DeFi Staking vs CEX Staking: Which Is Better?

You can stake crypto on centralised exchanges or via DeFi protocols. Here is an honest comparison of yields, risks, and custody for each option.

Staking crypto earns rewards — but where you stake determines your yield, your risk, and whether you actually own your assets. CEX staking (Binance, Coinbase) is simple but custodial. DeFi staking (via protocols like Lido or directly via Steyble) is more complex but non-custodial and typically offers better yields.

CEX Staking

DeFi Staking via Steyble

The Verdict

For amounts above £1,000 in staked assets, the combination of higher yields, self-custody, and composability makes DeFi staking clearly superior to CEX staking. The complexity is abstracted by Steyble's interface — one-click staking with the same simplicity as a CEX but with the security and yield advantage of DeFi.