Binance.US Launches Crypto Staking Assault on Rivals Coinbase and Gemini

Binance.US, the American arm of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has launched a blockchain staking product promising high yields on staked crypto, with the aim of out-flanking similar offerings from rival U.S.-based exchanges.

The staking service – where users lock in assets to support proof-of-stake (PoS) networks – enables users to earn up to 18% annual percentage yield (APY) on certain tokens, the company announced on Tuesday.

The PoS blockchains Binance.US supports include: Audius (AUDIO), Avalanche (AVAX), BNB Chain, Cosmos (ATOM), Livepeer (LPT), Solana (SOL), and The Graph (GRT). More tokens will be added in the near future, Binance.US said.

Big exchanges simplify the staking of crypto tokens, for which they take a slice of the yield generated by the coins. Binance.US CEO Brian Shroder said the plan is to outdo staking APYs on the likes of Coinbase and Gemini.

Shroder said staking Cosmos blockchain’s ATOM token will earn a staking yield of 12.2% APY on Binance.US, while something like the smaller market cap Livepeer (LPT) token could promise up to 18% yield on LPT, he added.

“We wanted to put out a product that would unquestionably be the best staking platform in the United States by the end of the year,” Shroder said in an interview. “So, for comparison purposes, we’re looking at the Coinbases, the Geminis, Krakens and BlockFis of this world, both in terms of more competitive returns and usability.”

M&A season?

All told, Binance.US appears to be in rude health, notwithstanding signs of an approaching crypto winter; Shroder says the firm has “plenty of dry powder” to pursue acquisitions further down the line.

He also took the opportunity to point out that, in contrast to the dismal job news coming out of Coinbase and Gemini, his firm is hiring.

“We are hiring Coinbase and Gemini people onto our staff,” Shroder said. “There’s a lot of talent from those organizations that are applying to our open positions and we are actively interviewing them.”

Read more: Coinbase Announces Cost-Cutting Measures as Crypto Firms Face Bear Market