ATOM earns 5.00% APY.
So let’s say we are looking to earn Algorand (ALGO) rewards; ALGO has a potential reward of 6.00% APY and does not show a minimum required to earn. Next, we can either purchase ALGO outright from Coinbase or convert another asset to ALGO; for this article, we will convert Ethereum (ETH) to Algorand (ALGO).
Go back to your portfolio and on the right side of the screen, under the rewards dropdown, you’ll see that the Lifetime rewards counter has begun, expand the dropdown, and Algorand (ALGO) is showing earnings of 6.00% APY.
Next to each of the rewards, the question mark icon will provide you with more information about the specific reward: Lifetime rewards, Rewards received, Rewards pending, and Annual Percentage Yield (APY).
For more on Yield Farming and Staking, see the previous article, “Yield farming vs Staking,” by Liberty Raider.
Earning rewards and staking generally require that the digital asset be held in a wallet and not used, sold, or moved. The asset accruing rewards remain in your wallet and when you are ready to spend or trade the asset, do so.
You are not required to stake any particular asset on Coinbase and put as much into one or spread out your assets are you see fit, keeping in mind that the only assets that receive rewards are those enabled on your account.
For more on how to earn crypto on Coinbase, see the previous article, “How to Earn Crypto on Coinbase.”
Wendy’s Whitepaper Disclaimer: Please be advised that I own a diverse portfolio of cryptocurrency assets, and anything is written or discussed in connection to cryptocurrencies– regardless of the subject matter’s content– may represent a potential conflict of interest. I wish to remain transparent and impartial to the cryptocurrency community at all times, and therefore, the content of my media is intended FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. Nothing that I write or discuss should be construed, or relied upon, as an investment, financial, legal, regulatory, accounting, tax, or similar advice. Nothing should be interpreted as a solicitation to invest in any cryptocurrency, and nothing herein should be construed as a recommendation to engage in any investment strategy or transaction. Please be advised that is in your own best interests to consult with investment, legal, tax, or similar professionals regarding any specific situations and any prospective transaction decisions.