Staking basics

How to stake BNB?

Shivendra Singh

Jun 6, 2023 • 5 min read

What is BNB?

BNB, or Binance Coin, is the native cryptocurrency of the Binance platform, one of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchanges by trading volume. BNB was initially launched on the Ethereum blockchain as an ERC-20 token, but it has since moved to its own blockchain, the BNB Smart Chain. BNB was introduced with various uses on the Binance platform and other exchanges included . It can be used to pay for trading fees, participate in token sales, and more. Using BNB for transactions on the Binance exchange often comes with a discount, encouraging users to buy and hold the token. BNB is used to pay for transaction fees on the BSC network, BNB is also used similarly to Ethereum's ETH on the Ethereum platform: as 'gas' to power transactions and smart contracts. Moreover, BNB can even be staked on Binance platform & various liquid staking platforms for staking rewards, which can be used in DeFi applications, and can even be spent in the real world at certain merchants or through certain services.

How BNB staking works?

BNB staking involves participating in network validation activities for staking rewards. This is similar to how staking works in other proof-of-stake (PoS) and Delegated Proof of Stake (DPoS) blockchain networks. When you are staking your BNB, you’re essentially lending your tokens to validators who are responsible to verify transactions on the network. For staking your BNB, you’ll earn rewards in the form of new BNB tokens.

Also Read: Proof of Work vs Proof of Stake

Here's an overview of how BNB staking works:

BNB staking on Binance Smart Chain:

BNB is native cryptocurrency of the BNB Chain, which is a public blockchain system born out of merging Beacon Chain and BSC. The BNB Chain uses a consensus mechanism of Proof of Stake (PoS). Validators, who are chosen by BNB holders, generate blocks and confirm the transactions occurring on the network..

In the following system, BNB holders can stake their tokens to participate indirectly in the validation process. They can delegate the BNB to validators, for which they may receive a portion of the transaction fees or other network rewards. The specifics of these rewards can vary and are usually detailed on the staking platform.

In all cases, staking involves a trade-off. When you stake BNB (or any other cryptocurrency), those tokens are typically locked up for a certain period and can't be sold or traded during that period of time. This duration varies depending on the specifics of the staking program. For this, you’ll receive staking rewards.

Remember, it's always important to conduct your own research and understand the specifics of staking before you participate in them.

Also Read: Decentralization in Eth

Potential Staking Rewards on Staking BNB

Potential Staking rewards that you can get for staking BNB varies depending on several factors:

1. Staking Duration: There are a lot of different staking plans that can range from 1 day to 120 days, or even flexible staking options on which APY depends upon. Generally, you can expect staking rewards on longer duration plans.

2. Market Conditions : The staking rewards are more often correlated to the overall market conditions. For example, in a bullish market, the rewards from staking can get higher due to increased network activity and the trading volumes.

3. Changes in Network Parameters: The BNB Chain can adjust the staking parameters from time to time which can affect the reward rates for BNB stakers.

4. Demand for BNB: If there is high demand for BNB in other DeFi activities (like the Binance Launchpad or Binance's centralized lending program), the possibility of good staking rewards can be higher.

5. Total Amount of BNB Staked: If there is a huge amount of BNB staked in the network, the individual reward for every staker might be lower, as the rewards are distributed among a larger number of participants, the rewards get distributed proportionally.

Given these many factors, it's hard to give an exact figure for the potential staking rewards from staking BNB. Accordingly, the staking rewards for BNB staking on could range anywhere from 1% to 5%, or even higher in some circumstances. However, these rates can fluctuate, and the actual staking rewards might be different from the ones mentioned here.

Pros and Cons of Staking BNB

Here are some of the pros and cons of staking BNB:

Pros:

Earn Staking Rewards: While staking BNB, you can earn rewards in the form of more BNB tokens. The amount of rewards you earn depends on the amount of BNB that you stake and the amount of time you stake your tokens.
Enhance network security: By staking BNB, you help to secure the BNB Chain network. This is important as it helps in preventing malicious elements from attacking the network.
Increased liquidity: Staking BNB helps in increasing liquidity in the BNB market. This is because it makes it easier for people to buy and sell their BNB.

Cons:

Impermanent loss: If the price of BNB goes down after you stake the BNB, it may cause an impermanent loss. This is because you’ll be paid rewards in BNB, but the value of your staked BNB may get lesser than the value of the BNB that you originally staked.
Security risks: There’s always a risk of security breaches when you stake your BNB as your tokens are stored in a smart contract, which is a piece of code that could be hacked if proper security protocols are not met.
Lock-up periods: Some staking platforms require you to lock your BNB for a certain period of time which means that you will not be able to access your BNB during this time.

Overall, staking BNB is a great way to earn passive income and help in securing the BNB Chain network. However, there are few risks associated with staking BNB that you should be aware of and invest accordingly if you want to.

Also Read: Binance vs BnB Chain

Why Stake your BNB at Stader Labs?

Stader Labs is a reliable and secure platform that has been audited by CertiK and Halborn Peckshield also. Stader Labs offers a number of benefits, including:

Simplicity: Liquid Stake your BNB the simplest way possible. No minimums. No lockups. One-click staking

Security: Stader Labs is a secure and reliable platform that has been audited by Halborn & Peckshield, a $1M bug bounty on Immunefi and live monitoring with Forta.

Broader DeFi Opportunities: You can use your BNBx in various DeFi opportunities and earn great rewards.

Stader Labs is a secure and reliable platform that offers a number of benefits, including liquidity, security, and ease of use. Therefore, If you are looking for a secure, reliable, and easy-to-use platform to stake BNB, then Stader Labs is a great option.

Frequently Asked Questions( FAQ’s)

Q) How much BNB do I need to stake BNB?

Ans) The minimum amount of BNB for staking depends on platform to platform. Some platforms need a minimum of 1 BNB coin for staking whereas others might not have any minimum amount for staking BNB.

Q) Is BNB a good investment?

Ans) It depends on what you’re expecting from your investment. While it is important to keep in mind your investment goals, it is worthwhile to note that BNB is a great choice of investment given that it is done with a good investment strategy as BNB can give you good rewards on your investment but there are obvious security risks just like any other cryptocurrency has.

Q) What is the purpose of BNB?

Ans) BNB is a cryptocurrency launched by Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange in 2017. BNB can be used for lending, for rewards, to create smart contracts, for other transactions and it is also used to pay trading fees on Binance. BNB is also used to power the BNB Chain, a decentralized blockchain platform that allows for the development of decentralized applications (DApps).