In practice, users of wallet application interfaces regularly encounter yield displays that make it possible to earn an annual return on crypto assets they already hold.
In MetaMask[1], this function is not expressly referred to as “staking”. Instead, users access an option via the “Earn” or “Verdienen” section, where an expected yield is displayed, for example for Ethereum. As of April 2026, this display is approximately 1.7% per year (APR).
What appears at first glance to be a classic form of interest raises fundamental questions on closer examination: How does staking work, and how secure is it?
To understand where the returns come from, a brief look at how the network works is necessary. For an open, decentralized network to function, its participants must agree on a uniform transaction history. This process of agreement is referred to as consensus. Two of the best-known mechanisms for establishing this consensus are “Proof of Work” (PoW) and “Proof of Stake” (PoS).
For the sake of simplicity, the following explanations refer to the cryptocurrency Ethereum. Since 15 September 2022, the Ethereum network has been based on the Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanism.
Participation in consensus under PoS requires participants to deposit native protocol tokens as a stake. In the Ethereum protocol, 32 ETH are required to activate a validator. At the exchange rate on 21 April 2026, with Ethereum trading at approximately USD 2,305 per ETH, 32 ETH correspond to around USD 73,760 or approximately EUR 67,000.
A random mechanism then selects an active validator who bundles transactions into a block and proposes it, while the other validators review it and, by confirming it, add it to the blockchain. They receive remuneration for this.
Staking therefore refers to providing ETH in order to participate, either directly or indirectly, in the network’s validation process and to receive rewards for doing so (staking rewards).
Staking is therefore not only a way of generating returns, but also a fundamental component of how the network functions.
Staking in Practice: Pool Staking with MetaMask
If a user decides to click “Earn” in the MetaMask app, the ETH deposited by the user is integrated into pool structures. In the transaction history, this action is displayed as a “smart contract interaction”. Smart contracts are contractual terms written in code and stored on the blockchain, which are executed automatically once predefined conditions (such as the receipt of payment) are met.[2]
If this transaction is tracked on Etherscan, the address of the corresponding smart contract can be viewed and it is possible to trace into which pool the user has deposited their ETH. This contract bundles the deposits of various participants and makes them available for the activation of validators once sufficient amounts have accumulated.
The actual participation in the network therefore takes place indirectly through this aggregated structure. The returns generated by the validators are subsequently distributed proportionately among the pool participants.
In this context, MetaMask merely serves as a technical interface and enables the user to sign transactions and interact with smart contracts. The actual staking process is carried out through systems operating in the background.
Risks of Staking on MetaMask
MetaMask includes the following disclaimer on its website in connection with staking:
“Using MetaMask Staking involves risks that you should understand before using the offering. We are not required to provide the following information, but we do so in order to encourage you to inform yourself about both the general risks of protocol staking and the specific risks of this offering.
You must assess for yourself whether participation in protocol staking is appropriate for you in light of these risks and be aware that you alone bear responsibility for any losses, regardless of how they arise.” [3]
According to MetaMask, the following technical risks may occur and may result in the loss of staking rewards:
Staking also involves counterparty risk, as external providers or protocols are regularly involved in the execution.
The general risks of crypto assets also apply to staking, in particular volatility, technical complexity and regulatory uncertainty.
Conclusion: Risks Arising from System Complexity and Lack of Transparency in Staking
Staking is based on the interaction of several technical systems and services that are often provided by different providers.
Consensys also points out that no guarantee is assumed for the security and functionality of these third-party providers.[6] The risks associated with errors or attacks on the systems of these providers are therefore shifted to the user, which is rather atypical in ordinary consumer life.
At the same time, even experienced and informed users are only able to understand the underlying processes and the actors involved to a limited extent. In addition to the general risks of digital assets, this creates an additional risk of structural opacity.
[1] MetaMask is a browser extension and app for managing private keys. As wallet software for ETH and other tokens, it enables the signing of transactions and direct interaction with decentralized applications, while control over the crypto assets remains with the user.
[2] Wabnitz/Janovsky/Schmitt WirtschaftsStrafR-HdB/Niedernhuber, 6th ed. 2025, chapter 16, para. 42, beck-online.
[3] https://consensys.io/staking-risk-disclosures.
[4] For example, information from the Ethereum consensus layer must be transmitted off-chain to the protocol’s smart contracts, which exist on the Ethereum execution layer. There are also data sources, so-called “oracles”, which provide off-chain information that on-chain smart contracts need in order to function properly.
[5] Consensys develops and operates MetaMask. MetaMask is the wallet; Consensys provides the related services.
[6] https://consensys.io/staking-risk-disclosures.
