Staking Rewards: How They Work, Where to Find Them, and Which Ones to Avoid

When you stake your crypto, you’re essentially lending it to a blockchain network to help secure it—and in return, you get staking rewards, earnings paid out for helping validate transactions on proof-of-stake blockchains. Also known as crypto interest, these rewards are how networks like Ethereum, Solana, and Cardano keep themselves running without needing energy-hungry mining. Unlike mining, staking doesn’t require fancy hardware. You just hold coins in a wallet that supports staking, and the network pays you for it—usually in the same token you’re staking.

But not all staking is created equal. Some platforms, like DeFi staking, protocols that let users lock crypto in smart contracts to earn yields, promise high returns but often have zero liquidity, fake trading volume, or no real team behind them. Take SHEESHA or CremePie Swap—both claimed to offer staking rewards, but they had no users, no audits, and no future. Then there’s liquid staking, a method that lets you stake your crypto while still using it elsewhere, like trading or lending. It sounds perfect, but it comes with risks: if the staking token depegs from its original value (like stETH did in 2023), you could lose money even if you earn rewards.

Staking rewards aren’t free money. They’re tied to the health of the network, the token’s demand, and whether the project is real or just a front. Some projects, like Brokoli Network or JMPT Rewards, tie rewards to real activity—like environmental impact or completing microtasks. Others, like CHY or OmniCat, use the word "staking" to sound legit while offering nothing of value. The best staking happens on established chains with transparent rules, active communities, and real usage—not on anonymous tokens with 99% price drops.

You’ll find both sides of this in the posts below: the projects that actually deliver rewards, and the ones that just promise them. Some are scams. Others are risky but real. A few might even be worth your time. What matters is knowing the difference before you lock up your coins.