Stablecoin Yield Tracker

Yield (or "earn") is interest paid on a stablecoin or crypto deposit, generated by the platform lending out customer assets. Staking is protocol-paid yield from validating a proof-of-stake network (ETH, SOL, ADA). The two have very different risk profiles: yield depends on the platform's lending counterparties + reserve management; staking depends on the protocol + slashing risk + lock-up periods. Always read which one is being offered.

Three reasons. First, regulatory framework — MiCA-licensed EU exchanges (Bitvavo, Kraken EU) typically offer lower yields because they comply with stricter reserve and disclosure requirements. Second, customer-tier structures — many platforms gate higher rates behind loyalty tiers (Nexo Loyalty), required native-token holdings (Crypto.com CRO), or fixed-term commitments. Third, business model — pure exchanges can pay less because they don't need to attract deposits; banks competing for primary-deposit relationships pay more.

Safer than they were before 2023. The platforms with the strongest case in 2026 publish Proof of Reserves (Ledn does monthly attestations via Chainalysis; Nexo publishes near-real-time Armanino-audited reserves), segregate customer funds, and operate under MiCA / NYDFS / FCA / FSCA regulatory frameworks that mandate disclosure. Headline rates of 14–16% usually come with conditions; the unconditional base rate for USDC yield in 2026 is closer to 6–9%. Read each platform's regulatory_status carefully before depositing.

The platform list updates whenever vendor data refreshes (typically weekly). The historical snapshots are weekly /research/ pieces published every Monday. If you need a single point-in-time snapshot, the most-recent /research/weekly-yields-* piece is authoritative. The platform max_apy figures shown here come from each platform's published rate card; we update them when platforms change rates publicly.

Most platforms don't publish an authenticated yield API; rates change at the platform's discretion and are typically only confirmed by checking the in-app rate card. Building an unsanctioned scraper would be fragile and would likely break editorial trust with the platforms. The weekly cadence is a deliberate choice — it's slow enough to be reliable, fast enough to be useful for strategic decisions.

Yes — DeFi protocols (Aave, Compound, Spark) offer USDC + USDT yield without a custodial counterparty. The trade-off is smart-contract risk, gas costs, and the operational complexity of self-custody. For users comfortable with self-custody and DeFi, base USDC yields on tier-1 protocols (4-6%) are competitive with custodial-platform yields after accounting for the regulatory and counterparty risk reduction.