The difference every beginner should know before chasing crypto yield.
Lock coins on Ethereum, Solana, Cardano. The protocol itself pays you — new coins plus fees. Around 2.5–3% on ETH in 2026.
One shiny tab hides five different products: flexible lending, locked deposits, real staking, promo farming, structured trades. Same tab, different machinery.
On-chain staking: you keep your keys. Earn: the exchange holds everything — your balance is an IOU. Celsius proved what that means in June 2022.
Coinbase keeps 35% of staking rewards. Lido takes 10%. Same coins, same network — on a $50k position that gap costs about $400 a year, compounding.
What asset? How long can it sit untouched? What would a freeze cost you? Rule: Earn only ever holds money you'd keep on that exchange anyway.
$50–100 on the exchange to learn the mechanics, then graduate to self-custody — lower fees, and the coins are actually yours. Full guide below.
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