Coinbase

Binance and Bitstamp, mentioned above, may take the plaudits for being the most accessible and the oldest, respectively. On the other hand, crypto exchange Coinbase does get a lot of visibility in the news in North America as a NASDAQ-listed company. More recently in the United Kingdom, as it has also been one of the long-time holders of trading licenses with a relationship with regulators that’s as close as it gets for a crypto company.

It is one of the few regulated exchanges with a foothold both in the US and in the UK, and happens to be the only exchange in this list to be a Visa principal member. This means that they issue a Visa-branded credit/debit card directly, unlike many other crypto companies that issue the same via a third party. Principal membership is viewed to be highly exclusive and suggests that Coinbase, as a company, passes rigorous regulatory due diligence.

As for the staking platform itself, it offers just a few more digital currencies than Bitstamp: Ethereum (ETH), Algorand (ALGO), Cosmos (ATOM), Tezos (XTZ), Dai, and USDC. USDC is a stablecoin managed and operated by Circle, the umbrella company that operates Coinbase, so USDC staking at the source could be a good idea. Coinbase also allows you to stake from your own external wallet, should you choose to do so, providing a higher level of security than others (as opposed to giving them direct ownership of your funds).

Coinbase fees are notable for being among the highest in the industry (for buying, exchanging and withdrawal), however, and may put off first-time crypto buyers.

Coinbase staking summary:

• Daily to monthly payouts
• 2-5%, varying, depending on asset and lock-up period
• No lock-up periods
• US, UK trading license, tax documents available
• Visa principal member

Pro: Highly regulated exchange with crypto card.

Con: Costly fees, greater variance in APYs.