How to earn crypto rewards

As the cryptoeconomy grows and evolves, there are more ways than ever to earn rewards for holding crypto, learning about crypto, or interacting with decentralized finance (or DeFi) apps.  Most of these opportunities are available right inside the main Coinbase app or website, while the last one requires the use of a wallet with a DeFi browser built in, like Coinbase Wallet . We’ll walk you through the basics of some of the best ways to grow your crypto via rewards right now.

This content is not designed for UK users, and these rewards may not be accessible to users in the UK.

The easiest way to start generating crypto rewards on Coinbase is through Coinbase Earn. In exchange for learning the basics about certain cryptocurrencies (usually by watching short videos), you can get some to try for yourself. 

Since the launch of Coinbase Earn in 2018, users have received more than $100 million in crypto including 0x, Basic Attention Token, Zcash, Stellar Lumens, EOS, Dai, Tezos, Orchid, Compound, Celo, Nucypher, and the Graph.

Many cryptocurrencies now use a “Proof of Stake” consensus mechanism — which is a way their decentralized networks can ensure that all transactions are verified and secured without a bank or payment processor in the middle. 

With such cryptocurrencies, you can earn rewards simply for contributing to the security of the network — by “locking” some of your holdings into a staking pool for a certain timeframe. In exchange, you’ll earn rewards. This is an excellent option if you were planning to hold onto the crypto for a longer period — instead of having it sit idle, you can put it to work for you.

Via the main Coinbase app or website, eligible users can stake Tezos, Cosmos, or ETH and earn as much as 6% APY (depending on the type of asset being staked) as of June 2021. Visit coinbase.com/staking to learn more.

One potential downside of staking rewards is that they’re paid in the native cryptocurrency, which can be volatile. But you can earn rewards simply by buying and holding dollar-pegged stablecoins like Dai and USD Coin (USDC).

As of June 2021, you can earn 2.00% APY rewards by simply holding Dai in your Coinbase account. You can also earn 0.15% APY for holding USD Coin — and can earn even more via USDC Lending (see tip No. 4).

It can be challenging at times to hold dollars in a traditional savings account and earn meaningful yield. But stablecoins have made a very similar proposition possible. A growing number of centralized finance (or CeFi) products have emerged that provide compelling yield for keeping some of your crypto holdings in stablecoin form. Coinbase customers looking for a low-risk investment can start earning 4.00% APY via USDC. Crypto deposits aren’t insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or SIPC.

If you’re comfortable with higher potential risks for higher returns, you can experiment with lending some of your crypto via DeFi apps. (DeFi remains an emerging technology, so make sure not to invest more than you can afford to lose if you decide to experiment with these protocols.)

DeFi can enable transparent, peer-to-peer lending for potentially higher yields than traditional financial offerings. Investors that supply their cryptocurrency to DeFi lending protocols receive rewards for lending to borrowers. You need a crypto wallet that is compatible with DeFi apps. Coinbase Wallet (which is a separate product from the main Coinbase app and can be used by anyone, not just Coinbase customers).Via Coinbase Wallet, you can experiment with lending some of your crypto — the simplest way to start is with a stablecoin — via DeFi protocols such as Compound or Aave.