How to Stake NEAR in 2026: Complete Guide to Native Staking in Hot Wallet
NEAR staking is the simplest and most reliable way to earn passive income. In this article we explain in detail how and why to stake NEAR tokens, what blockchains with Proof of Stake mechanism are, and why Hot Wallet is the best choice for staking NEAR. You will receive a step-by-step guide, learn about validator selection, automatic reward reinvestment and all important nuances.
What is staking and why is it needed in NEAR
Staking is the process of locking your tokens in the network to support its security and performance. In return the network pays you rewards in the form of new tokens. In NEAR Protocol staking allows any NEAR holder to earn additional tokens without selling assets and without needing to buy expensive equipment like in mining. It is the ideal tool for long-term holders who want to gradually increase their NEAR amount with minimal risks.
NEAR - POS blockchain
NEAR Protocol is a modern blockchain with Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism. Thanks to PoS any owner of NEAR tokens can participate in securing the network and receive rewards in NEAR tokens.
The Proof of Stake mechanism appeared as a much more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly alternative to Proof of Work. The first ideas began to be discussed already in 2011–2012, and the first real implementations appeared in Peercoin (2012) and Nxt (2013). Today PoS is used by dozens of large projects: Ethereum (after The Merge), Solana, Cardano, Polkadot, Avalanche, TON and many others.
NEAR stands out thanks to sharding technology (Nightshade), very low fees and high transaction speed. This makes it convenient both for everyday use and for profitable staking.
Who are validators
Validators are nodes in the NEAR network that create new blocks, verify transactions and ensure blockchain operation. For their work they receive rewards in the form of new NEAR tokens. These rewards are paid from controlled inflation of the total emission - exactly the same way Ethereum, TON, Cardano and most other PoS networks are arranged.
You can delegate your NEAR tokens to any validator. At the same time your funds remain in your wallet, you do not transfer them to anyone, but they “work” for the network’s security. In return you receive a part of the validator’s rewards - this is your staking income.
Why APY changes and what it depends on
The annual yield (APY) in NEAR is not fixed. It depends on three main factors:
- Total amount of staked NEAR in the network (the more people stake - the lower APY)
- Inflation level (currently ≈2.5% after 2025 updates)
- Validator commissions, which they set themselves and can change
As of early 2026 with staking level around 45–52% the real yield is in the range of 4–5.2% per annum (before deducting validator commission). Detailed analysis of staking dynamics and profitability in NEAR can be found in the material The Block - 2026 Layer 1 Outlook, as well as in the review on CoinDesk - Staking goes mainstream: what 2026 could look like for ether (ETH) investors, where trends in PoS network yields are discussed.
Step-by-step guide: How to stake NEAR in Hot Wallet
Hot Wallet is the main and most convenient wallet for the NEAR ecosystem. It supports both native and liquid staking, Ledger integration and automatic reward reinvestment.
To stake NEAR:
- Open Earn section in Hot Wallet
- Select Other tokens → NEAR
- Click Native staking
- Click Invest
- Enter the amount and confirm the transaction
Done! Your NEAR will start working already in the next epoch (≈16 hours).
You can also connect Ledger and stake with the maximum level of security.
How to choose the best validator
In Hot Wallet validator selection is extremely transparent and convenient:
If you don’t want to dive into details - just leave the option that Hot Wallet offers by default. It is always one of the best at the moment - the wallet automatically selects a validator with the optimal combination of high yield, low commission and reliability.
If you want to choose manually, pay attention to these parameters:
- Look at the commission
- Check uptime (>99%)
- Number of delegators (the more - the better reputation)
- Rating and reviews in the ecosystem
Hot Wallet sorts validators by these parameters and allows you to change validator at any time without losing rewards.
Rewards are automatically reinvested
One of the most pleasant features of native staking in NEAR is that rewards are credited every ≈16 hours (every epoch) and automatically added to your position. You don’t need to claim anything manually - everything happens by itself. Thanks to this, the compound interest effect (compounding) works at maximum.
Withdrawal from staking: step by step
To withdraw NEAR:
- Go to Earn → My investments
- Select your NEAR Staking position
- Enter the amount you want to withdraw
- Confirm the transaction
After that the network creates an unlock request. Approximately after 3 days (2–4 epochs) you need to return to the same section and click Withdraw. This is a technical feature of the NEAR protocol. For comparison: on Solana withdrawal also takes ≈2–3 days, and in Cosmos - up to 21 days.
If you need instant withdrawal - pay attention to liquid staking (stNEAR, nNEAR etc.). We’ll cover it separately.
Why Hot Wallet is more convenient for staking NEAR
- Maximum native support for NEAR Protocol
- Ledger integration for the highest security
- Automatic reward reinvestment
- Convenient validator selection with full statistics
- Zero additional fees from the wallet side
- Mobile app + browser extension
- EARN section with all investments in one place
- Support for native and liquid staking in one interface
Hot Wallet was created specifically for the NEAR ecosystem - and it is felt in every detail.
Conclusion
Native NEAR staking is the simplest, safest and one of the most profitable ways to passively increase the number of your tokens. Stable APY 4–5%, automatic reinvestment, full security through Hot Wallet and no need to constantly claim anything manually - all this makes NEAR staking an excellent choice in 2026.
Want to start earning passive income today?
👉 Install Hot Wallet right now
Go to the EARN section, select NEAR and stake your first amount in just 2 minutes. Your tokens will start working already in the next epoch. Stake smart. Stake with Hot Wallet. 🚀
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