Overview
- Kraken announced the AVAX Earn suite on Thursday, May 21, 2026, and made Bonded Staking, Auto Earn, and Flexible Staking available to eligible customers.
- Bonded Staking carries a limited-time promotional rate up to 10% APY that Kraken says will later revert to up to 7% APY, while Auto Earn and Flexible Staking each offer up to 3.5% APY.
- Kraken will operate validator infrastructure and distribute rewards for users so customers do not need to run nodes, and all three products automatically restake rewards to compound holdings.
- The launch is live with geographic exclusions that bar New York and Maine residents and impose further limits in the UK, EU, Canada, and Australia, and Kraken discloses product limits and risks including Flexible staking applying rewards to only up to 50% of chosen assets and staking provided by Payward Commercial Limited.
- For holders this means a simpler way to earn passive yield but greater custody and counterparty concentration, and the promotional APY is likely to drive short-term demand so investors should plan around the stated post-promotion rates and the usual staking risks such as slashing, hacks, or price decline.