BEST PLATFORMS FOR CRYPTO STAKING IN 2025

It is 2025, and it is safe to say that crypto staking has gone beyond what it used to be in its early days.  Today, participants can now access sophisticated tools and methodologies that have dramatically transformed the staking ecosystem. For instance, participants can now maintain liquidity while earning rewards, leverage staked assets to secure multiple networks simultaneously, or even completely outsource the validator operations.

These innovations have dramatically democratized staking and allowed a larger pool of participants, from individual users and decentralized finance (DeFi) players to institutional investors and professional validators. However, this increased accessibility comes with its own set of risks and obligations that every participant must understand.

This guide will explore the four primary categories of modern crypto staking, namely, Liquid Staking, Restaking, Validators-as-a-Service (VaaS), and DIY Staking. We will discuss leading tools within each category, break down their technical parameters,, and explain their respective strengths and weaknesses.

1. Liquid Staking

Liquidity is the key problem with traditional proof-of-stake (PoS) mechanisms. However, users can now receive a derivative token representing their staked assets through a liquid staking protocol. For instance, a derivative token (e.g., stETH for staked ETH) accrues staking rewards in real-time and remains liquid. So, users can participate in various DeFi activities, such as lending and borrowing, and get liquidity without unstaking their original assets. Here are some leading Liquid staking providers:

Chainnodes (for Liquid Staking)

Website: https://www.chainnodes.org

Chainnodes provides a more blockchain-agnostic approach to liquid staking. In other words, it supports a wider array of networks beyond Ethereum, including Solana and Avalanche, and plans to integrate other networks soon. Chainnodes also provides a user-friendly interface for accessing liquid staking derivatives across these ecosystems.

Key Features of Chainnodes

  • Distributed Validator Technology (DVT)

Chainnodes is actively integrating DVT through collaborations with protocols like Obol Network and SSV Network. Let’s break it down: DVT mitigates the risks associated with relying on a single validator client or operator. It achieves this by splitting validator keys and responsibilities across multiple independent nodes.

  • Multi-chain Liquid Staking Support

Chainnodes maintains separate smart contract implementations for each supported blockchain. These contracts handle the staking and unstaking logic specific to each network, as well as the minting and burning of their respective liquid staking tokens.

  • Auto-compounding

Chainnodes provides mechanisms to automatically reinvest staking rewards back into the staked pool.

  • Liquidity Layer Integration

Chainnodes actively seeks integrations with decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and Automated Market Makers (AMMs) on each supported chain to ensure sufficient liquidity for their liquid staking tokens.

  • Simplified User Interface

Chainnodes provides a user-friendly experience; this protects users from the technical burden of interacting with the staking mechanisms of different blockchains.

Lido

Website: https://lido.fi

Lido is a leading platform in Ethereum liquid staking. Lido allows users to stake native tokens to receive a complimentary liquid staking token. Lido also plans to support Solana and Polygon.

Key Features of Lido

  • Real-Time Reward Accrual

Lido's liquid staking tokens typically use a rebasing mechanism (for ETH) or a value accrual mechanism (for Solana and Polygon). In rebasing, the balance of the stETH token in the user's wallet increases over time to reflect accumulated rewards. In value accrual, the value of the stSOL or stMATIC token appreciates relative to the SOL or MATIC.

  • Slashing Insurance

To protect users against potential slashing penalties, Lido has implemented an insurance fund.

  • Smart Contract Architecture

Lido relies on interconnected smart contracts deployed on the respective blockchains. These contracts manage the deposit of native tokens, the minting and burning of liquid staking tokens, the distribution of rewards, and interactions with the staking mechanisms of the PoS network.

  • Governance via LDO Token

Holders of the LDO governance token have the power to influence key parameters of the Lido protocol. So, you have a say in setting fees, onboarding new validators, and upgrading the smart contracts.

2. Restaking

The concept of restaking was pioneered on Ethereum by EigenLayer. Staking provides users who have already staked native or liquid ETH to restake their assets to secure additional decentralized protocols or services known as Actively Validated Services (AVSs).

EigenLayer

Website: https://www.eigenlayer.xyz

EigenLayer allows users to delegate their staked ETH to node operators who provide validation services to AVSs. Note also that Chainnodes participates in restaking initiatives by operating validators for protocols like Ether.fi, which integrate with EigenLayer.

Features of EigenLayer

  • Dual Use

Restaked ETH contributes to the security of the Ethereum proof-of-stake consensus mechanism and enhances the security of chosen AVSs.

  • Operator Delegation Marketplace

EigenLayer provides a marketplace where users can delegate their restaked ETH to professional node operators.

  • Smart Contract Architecture

EigenLayer relies on a set of smart contracts on Ethereum that manage the restaking process, operator registration, delegation, and reward distribution from AVSs.

3. Validators-as-a-Service (VaaS)

Users need technical knowledge, consistent uptime, and a significant capital investment to run validator nodes on proof-of-stake networks. Validators-as-a-Service (VaaS) manages the backend infrastructure and technical complexities of running these validators on behalf of users. So, users can simply earn staking rewards without engaging in node operation.

Learn about  the features and benefits of Validator-as-a-Service in our previous article.

Chainnodes (VaaS)

Chainnodes is not just a liquid staking provider. It also provides VaaS solutions for users who want to participate in staking as validators without the technical burden of self-management.

Why Choose Chainnodes (VaaS)?

  • Dedicated Validator Nodes

Chainnodes provides dedicated virtual or physical servers for each validator. This ensures resource isolation and predictable performance.

  • Metrics and Dashboards

Chainnodes provides users with real-time dashboards and reporting tools to monitor their validator's performance. That means users can monitor staking rewards, uptime percentage, missed block/attestation rates, and overall node health.

  • Automated Failover and Redundancy Systems

To minimize downtime and avoid slashing penalties, Chainnodes provides automated failover mechanisms.

  • Key Management and Security

Chainnodes handle the secure generation, storage, and management of validator private keys.

Obol

Website: https://www.obol.tech

Obol provides the infrastructure and tools to enhance the reliability and decentralization of proof-of-stake networks.

How Does Obol Work?

  • Charon Middleware

Charon is the core middleware of Obol. It allows multiple independent validator clients to operate as a single, fault-tolerant validator.

  • Techne Credential System

Techne is a standardized credentialing system designed to verify the performance and trustworthiness of validator operators.

  • DV for Enhanced Resilience

By distributing validator responsibilities across multiple clients, Obol's DVT significantly reduces the risk of slashing due to single-client failures, software bugs, or infrastructure issues.

  • Interoperability

Obol's technology is designed to be interoperable with existing validator infrastructure and supports integrations with liquid staking protocols like Lido and SSV.Network.

4. DIY Staking

DIY (Do-It-Yourself) staking is the most hands-on approach to participating in proof-of-stake networks. It involves setting up and managing your own validator node infrastructure, either on personal hardware or cloud-based servers.

Chainnodes (DIY Staking)

Chainnodes provides resources and tools to support users who choose the DIY route for staking.

How Does the Chainodes  DIY Model Work?

  • Setup Wizards and Guides

Chainnodes provides step-by-step tutorials and setup scripts for deploying validator nodes on various supported blockchains (e.g., Ethereum, Avalanche, Cosmos).

  • Integrated Monitoring Tools and Alerts

Chainnodes provides and recommends tools for monitoring the performance and health of DIY validator nodes.

5. Who Should Stake, and Who Shouldn't?

Staking is indeed profitable, but it calls for a situation-based approach to specific personal concerns, risk tolerance, and technical skills. A brief guide on assessing whether staking is suited for you:

You Should Stake If:

  • You have a long-term investment horizon

Staking earns passive income on your holdings if you are willing to lock in your crypto assets for an extended period.

  • Love Passive income

Proof-of-stake networks generally carry APRs from 4% to 10% and above.

  • Comfortable Interacting With Smart Contracts

Depending on the liquid staking or re-staking type, you will frequently interact with dApps and smart contracts. If you have at least a superficial understanding of how these technologies work, then you already qualify.

  • Research-Minded

You are willing to research and understand the specific risks of your chosen staking method.

You Shouldn’t Stake If:

  • You are an active trader

Staked assets are subject to lock-up periods (in native staking) or may involve derivative tokens with potential price deviations (in liquid staking).

  • You lack the necessary technical skills (especially for DIY and restaking)

Running a DIY validator requires significant technical expertise.

  • You have a low-risk tolerance

Restaking increases risk due to potential slashing from multiple protocols.

  • You do not understand the underlying protocol and its risks

Blindly chasing high APYs without understanding the mechanics of the staking protocol, its security model, and slashing conditions can lead to significant financial losses.

Conclusion

Crypto staking accommodates a wide spectrum of users. Whether you are a DeFi novice, an advanced user, just looking for a hands-off approach with a VaaS provider, or a technically savvy user embracing the full control of DIY staking, the options are endless. However, the best approach always requires a careful evaluation of your individual goals, technical proficiency, and risk appetite.

Don't be swayed only by high APYs; research security, understand the protocols you are interacting with, and choose the staking method and tools that align best with your interests.