Soft Staking
Mis à jour le Sep 2, 2026 What Is Soft Staking?
Soft staking is a way to earn
crypto staking rewards on your assets while keeping them liquid, meaning you can still trade, transfer, or withdraw them at any time. Unlike traditional staking, it does not require locking your assets for a fixed period.
How Soft Staking Works
With soft staking, you simply hold eligible crypto in a supported platform account or wallet. The platform then stakes those assets on your behalf, usually behind the scenes, and shares the resulting rewards with you. These rewards typically come from the platform participating in
proof-of-stake networks, which pay out for helping to secure the blockchain.
Rewards are often calculated daily based on your eligible balance and paid in the same token you hold. Because your assets are never frozen, your balance stays available for normal use throughout.
Soft Staking vs. Traditional Staking
The main difference is flexibility. Traditional staking, sometimes called hard staking, usually locks your tokens for a set period, during which you cannot trade or withdraw them. Soft staking keeps your assets accessible at all times.
This flexibility often comes with a trade-off. Soft staking rewards may be lower than those from locked staking, since a lockup represents a stronger commitment to the network. As a result, soft staking tends to suit users who value liquidity and convenience, while locked staking may appeal to those seeking potentially higher returns.
A Note on Terminology
Soft staking is not a single, universal technical standard. It is mainly a term that exchanges and platforms use for flexible reward programs, so the exact rules can vary from one platform to another. It is also sometimes confused with
liquid staking, but the two are not the same.
Liquid staking usually gives you a tradeable receipt token (such as
stETH) in return for your staked assets, whereas soft staking simply tracks your balance and pays rewards without issuing a separate token.
When comparing reward rates between programs, it helps to understand
APY vs APR, as these figures are variable and can change over time. Some platforms may also charge a service fee or set program limits.
In short, soft staking is one of several ways to pursue
passive income with crypto, offering rewards without giving up access to your assets. As always, you should research any program’s specific terms before taking part.