Ink
Ink doesn't have native staking. Liquid staking and DeFi alternatives further down still let you earn yield.
Ink uses Proof-of-Work — there is nothing to stake natively. See DeFi alternatives below.
Rollup maturity & risk
How Ink stacks up as a rollup
Stage 1 Optimistic RollupAggregated rollup-maturity rating + 5-axis risk rosette. Stage 2 is fully decentralised; Stage 1 has guardian intervention windows; Stage 0 still has admin keys. Sentiment colours come straight from the source.
Sequencer Failure
Self sequence
In the event of a sequencer failure, users can force transactions to be included in the project's chain by sending them to L1. There can be up to a 12h delay on this operation.
State Validation
Fraud proofs (INT)
Fraud proofs allow actors watching the chain to prove that the state is incorrect. Interactive proofs (INT) require multiple transactions over time to resolve.
Data Availability
Onchain
All of the data needed for proof construction is published on Ethereum L1.
Exit Window
None
There is no exit window for users to exit in case of unwanted upgrades as they are initiated by the Security Council with instant upgrade power and without proper notice.
Proposer Failure
Self propose
Anyone can be a Proposer and propose new roots to the L1 bridge.
Value secured
$423Million
7-day change
-1.96%
Earn yield · DeFi options
How to earn yield on ETH
Since Ink doesn't have native staking, the way to earn on ETH 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.
tydro - KBTC
Yield
0.05%
Pool size
$122Million
tydro - USD₮0
Yield
2.6%
Pool size
$17.1Million
tydro - USDC
Yield
1.75%
Pool size
$12.3Million
28 pools
Apps on this chain · ranked by value held
What's running on Ink
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.
5 apps tracked
| App | Category | Chains | Best reward rate | Value held on Ink ↓ | Yield options | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TY Tydro tydro | Lending | 1 | 5.01% | $245Million | 6 | → |
| VE Veda veda | Yield | 9 | — | $223Million | — | → |
| NA Nado Spot nado-spot | Dexs | 1 | — | $55.6Million | — | → |
| VE Velodrome V3 velodrome-v3 | DEX & liquidity | 1 | 5.08% | $16.8Million | 5 | → |
| VF vfat.io vfat-io | Yield | 4 | — | $1.08Million | — | → |
Read up before you stake
Background reading on Ink 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 Ink staking
What does staking ETH on Ink mean?
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Staking on Ink means locking your ETH 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?
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Right now the top validators on Ink 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?
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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?
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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?
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Any non-custodial wallet that supports Ink 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
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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.
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Slashing
An automatic penalty where part of a validator's stake is destroyed for misbehaviour or extended downtime. Real risk for delegators too.
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Unbonding Period
The waiting time after you unstake before tokens become liquid again. Ranges from minutes (Ethereum LSTs) to 21+ days (Cosmos chains).
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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.
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Real Yield
Yield paid in revenue-bearing assets (ETH, USDC, fees) rather than newly minted protocol tokens. The non-inflationary part of the rate.