stETH or wstETH — what is the difference, and which one should I hold?
stETH (Lido DAO) yields ~2.25% (in ETH), no minimum, can be bought on a DEX without KYC.
wstETH is stETH in a wrapper. Both earn exactly the same Lido staking reward. With stETH your balance grows every day; with wstETH the balance stays fixed and each token becomes worth more stETH instead. You can wrap and unwrap at any time through Lido.
How this list is made: computed from the live TokenBank dataset each time the page is built — 1 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
| Token | Issuer | Yield / return | Minimum | KYC to buy | Chain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| stETH Lido Staked ETH | Lido DAO | ~2.25% (in ETH) checked 9 Nov 2026 | None (any amount of ETH) | No KYC on a DEX | Ethereum (+L2s) |
More questions
Why does wstETH exist?
Many DeFi protocols and most layer-2 networks cannot handle a token whose balance changes by itself. wstETH keeps a fixed balance, so it can be lent, used as collateral or bridged without losing the reward along the way.
Which one should I hold?
In a wallet on Ethereum, either works — stETH makes the reward visible as a growing balance. For DeFi, lending markets and layer-2 networks, wstETH is the one that is supported.