State of Crypto Rates: February 2026 — Bitcompare Monthly Report

Published February 2, 2026 | Data collected from 15+ platforms via the Bitcompare rate aggregation engine

Executive Summary

Bitcompare's inaugural State of Crypto Rates report aggregates real-time lending, staking, and borrowing rates across the DeFi and CeFi landscape. Here are the key findings for February 2026:

• Stablecoin lending yields dwarf crypto yields: USDT lending rates average 13.01% APY across 6 platforms — nearly double the average BTC lending rate of 6.20%. The highest USDT lending rate (EarnPark, 30.00%) is 2.5× the highest BTC rate (YouHodler, 12.00%).
• A 1,200× spread in BTC lending rates: BTC lending ranges from 0.01% (Gemini) to 12.00% (YouHodler) — a staggering 1,199× difference. Choosing the wrong platform could cost investors virtually all their yield.
• ETH staking settles around 3.17%: Across 8 validators and platforms, ETH staking averages 3.17% APY, with Ankr offering the best rate at 6.19% — nearly double the category average.
• Borrowing costs vary wildly: USDT borrowing ranges from 0% (Nexo promotional) to 10.00% (YouHodler). USDC borrowers have the most options with 4 platforms competing.
• 8 lending platforms, 8 staking providers, 4 borrowing platforms tracked across BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, and SOL.

Lending Rates Overview

Lending — or "earn" — remains the most competitive category, with 8 unique platforms offering yield on major cryptocurrencies. Stablecoin yields significantly outpace crypto asset yields, reflecting higher demand for stablecoin borrowing in the current market.

Key takeaway: USDC has the most competitive lending market with 8 platforms, giving depositors the most choice. USDT commands the highest yields — EarnPark's 30% USDT rate is the single highest lending rate tracked across all assets, though investors should weigh such outlier rates against platform risk.

Staking Rates Overview

Staking data is currently tracked for ETH and SOL — the two largest proof-of-stake assets by market cap. ETH staking is the most mature market with 8 providers, while SOL staking is served by 2 platforms in our dataset.

ETH Staking Provider Breakdown

Key takeaway: ETH staking yields have compressed, with the majority of providers clustering between 1.9% and 3.6%. Ankr is a notable outlier at 6.19% — nearly double the category average. SOL staking offers a higher floor (4.29%) than any ETH staking provider except Ankr.

Borrowing Rates Overview

Borrowing is the least crowded category with just 4 platforms tracked. Nexo's 0% promotional rates across all assets make it an outlier, while DeFi protocols (Aave, Compound) offer competitive, market-driven rates for USDC.

*Nexo's 0% rates reflect promotional/loyalty tier pricing and may require holding NEXO tokens or meeting minimum balance requirements.

Key takeaway: Excluding Nexo's promotional 0% rates, USDC borrowing is the cheapest at an average of 3.81% across Aave, Compound, and YouHodler. DeFi protocols (Aave at 4.72%, Compound at 3.70%) offer transparent, algorithmically-set borrowing rates that adjust in real time based on utilization.

Best Platforms by Category

🏆 Best for Lending (Earning Yield)

• Highest rates: YouHodler — consistently offers the top or near-top lending rates across all 5 assets (12% BTC, 12% ETH, 20% USDT, 20% USDC, 12% SOL)
• Most assets covered: Nexo — available across all 5 tracked assets with solid mid-tier rates
• Best for DeFi: Compound and Aave — lower but transparent, protocol-governed rates (3-5% on stablecoins)

🏆 Best for Staking

• ETH staking: Ankr leads at 6.19%, nearly 2× the category average
• SOL staking: Stakin leads at 6.14%, outperforming Gemini's 4.29%
• Most established: Lido remains the most recognized liquid staking provider at 3.62% ETH

🏆 Best for Borrowing

• Cheapest (promotional): Nexo — 0% across all assets (conditions apply)
• Cheapest (standard): Compound — 3.70-3.83% on stablecoins
• Most transparent: Aave and Compound — on-chain, algorithmically adjusted rates

Notable Findings & Outliers

1. The EarnPark USDT anomaly: At 30% APY on USDT lending, EarnPark is more than 2× the next-highest rate (YouHodler at 20%). Rates this far above market norms warrant careful due diligence from investors.
2. Gemini's near-zero crypto lending: Gemini offers just 0.01% on BTC, ETH, and USDC lending — essentially zero yield — suggesting their earn program has minimal demand or has been effectively wound down for these assets.
3. Stablecoin premium: Across all lending platforms, stablecoin yields average 2-3× those of BTC and ETH, reflecting persistent borrowing demand for dollar-denominated assets.
4. Staking convergence: Six of eight ETH staking providers cluster between 1.9% and 3.6%, suggesting the base ETH staking yield has settled into a mature equilibrium post-merge.

Methodology

This report aggregates live rate data from the Bitcompare rate engine, which polls 15+ CeFi and DeFi platforms every 5 minutes. Data was collected on February 2, 2026. All rates represent annualized percentage yields (APY) as reported by each platform. Rates may vary based on deposit amount, lock-up period, loyalty tier, or token holdings. Bitcompare does not verify the sustainability or risk profile of individual platform rates.

Assets covered: BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, SOL
Categories: Lending, Staking, Borrowing
Platforms tracked: Aave, Ankr, Aqru, Binance, Compound, EarnPark, Frax, Gemini, Lido, Nexo, Rocket Pool, Stader, Stakin, Syrup, YouHodler

About Bitcompare

Bitcompare is the leading cryptocurrency rate comparison platform, helping investors find the best lending, staking, and borrowing rates across CeFi and DeFi. We aggregate real-time data from 15+ platforms so you can make informed decisions about where to earn yield or borrow against your crypto.

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