🇺🇸 the United States · Reviewed: 2026-10-16

USDT Interest Rates in the United States (2026): Where You Can Earn

The US is a special case. Most of the large offshore exchanges we track — Binance, Bybit, OKX and others — exclude Americans in their own terms, so the table below is short. And among the venues that do accept Americans, whether an earn product is open also depends on the state: in some states staking is closed outright, in others you have to switch it on yourself. The highest stablecoin rates here sit on low-graded venues; Kraken pays US retail clients nothing on USDT and 2% on USDC without a subscription.

Available in the United States

Exchanges available in the United States

Checked against each platform's official restrictions. Rates are flexible, refreshed daily.

5 platforms

Platform	USDT	USDC	Risk
Lune.fi	18 %	18 %	F	Review →
Toobit	3.1 %	2.5 %	C	Review →
Backpack Exchange	1.22 %	1.01 %	C	Review →
Kraken Earn	—	2.0 %	B	Review →
Nebeus	—	4.0 %	D	Review →

Beyond dollars

Other coins: best rates open to residents of the United States

Per coin: the highest base rate and the best one at an A–B graded venue, among venues whose own terms accept residents of the United States. Locked terms are marked.

Coin	Pick	Platform	Base rate	Risk
BTC	Highest rate	Lune.fi	14 %	F
ETH	Highest rate	Lune.fi	14 %	F
	Best at an A–B venue	Coinbase cbETH	2.22 %	B
XRP	Highest rate	Toobit	0.5 %	C
SOL	Highest rate	Marinade	5.4 %	B

💬 Context: money in the United States

Buying and holding crypto is legal in the US, but the rules for venues come in layers. Federally, a venue registers with FinCEN as a money services business; at state level it needs money-transmitter licences, and New York adds its own BitLicense from NYDFS. So the same venue can serve some states and not others: Kraken does not serve New York or Washington State.

Stablecoins have been governed since July 18, 2025 by the GENIUS Act (Public Law 119-27). It bars permitted stablecoin issuers from paying holders "any form of interest or yield" solely for holding the coin. The ban is addressed to issuers; exchange reward programmes are not named in that provision. Another provision takes effect three years after enactment, in July 2028: digital asset service providers will no longer be allowed to offer Americans payment stablecoins from issuers that are not permitted, with exceptions the Act sets out.

⚖️ Legal status

This is not legal or tax advice. There is no deposit insurance on an exchange. The FDIC says it plainly: it "does not insure assets issued by non-bank entities, such as crypto companies." SIPC does not protect a crypto asset either, unless it qualifies as a security.

Tax: under the IRS ruling Rev. Rul. 2023-14, staking rewards count as income at their fair market value when you gain control over them. For 2025, Form 1099-DA filing applies to US brokers — an exchange based abroad may not send you one, but you must report all digital asset income and gains either way.

Sources: govinfo.gov · fdic.gov · sipc.org · irs.gov · irs.gov · support.kraken.com · support.kraken.com · support.gemini.com · robinhood.com · support.uphold.com

🏦 Bank savings in the United StatesWhat local banks pay with no conditions, next to the rate they advertise →

Getting started

How to start, step by step

Check your state. Gemini's Asset Rewards are closed to New York residents, and in California, Illinois, New Jersey, Texas, Washington and Massachusetts you have to switch them on yourself. Robinhood's staking is unavailable in California, Maryland, New Jersey and Wisconsin. Uphold's Flexible Staking is not available in California, Louisiana, Washington State and American Samoa.

Do not count on Kraken's 4% on stablecoins. It runs through Opt-In Rewards, which in the US only accredited investors can use. USDT pays nothing to retail clients; USDC goes through Stablecoin Rewards — 2% without a subscription, up to 4% with paid Kraken+ — and Kraken's rewards are offered in select states only.

Be careful with the offshore venues in the table. They do not exclude Americans, but they hold no US licences either. Lune.fi's agreement, for one, only asks that you do not live where such services are prohibited by law — and leaves that question to you.

Read the base rate, not the shop window. We publish base rates and never promotional tiers: the figure you see here is the one paid with no conditions attached.

Keep your own records: the date, the coin, the amount and its dollar value at each payout. An exchange based abroad may not send a Form 1099-DA, and reporting is still on you.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Is it legal for Americans to earn interest on crypto?

Yes, holding crypto and earning on it are legal. The licences are the venue's obligation, not yours, and the rules differ by state — so the same product can be open in one state and closed next door. The income is taxable: the IRS counts staking rewards as income when you gain control over them.

Is my money on an exchange FDIC- or SIPC-insured?

No. The FDIC does not insure assets issued by non-bank entities such as crypto companies, and SIPC does not protect crypto assets that are not securities.

Why are Binance, Bybit and OKX not here?

Because their own terms exclude US residents, and the table on this page shows only venues whose terms do not. The same goes for KuCoin, Gate, MEXC, Bitget, BingX and HTX.

Does the GENIUS Act ban interest on stablecoins?

It bars permitted stablecoin issuers from paying interest or yield solely for holding the coin. Exchange reward programmes are not named in that provision — which is why Kraken, for one, still pays Americans on USDC through Stablecoin Rewards.

Other countries

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Not investment advice. Crypto assets are not government-insured; rates float; check the legal and tax status in your jurisdiction.