rETH or ETH — what does Rocket Pool’s staking token add, and what does it cost?
rETH (Rocket Pool) yields ~1.93% (in ETH), minimum from ~0.01 ETH, can be bought on a DEX without KYC. stETH (Lido DAO) yields ~2.25% (in ETH), no minimum, can be bought on a DEX without KYC.
rETH is ETH staked through Rocket Pool’s network of independent node operators. Unlike stETH, your rETH balance stays the same: each rETH becomes worth more ETH as rewards accrue. Plain ETH earns nothing on its own.
How this list is made: computed from the live TokenBank dataset each time the page is built — 2 matching rows, each linked to its own page and source.
Figures from our live dataset · data as of 2026-11-09 · this answer as JSON · not investment advice
Side by side
| rETH | stETH | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the yield comes from | Ethereum staking rewards | Ethereum staking rewards (consensus + fees) |
| Risk (our label) | Medium (crypto price) | Medium (crypto price) |
| Custody | Self-custody | Self-custody |
| Liquidity | DEX liquidity; protocol redemption | Deep DEX/CEX liquidity; withdrawals via Lido queue |
| KYC to mint with the issuer | No KYC | No KYC |
| KYC to buy on a market | No KYC | No KYC |
| KYC to redeem | Not stated | Not stated |
| Assets under management | Top-3 decentralized LST | Largest liquid-staking protocol |
| Jurisdiction | Decentralized protocol | Decentralized protocol |
| How to buy | Stake at rocketpool.net or buy rETH on a DEX | Stake at stake.lido.fi or buy stETH on a DEX/CEX |
More questions
Why is one rETH worth more than one ETH?
Because the staking rewards accrue into its exchange rate rather than into your balance. The rate only rises as long as rewards exceed penalties, so over time each rETH redeems for more ETH than it took to mint.
What do I risk compared with plain ETH?
Smart-contract risk in Rocket Pool, penalties on its node operators, and the market price of rETH, which can sit slightly above or below its redemption value depending on demand.
Which one has the lowest minimum?
stETH (Lido DAO), with no minimum. The highest stated minimum here is rETH, with minimum from ~0.01 ETH.
Where does the yield come from?
rETH: Ethereum staking rewards. stETH: Ethereum staking rewards (consensus + fees).
How risky are they?
rETH: Medium (crypto price). stETH: Medium (crypto price). The risk label is ours, in plain language, and is explained on each token page.
Are these yields fixed?
2 of 2 are variable: the rate moves with markets and is not guaranteed. The figures on this page were last checked on 2026-11-09.