Cardano Staking: Earn 1–3% APY

Q: Do I still have control over my crypto when I delegate them to a validator?

<span data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"You have full ownership of your Cardano when you stake through a third-party-wallet, unlike with crypto exchanges."}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":4993,"3":{"1":0},"10":1,"11":4,"12":0,"15":"Arial"}" data-sheets-textstyleruns="{"1":0}{"1":9,"2":{"5":1}}{"1":23}{"1":32,"2":{"2":{"1":2,"2":16750848}}}{"1":39}">You have full ownership of your Cardano when you stake through a third-party wallet, unlike with crypto exchanges.

Stake your Cardano securely and earn 1–3% APY*

Staking Cardano lets you earn passive rewards while helping secure the network, all without giving up control of your assets. Most staking platforms take custody of your ADA to stake it on your behalf. Ledger doesn't when you stake through Ledger Wallet. Your Cardano stays on the blockchain, your private keys stay on your hardware device, and you earn 1–3% APY — without handing control to a third party*.

**Disclaimer: Crypto transaction services are provided by third-party providers. Ledger provides no advice or recommendations on use of these third-party services. Rewards and payout frequency are not guaranteed. Ledger does not provide any financial advice or recommendations.

Stake your Cardano securely and earn 1–3% APY*

WHY STAKE YOUR CARDANO?

Cardano uses a Proof of Stake consensus mechanism. By staking your Cardano, you actively contribute to network security and decentralization — and earn rewards in return.

Earn 1–3% APY*

Put your ADA to work through staking and get the chance to earn 1–3% a year*. Earning rewards every ~5 days, without selling a single token. The exact yield varies based on network conditions and your validator's commission rate.

Stake directly on-chain

By staking via Ledger Wallet*, your ADA participates directly in the Cardano network. Not through a platform holding your assets on your behalf. You're staking, not lending.

Keep full custody

Your private keys are stored on your Ledger hardware device, not on a platform's server. When you delegate, you sign the transaction on your device. The validator participates in consensus on your behalf — but holds no keys and controls no assets. Your ADA stays on the Cardano blockchain, associated with your address.

Why stake Cardano (ADA) via Ledger

Cold staking security

Pairing your Ledger with a third-party wallet, allow you to grow your Cardano securely.

Access the ecosystem on your terms

Keep full custody of your assets when you stake with Yoroi wallet or AdaLite, unlike with crypto exchanges. Whichever option you choose, the transaction is confirmed on your hardware device. The flexibility of the ecosystem, with hardware-level security on every action.

Your validator, your choice

On most staking platforms, the platform selects the validator on your behalf. Through Ledger Wallet, you choose. Compare commission rates, uptime history, and track records, then delegate to whichever validator meets your criteria*. Your delegation isn't tied to a single option; you can review and switch as conditions change.

Stake Cardano and earn 1–3% APY*

When you delegate your Cardano to a validator via the Ledger Wallet app, that validator participates in securing the Cardano blockchain. The Cardano protocol distributes block rewards to validators in return — a portion of which is passed on to delegators proportional to their stake, minus the validator's commission rate.

The current estimated annual yield for Cardano staking is approximately 1–3%. This figure varies with network participation levels and your chosen validator's commission. Rewards are credited every ~5 days. When comparing validators, the key variables are commission rate, uptime history, and total stake. On some networks, an over-staked validator can dilute individual rewards.

You can un-delegate your Cardano at any time through the Ledger Wallet app. Most networks apply an un-bonding period after un-delegation — a set number of days during which your ADA cannot be transferred and does not accrue rewards. On networks where slashing is active, a validator misbehaving can result in a partial loss of delegated funds: another reason to choose your validator carefully.

Estimate Cardano staking rewards

HOW DOES LEDGER'S SOLUTION WORK?

Get your device

A hardware wallet

that offers the best security for your crypto and NFTs - your assets always remain safe.

An app

to manage your crypto and access key services: buy, swap or grow your assets. Securely thanks to your hardware wallet.

Get your device

5 STEPS TO START SECURELY STAKING CARDANO

Buy a Ledger hardware wallet

A Ledger hardware device does two things: it stores your private keys on dedicated offline hardware, and it physically signs every transaction. No action, staking or otherwise, can proceed without your confirmation on the device itself.

Buy your hardware wallet

Set up your device

Follow the setup steps in the Ledger Wallet app and create a Cardano account on your device.

Get started with Ledger

Download and install a third-party-wallet

Download and install a Yoroi wallet or AdaLite extension that lets you manage your Cardano.

Download Yoroi wallet Download AdaLite

Connect your Ledger Nano to your third-party-wallet

Connect your Ledger Nano to a computer/smartphone and unlock it.

Open your wallet extension.

Connect your third-party wallet to Ledger Nano.

Using third-party wallet with your Ledger

Start staking Cardano

Now that you have a Cardano wallet secured by your Ledger with ADA tokens in it, you should simply go to the Delegation List, pick a stake pool, and confirm delegation with your hardware wallet.

LEDGER LIVE

Other crypto to stake with Ledger

Internet Computer

ICP

Tron

TRX

Axelar

AXL

Avalanche

AVAX

Oasis Network

ROSE

Osmosis*

OSMO

ATOM*

ATOM

MANTRA

EOS

Cronos

CRO

EGLD*

EGLD

Polkadot

DOT

Ethereum

ETH

NEO

Hedera

HBAR

Casper Network

CSPR

Algorand

ALGO

Mina Protocol

MINA

Tezos

XTZ

Kusama

KSM

dYdX

DYDX

Solana*

SOL

NEAR*

NEAR

Stacks

STX

See all coins supported

*Ledger validator node available

Want to learn more about staking?

We answer all the basic questions you might have in our Ledger academy: What is staking? What’s the difference between Proof-of-Stake and Proof-of-Work? What is a validator?

You can also take a look at our School of Block series on Youtube to learn how to get started in staking and make your money work for you.

Visit our Ledger Academy

What is staking

Read the article

School Of Block

See our episode about staking

What is proof of stake

Read the article

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between staking with Ledger and staking on an exchange?

When you stake through a centralised exchange, the exchange holds the private keys to your assets on your behalf. With Ledger, your private keys are stored on your hardware device*. You interact with validators and services through the Ledger Wallet app, but the keys, and therefore control of your assets, remain with you.

What is the staking lockup period for Cardano?

When staking to a Cardano stake pool, you can freely transfer your ADA in and out of your wallet, for trading or spending purposes, without any lock-in period. Just ensure that your ADA is in a pool before the epoch snapshot period for it to be counted for rewards.

Do I still have control over my crypto when I delegate them to a validator?

You have full ownership of your Cardano when you stake through a third-party wallet, unlike with crypto exchanges.

Do I need to keep my Ledger device connected to earn staking rewards?

No. Your Ledger device is only needed when signing a transaction, such as when you initially delegate, switch validator, or un-delegate. Once your stake is active on the blockchain, any potential rewards accumulate without any action required from your device.

What happens if I lose my Ledger device?

Your assets are on the blockchain, not stored on the device itself. Your Ledger can be recovered using your secret recovery phrase, a set of words generated when you first set up the device. With your recovery phrase, you can restore access to your accounts on a new Ledger device. Keeping that phrase secure and offline is essential.

What are the risks of staking Cardano?

Staking Cardano carries two main risks. First, market risk: the value of your ADA may change during the staking or un-bonding period. Second, on networks where it applies, slashing risk: if a validator misbehaves, delegators can lose a portion of their staked assets. You can reduce slashing risk by choosing a reputable, well-established validator available via the Ledger Wallet app.