Compare staking at an APR against holding your tokens over 1-10 years, with an optional price-growth scenario, to see which ends with more.
All calculations happen locally in your browser. Nothing leaves your device.
| Pure holding | Holding + price growth | Staking (APR) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final value | — | — | — |
| Total return | — | — | — |
| Annualized | — | — | — |
A simplified projection: the price is assumed flat for the staking and pure-holding cases, and lockup, slashing, validator fees, taxes and the typical APR drop are ignored. Not financial advice.
Both strategies start from the same token position, so the only thing separating the outcomes is the return you earn on top. This tool projects each path over the number of years you choose and tells you which one ends up larger.
Holding simply keeps your tokens; their value only changes if the price changes. Staking locks tokens in a protocol that earns you a yield (the APR) on top of any price movement. Over a fixed horizon, staking adds a steady, compounding return on top of the base position.
Staking is modeled with annual compounding at the APR you enter, assuming the token price stays flat. The final value is your starting position multiplied by (1 + APR) raised to the number of years. So a 10% APR over 5 years turns $1,000 into $1,610.51.
It shows what happens if you simply hold and the token price rises a fixed percentage every year. The final value is your starting position multiplied by (1 + growth) raised to the number of years. This lets you compare the upside of a rising price against a fixed staking APR.
The tool highlights the scenario with the highest final value for your inputs. It is a quick way to see which strategy wins for the specific APR, growth rate and time horizon you entered. Change the numbers and the highlight moves to the winning scenario.
It is a simplified projection. It assumes the APR stays constant, the price is flat for the staking and pure-holding cases, and ignores lockup periods, slashing, validator fees, taxes, and the fact that APRs often fall as more people stake. Real outcomes will differ. Nothing here is financial advice.
If you just finished with Staking vs Holding Calculator, the natural next steps are Staking APR Calculator, Compound Interest Calculator, Crypto P&L Calculator, or browse every tool in Crypto Tools.