Best Crypto Interest Accounts – How to Open a Crypto Interest Account in 2022
Please note that we are not authorised to provide any investment advice. The content on this page is for information purposes only.
The concept of crypto interest is not too different from the regular savings accounts offered by traditional financial institutions.
Meaning, you can deposit your digital assets into a crypto interest account and earn returns over time. Only, with cryptocurrencies, the yield will be significantly higher than what traditional savings accounts can pay.
In this guide, we discuss the best crypto interest accounts for 2022 in terms of APYs, lock-up periods, supported assets, and more.
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#1 Crypto Interest Accounts Platform – AQRU
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Best Crypto Interest Accounts – List of the Best Crypto Interest Accounts for 2022
After scanning the market for the best crypto interest accounts, we found that the five platforms listed below stand out from the crowd:
- AQRU – Overall Best Crypto Interest Account for 2022
- Crypto.com – Earn up to 14.5% APY on Crypto Interest Accounts
- Binance – Top Crypto Interest Account With Support for 60+ Digital Assets
- Coinbase – Earn Passive Income by Staking Cryptocurrency
- Nexo – High-Yield Crypto Interest Accounts When Staking NEXO Tokens
We review each of these crypto interest account providers in great detail in the next section.
Best Crypto Interest Accounts – Top Platforms Reviewed
Although the premise of crypto interest accounts is relatively new, there are many platforms that give you access to this marketplace. As such, it is crucial to choose the right provider.
Below, we take a closer look at the five best crypto interest accounts for 2022 in terms of competitive APYs, lock-up terms, safety, and more.
1. AQRU – Overall Best Crypto Interest Account for 2022
The concept of opening a crypto interest account might seem a bit daunting for beginners who are new to this space.
To make things easier, AQRU has created a platform that simplifies this process with no unnecessary industry jargon.
The platform offers you an attractive return of 7% on Bitcoin and Ethereum, and a whopping 12% on USDC, USDT, and DAI.
Even if you do not own these supported digital assets, you can deposit funds in euros or British pounds, and then choose the coin you want to earn interest on. In doing so, your funds will automatically be converted.
AQRU generates this yield by lending your money to borrowers who demonstrate robust audit histories and significant existing assets. The interest will be added to your balance daily and you can easily track your earnings from your account.
In addition to this, you will be able to withdraw your interest earnings in the form of cryptocurrency or fiat money – whenever you want.
In other words, there is no lock-in period involved when you open a crypto interest account with AQRU. This gives you peace of mind knowing that you will be able to access your assets as needed. The only condition is that you will need to make a minimum deposit of €100, and there is no fee charged when you transfer funds to the platform.
However, when you eventually get around to withdrawing funds, you will have to pay an equivalent of $20 for processing the transaction – which is an important point to remember, especially if you are hoping to retrieve your money frequently.
While AQRU is simple and straightforward, the biggest drawback to consider is that the platform supports only five digital assets.
Pros
- High interest rates offered
- Earn an attractive yield on both stablecoins and cryptocurrencies
- Withdrawals possible in both crypto and fiat money
Cons
- Limited number of cryptocurrencies supported
- No compound interest accounts
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product.
2. Crypto.com – Earn up to 14.5% APY on Crypto Interest Accounts
If you have a diversified portfolio of digital assets, Crypto.com is one of the best crypto interest accounts in the market. This is because the platform lets you earn interest on over 40 cryptocurrencies – some of which are not commonly supported by other savings account providers.
This includes stablecoins, such as USDC, TUSD, TGBP, and more. However, the highest rates on offer require certain conditions to be met.
For instance, the APR offered to you will depend on the lock-up period you select. You can choose between a one-month or three-month plan, or opt for a flexible account that lets you withdraw your digital assets at any time.
Another consideration is the amount of CRO coins you hold, which is the native token of the Crypto.com ecosystem. In the nutshell, the more CRO tokens you stake, the higher the APY on offer.
For instance, without staking CRO, three-month terms will get you only 4.5% on Bitcoin, 5.5% on Ethereum, and 10% on most stablecoins. However, if you stake over 40,000 CRO coins, the interest rate increases to 8.5% on Bitcoin and Ethereum, and up to 14% on stablecoins.
Nevertheless, 2% of the annual returns will be paid out in CRO tokens. In addition to this, interest rates can also vary wildly from one cryptocurrency to another.
The interest is calculated daily and deposited into your account every week. In addition to this, Crypto.com packs a number of other products that might interest investors, which include debit cards, crypto loans, exchange services, an NFT marketplace, and more.
In other words, you will be able to consolidate all your cryptocurrency requirements via a single platform.
Pros
- Interest rates as high as 14.5%
- Supports over 40+ digital assets
Cons
- Requires CRO tokens to unlock the highest interest rates
- Crypto withdrawals come with a fee
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product.
3. Binance – Top Crypto Interest Account With Support for 60+ Digital Assets
Binance is perhaps the most popular cryptocurrency platform in terms of trading volume as well as the wide range of services offered. Binance gives its users access to advanced trading interfaces, leveraged products, and crypto loans, as well as a launch paid for new digital tokens through its ecosystem.
And given these factors, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this provider also offers some of the best crypto interest accounts available today.
Binance lets you earn interest not only on large-cap cryptocurrencies, but you will also find support for the likes of Dock, Moonbeam, Axie Infinity, and more. In fact, some of the highest APYs offered at Binance are for digital assets with small market caps.
For instance, at the time of writing, Astar gets you an APY of 150% over a lock-up period of 90 days. Bitcoin interest accounts, on the other hand, are offered at a yield of 5% on a flexible term.
As you can see, the APY can vary significantly based on the currency and the duration of the lock-up period.
Furthermore, while Binance does offer flexible plans, this option is not available for all supported cryptocurrencies. The returns are calculated on an hourly basis and added to your account each and every day – which is particularly advantageous due to the compounding of interest.
The platform also lets you set up an auto-invest plan where you can decide your investment amount and choose the desired digital asset. Binance will then put your assets into various flexible savings accounts and pay you daily earnings.
Binance also lets you trade cryptocurrencies at just 0.10% per slide – making it easier for you to buy an asset that offers attractive yields.
Pros
- Various types of crypto interest accounts
- High interest rates offered
- Supports 60+ cryptocurrencies
Cons
- Flexible terms not offered for all cryptocurrencies
- Some APY-generating tools can appear confusing for beginners
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product.
4. Coinbase – Earn Passive Income by Staking Cryptocurrency
Coinbase is best known as a cryptocurrency exchange and wallet service provider. While Coinbase recently decided to put its crypto interest accounts on hold, the platform continues to let you earn returns via its staking tools. This works more or less similar to the savings schemes we have discussed so far.
The main difference is that instead of lending your digital assets to borrowers, Coinbase will use the funds to stake blockchain transactions.
Coinbase’s staking service is offered only for six digital coins – Ethereum, Algorand, Cosmos, Tezos, Dai, and USDC. The highest interest rate you will receive is for Cosmos, at 5% and the lowest is for USDC at 0.15%. Your rewards will be added to your account periodically, depending on the asset.
Moreover, you also have to meet a minimum staking amount which, yet again, changes based on the respective cryptocurrency.
Another advantage is that you will be able to opt-in and out of the staking program at any point. Additionally, it is important to take note that Coinbase offers compound interest accounts on all supported tokens – except for Ethereum.
You can get started with a staking account with as little as $1. If you do not hold any supported cryptocurrencies, you can also purchase the said coins via the Coinbase exchange.
Furthermore, to be able to start staking via Coinbase, you must have your identity verified with a valid TIN on file.
Crypto staking has become a booming industry as more people turn to cryptocurrencies for their investment. There are many different crypto staking platforms, but they all have one thing in common: the potential of turning even just mild profit with minimal effort on your behalf!
Pros
- Easy way to obtain staking rewards
- Compounding of interest
Cons
- Only six cryptocurrencies supported
- Main exchange fees are high
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product.
5. Nexo – High-Yield Crypto Interest Accounts When Staking NEXO Tokens
Nexo is another cryptocurrency platform that you can use to put your idle digital assets to work. All you need to do is to transfer your crypto coins into your Nexo account and you will start earning interest the very next day.
Furthermore, your returns will be compounded, allowing you to accelerate the growth of your investment. The yields offered range between 1% and 20% depending on the cryptocurrency you choose.
Significantly, the current crypto yield farming market is flooded with different yield farming crypto platforms that vary on the features they offer.
Moreover, the platform has created its own native token – NEXO, which lets you earn rewards and incentives within its ecosystem.
At the time of writing, Nexo’s crypto interest accounts are available for 32 different cryptocurrencies – which includes several stablecoins.
The interest rates you receive will be determined by three different factors.
The first factor is the loyalty tier, defined by the number of NEXO tokens you hold. Secondly, if you agree to receive your interest payments in NEXO tokens, you will get a 2% increase on your returns.
Finally, Nexo also lets you choose between a flexible term or a lock-in period of one month. If you decide to open a crypto savings account on a 1-month period, then you will earn an extra 1% interest on your digital assets.
With that said, even on its flexible accounts without staking Nexo tokens, the platform offers competitive returns.
Nexo is also known for its offering of crypto loans, debit cards, and online exchange services, as well as instant purchases of digital tokens.
Pros
- Get 2% additional interest when holding NEXO tokens
- Both fixed and flexible loan terms offered
Cons
- Interest rates depend on tier system
- Requires NEXO tokens to unlock the best interest rates
Cryptoassets are a highly volatile unregulated investment product.
What are Crypto Interest Accounts?
Under normal circumstances, the profit you make on a cryptocurrency investment is determined by how much the digital tokens have increased in value.
And for this reason, many investors choose to adopt a ‘buy and hold’ strategy, waiting for the value of their crypto coins to go up.
In the meanwhile, your cryptocurrencies will be sitting idly in your wallet. So that begs the question – how do you put these digital assets to work?
- Crypto interest accounts allow you to earn interest on digital assets.
- In other words, you agree to lend your crypto coins in exchange for an agreed rate of interest.
- This is very similar to how traditional savings accounts work – you deposit money, the bank lends it out, and then pays you back with interest.
The interest you receive will be dictated by the platform you choose – and as such, this is a decision that requires extensive research from your side.
In the following sections, we will discuss some of the most important factors that will help you select the best crypto interest account for your goals.
Best Crypto Interest Accounts – How is Interest Paid?
For the most part, crypto interest accounts operate in a similar manner to that of conventional savings schemes.
Meaning, you deposit your digital assets into the platform, which in turn, lends it to borrowers. In exchange, you earn a yield on your balance.
To elaborate:
- Let’s say you deposit $1,000 worth of Ethereum into a crypto interest account.
- You pick a plan that offers 10% interest for a lock-up period of six months – meaning, you will not be able to withdraw your ETH coins before the six-month term ends.
- Your chosen platform then lends your Ethereum to borrowers.
- Now, these loans will be offered at a slightly higher rate – let’s say at 12%.
- After the lock-in period of six months passes, you will receive your deposit back.
- On top of your deposit amount, you will also receive an interest payment of 10% – which totals to $50 for a duration of six months.
Now, as we discussed earlier, the terms offered by the best crypto interest account providers can and will vary.
For instance, some platforms offer flexibility, allowing you to withdraw your funds at any point. In such cases, you will be able to collect the interest up until the point you take out the funds.
All that being said, you should also bear in mind that cryptocurrency platforms pay you interest by lending your funds to borrowers – which comes with a certain level of risk.
Which Platforms Offer the Best Crypto Interest Rates?
When looking for the best crypto interest accounts, ultimately, you want to choose a platform that offers you attractive yields.
However, as we noted earlier, this can vary dramatically, not only between two providers but also from one digital asset to another.
For example:
- Binance has a variety of crypto interest accounts that offer impressive returns. However, the highest rates are offered for those with a 90-day lock-in period.
- On AQRU, stablecoins will get you an interest rate of 12%. The rate on Bitcoin and Ethereum stands at 7%. All of which you can withdraw at any point.
- At the other end of the scale, the highest interest rate offered by Coinbase is just 5%, which is available on Cosmos deposits. If you deposit stablecoins, the best rate on offer is just 2%.
On top of this, some providers – such as Nexo and Crypto.com, also require you to hold the platform’s native digital tokens in order to unlock higher interest rates.
As is evident, there are a number of factors at play. Therefore, if you are confused about which is the best crypto interest account for you, you can consider using multiple platforms and different plans.
In doing so, this will give you the best chance possible of diversifying your interest-bearing investments and reduce the risk associated with individual platform failures.
Best Crypto Interest Accounts With Compound Interest
When it comes to opening a crypto interest account, there are two different options available.
The likes of Crypto.com offer a simple interest formula – meaning:
- Suppose you invest $1,000 worth of Bitcoin at an APY of 5% into a crypto interest account for one year.
- You can expect to receive $50 in interest at the end of the year.
On the other hand, some platforms, such as Binance and Nexo – allow you to earn compound interest on your crypto savings account. Meaning, your initial deposit, and the returns will be compounded every month – allowing you to earn more money.
In simpler terms, the amount you earn will be reinvested into the same interest-bearing account(s).
Let us explain this better with an example:
- Let’s say you invest $1,000 worth of Bitcoin at 5% annual interest.
- After the first year, you receive a $50 interest payment.
- But, instead of withdrawing the returns, you reinvest them at the same 5% rate.
- For the second year, your interest is calculated on a $1,050 investment, which comes to $52.50.
- If you reinvest again, your third-year interest will be calculated on a $1,102.50 balance – which amounts to $55.12.
- This way, the total interest you earn at the end of three years totals $157.62.
Without the compound interest in this example, you would only generate a return of $150. Moreover, the compounding frequency can also make a difference. For instance, on Nexo, the interest is paid out daily, which can lead to faster growth.
How to Open a Crypto Interest Account?
The best crypto interest accounts in the market require just five minutes to set up.
To illustrate this point, the following section will demonstrate how you can use AQRU to earn interest today on your idle digital assets.
Step 1: Create an Account
The first step is to open an account with AQRU. You need to provide your email address and set a password.
Once you click on ‘Create Account’, AQRU will send you a confirmation email.
Step 2: Verify Identity
Since AQRU takes the security of your funds seriously, the platform also requires you to verify your identity.
This information can be in the form of a :
- Government-issued ID card
- Utility bill or bank statement
This process is automated, so you will receive confirmation right away.
Step 3: Add Funds
Once AQRU has verified your identity, you are good to deposit funds into your account. You can transfer Bitcoin or Ethereum, or stablecoins such as USDC, USDT, or DAI.
AQRU also lets you fund your account with British pounds or euros, which you can then use to buy cryptocurrency which in turn, will be converted into an interest account.
The platform accepts bank transfers and debit/credit card payments for this purpose.
Step 4: Start Earning Crypto Interest
With your account funded, you can choose which cryptocurrency you want to invest in. As we mentioned earlier, AQRU offers a 7% yield on Bitcoin and Ethereum, and 12% on stablecoins such as USDT, USDC, and DAI.
Once you have opened the account, your AQRU dashboard will instantly reflect how much interest you are earning. You can withdraw your funds at any time – in cash or in crypto.
Are Crypto Interest Accounts Taxed?
Whether or not you have to pay tax on your crypto interest depends ultimately on your country of residence. Different jurisdictions have imposed their own regulatory stand towards digital assets.
In the US and UK, you are required to pay capital gains tax if you generate returns from your investments – which includes interest. And as such, we suggest that you seek advice from a crypto tax specialist to know what your options are.
Best Crypto Interest Accounts – Are They Safe?
While crypto interest accounts may offer you some advantages, they do not come with the same safety nets as their traditional counterparts. In other words, there are a number of risks that you need to consider.
Not to mention, the more you understand about the best crypto interest accounts in the market, the better equipped you will be to figure out if the rewards outweigh the risks.
In this section of our guide, we will discuss what you need to look out for when choosing a provider.
Safety of the Platform
Even the best crypto interest accounts require you to relinquish control over your assets. Put otherwise, you will be handing over your digital coins to a third party, authorizing the platform to look after your funds.
Therefore, you will need to find out what measures are taken by your chosen platform to ensure the security of your funds.
It is also important to bear in mind that such interest accounts are not regulated nor insured by any financial authorities. Put simply, there is no guarantee that your deposits are 100% safe with any provider.
Default Risk
Secondly, we mentioned that the best crypto interest accounts lend your digital assets to others. In nutshell, you will ultimately have to trust your chosen provider to do a good job vetting its borrowers.
Moreover, you will have to take into account the risk of default. If a borrower defaults, you will have to depend heavily on the platform you choose. As such, you will need to make sure that the provider is transparent about its lending standards and that it maintains a strict requirement when facilitating loans.
In order to minimize the risks, most platforms require collateral from borrowers. If an individual fails to repay the loan, this security deposit will be sold to make sure that investors like you get their money back.
Volatility of Cryptocurrencies
While the best crypto interest accounts offer you attractive yields, you should always account for the inherent volatility of digital assets. When your chosen platform lends your digital assets, they require collateral from borrowers.
However, in case the value of your chosen crypto coin drops drastically, this security deposit might not be enough to cover the loan. With this in mind, opening a crypto interest account with a stablecoin will remove volatility risk.
On the other hand, for assets such as Bitcoin, the value of the token fluctuates depending on market conditions. This means that the returns you make could be worth more or less on any given day – which can make it difficult for you to plan accordingly.
Best Crypto Interest Accounts – Conclusion
If you want to hold on to your digital assets for the long term, then the best crypto interest accounts offer you an attractive reward for patience. This way, you can double up your potential returns across regulated interest payments and an increase in token value.
Moreover, you will be able to get a much higher interest rate when compared to traditional bank accounts. All that being said, there are a number of risks to consider, including the safety of the cryptocurrency platform itself as well as the volatility of the market.
And as such, if you want to get started with a crypto interest account today, consider diversifying across multiple platforms. This will reduce your long-term exposure to risk and give you access to a wide variety of supported markets, APYs, and terms.
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FAQs
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