stETH or ETH — is it worth holding stETH instead of plain ether?
stETH (Lido DAO) yields ~2.25% (in ETH), no minimum, can be bought on a DEX without KYC. rETH (Rocket Pool) yields ~1.93% (in ETH), minimum from ~0.01 ETH, can be bought on a DEX without KYC. cbETH (Coinbase) yields ~2.28% (in ETH, after fee), no minimum.
stETH is ETH that Lido has staked for you. It follows the ETH price and adds the staking reward, paid in ETH. Plain ETH earns nothing unless you stake it yourself — which on your own takes 32 ETH and a running validator.
How this list is made: computed from the live TokenBank dataset each time the page is built — 3 matching rows, each linked to its own page and source.
Figures from our live dataset · data as of 2026-11-09 · this answer as JSON · not investment advice
| Token | Issuer | Yield / return | Minimum | KYC to buy | Chain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| stETH Lido Staked ETH | Lido DAO | ~2.25% (in ETH) checked 9 Nov 2026 | None (any amount of ETH) | No KYC on a DEX | Ethereum (+L2s) |
| rETH Rocket Pool Staked ETH | Rocket Pool | ~1.93% (in ETH) checked 9 Nov 2026 | From ~0.01 ETH | No KYC on a DEX | Ethereum (+L2s) |
| cbETH Coinbase Wrapped Staked ETH | Coinbase | ~2.28% (in ETH, after fee) checked 9 Nov 2026 | None | Not stated | Ethereum / Base |
Side by side
| stETH | rETH | cbETH | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where the yield comes from | Ethereum staking rewards (consensus + fees) | Ethereum staking rewards | Ethereum staking rewards (Coinbase validators) |
| Risk (our label) | Medium (crypto price) | Medium (crypto price) | Medium (crypto price) |
| Custody | Self-custody | Self-custody | Self-custody token; custodial staking backend |
| Liquidity | Deep DEX/CEX liquidity; withdrawals via Lido queue | DEX liquidity; protocol redemption | CEX + DEX liquidity |
| KYC to mint with the issuer | No KYC | No KYC | KYC required |
| KYC to buy on a market | No KYC | No KYC | Not stated |
| KYC to redeem | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
| Assets under management | Largest liquid-staking protocol | Top-3 decentralized LST | Top-5 LST |
| Jurisdiction | Decentralized protocol | Decentralized protocol | USA (Coinbase; EU via MiCA entity) |
| How to buy | Stake at stake.lido.fi or buy stETH on a DEX/CEX | Stake at rocketpool.net or buy rETH on a DEX | Stake ETH on Coinbase and wrap, or buy cbETH on a DEX |
More questions
What do I risk by holding stETH instead of ETH?
Three things ETH does not carry: a bug in Lido’s smart contracts, penalties on the validators that stake for Lido, and the market price — stETH can trade below 1 ETH when many holders sell at once, as it did in 2022. Withdrawing through Lido returns ETH one for one, but through a queue that can take days.
Is the stETH yield paid in dollars?
No. The reward is paid in ETH, so your stETH balance grows in ETH terms while its dollar value moves with the ETH price.
Which one has the lowest minimum?
stETH (Lido DAO), with no minimum. The highest stated minimum here is rETH, with minimum from ~0.01 ETH.
Which of them can I buy without KYC?
2 of 3 can be bought on a DEX without identity verification: stETH, rETH. For the rest, the source does not state the secondary-market gate.
Where does the yield come from?
stETH: Ethereum staking rewards (consensus + fees). rETH: Ethereum staking rewards. cbETH: Ethereum staking rewards (Coinbase validators).
How risky are they?
stETH: Medium (crypto price). rETH: Medium (crypto price). cbETH: Medium (crypto price). The risk label is ours, in plain language, and is explained on each token page.
Are these yields fixed?
3 of 3 are variable: the rate moves with markets and is not guaranteed. The figures on this page were last checked on 2026-11-09.