Stellar
Stellar doesn't have native staking. Liquid staking and DeFi alternatives further down still let you earn yield.
Stellar uses Proof-of-Work — there is nothing to stake natively. See DeFi alternatives below.
Earn yield · DeFi options
How to earn yield on XLM
Since Stellar doesn't have native staking, the way to earn on XLM is through DeFi pools — either by lending it, providing liquidity, or wrapping it onto a chain that does support staking. DeFi adds smart-contract and (for LP) impermanent-loss risk.
ondo-yield-assets - USDY
Yield
3.55%
Pool size
$124Million
blend-pools-v2 - XLM
Yield
0.1%
Pool size
$94.1Million
blend-pools-v2 - USDC
Yield
8.68%
Pool size
$10.9Million
13 pools
| Pool | Protocol | Type | Yield | Pool size ↓ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ondo-yield-assets - USDY
USDY
|
ON Ondo Yield Assets | farming | 3.55% | $124Million | → |
blend-pools-v2 - XLM
XLM
|
BL Blend Pools V2 | lp | 0.1% | $94.1Million | → |
|
blend-pools-v2 - USDC
USDC
|
BL Blend Pools V2 | lp | 8.68% | $10.9Million | → |
| EU blend-pools-v2 - EURC EURC | BL Blend Pools V2 | lp | 8.63% | $837Thousand | → |
|
blend-pools - XLM
XLM
|
BL Blend Pools | lp | 0.0% | $44Thousand | → |
|
blend-pools - USDC
USDC
|
BL Blend Pools | lp | 0.48% | $4.34Thousand | → |
|
blend-pools - XLM
XLM
|
BL Blend Pools | lp | 0.0% | $2.49Thousand | → |
|
blend-pools - USDC
USDC
|
BL Blend Pools | lp | 0.02% | $907 | → |
|
blend-pools - XLM
XLM
|
BL Blend Pools | lp | 0.0% | $313 | → |
| AQ blend-pools - AQUA AQUA | BL Blend Pools | lp | 0.0% | $202 | → |
|
blend-pools - USDC
USDC
|
BL Blend Pools | lp | 12.66% | $145 | → |
|
blend-pools - XLM
XLM
|
BL Blend Pools | lp | 0.0% | $60 | → |
| EU blend-pools - EURC EURC | BL Blend Pools | lp | 0.0% | $53 | → |
Apps on this chain · ranked by value held
What's running on Stellar
Each protocol is a separate app. Lenders let you earn interest on what you deposit; DEXes let people swap tokens; liquid-staking apps give you a tradeable receipt for your staked coin. Tap any to see how to use it.
9 apps tracked
| App | Category | Chains | Best reward rate | Value held on Stellar ↓ | Yield options | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BL Blend Pools V2 blend-pools-v2 | DEX & liquidity | 1 | 8.68% | $106Million | 2 | → |
| AQ Aquarius Stellar aquarius-stellar | Dexs | 1 | — | $52.1Million | — | → |
| ST Stellar DEX stellar-dex | Dexs | 1 | — | $23.2Million | — | → |
| LU LumenSwap lumenswap | Dexs | 1 | — | $6.69Million | — | → |
| TE Templar Protocol templar-protocol | Lending | 3 | — | $5.14Million | — | → |
| PH Phoenix DeFi Hub phoenix-defi-hub | Dexs | 1 | — | $1.44Million | — | → |
| SO Soroswap soroswap | Dexs | 1 | — | $1.19Million | — | → |
| DE DeFindex defindex | Yield | 1 | — | $1.06Million | — | → |
| SC Scopuly scopuly | Dexs | 1 | — | $1.04Million | — | → |
Read up before you stake
Background reading on Stellar staking
Guide
What is staking?
The plain-English version: how locking your tokens earns you new tokens, and why the network pays you to do it.
Read the guide →
Guide
How blockchains differ from each other
Why Solana, Ethereum, and Cosmos chains pay different rates and why their security models differ.
Read the guide →
Guide
What does a validator actually do?
Validators run the chain. Pick a healthy one and your rewards arrive on schedule; pick a bad one and you can lose part of your stake.
Read the guide →
Frequently asked
What people ask about Stellar staking
What does staking XLM on Stellar mean?
+
Staking on Stellar means locking your XLM with a validator that helps run the network. In return, the network pays you a share of newly created tokens — similar to how a savings account pays interest, but the rate is set by the protocol, not a bank.
How much can I earn?
+
Right now the top validators on Stellar pay varies by validator per year, after their commission. The rate moves with the chain's inflation schedule and how much of the supply is staked overall.
Is staking safe?
+
Your tokens stay in your wallet — you never hand them over. The two real risks are slashing (the network can shrink your balance if your validator misbehaves, which is rare) and lock-up (you can't sell instantly during the unbonding period). Pick a validator with a track record and you sidestep most of the risk.
Can I unstake whenever I want?
+
Yes, but unstaking is not instant. Most chains have an unbonding period of a few days to a few weeks during which you don't earn rewards and can't sell. Liquid-staking tokens (like stETH for Ethereum) sidestep this by giving you a tradeable receipt token.
What wallet do I need?
+
Any non-custodial wallet that supports Stellar works — Phantom or Solflare for Solana, Keplr for Cosmos chains, MetaMask for Ethereum and EVM chains, Yoroi or Eternl for Cardano. Connect, choose a validator, click delegate. The whole flow takes a couple of minutes.
See also
Terms used on this page
-
Validator
A computer that processes transactions and votes on the blockchain's state. In return for keeping the network honest it collects fees and staking rewards.
-
Slashing
An automatic penalty where part of a validator's stake is destroyed for misbehaviour or extended downtime. Real risk for delegators too.
-
Unbonding Period
The waiting time after you unstake before tokens become liquid again. Ranges from minutes (Ethereum LSTs) to 21+ days (Cosmos chains).
-
Validator Commission
The fee a validator takes from staking rewards before passing the rest to delegators. Often 5–15%; lower means more of the reward reaches you.
-
Real Yield
Yield paid in revenue-bearing assets (ETH, USDC, fees) rather than newly minted protocol tokens. The non-inflationary part of the rate.