Trezor Enhances Cardano Staking with Everstake Integration
Trezor has introduced Everstake as its new staking partner for Cardano, offering users a more streamlined and reliable method to delegate ADA directly through Trezor Suite. This update is compatible with all current Trezor devices, including Safe 7, Safe 5, Safe 3, and Model T. A significant incentive for early adoption is that Everstake will be waiving its staking fees until 24 March 2026. While ADA staking was previously available in Trezor Suite, the transition to Everstake aims to improve uptime, reward consistency, and overall stability. Crucially, this new arrangement upholds Trezor's fundamental principle of prioritizing self-custody, ensuring users retain full control of their private keys and assets at all times.
“This partnership brings together self-custody and staking in a way that’s both secure and transparent,” said Matej Zak, CEO of Trezor. “Users can now participate in Cardano staking without transferring assets to a third party — their private keys remain safely offline, secured by their Trezor device.”
Investor Takeaway
Hardware-level staking is particularly appealing to long-term investors. The absence of fees during the initial epochs provides cleaner and slightly more favorable early rewards compared to most ADA pools currently available.
Streamlined ADA Staking: Keys Remain Offline
Trezor has maintained the core mechanics of Cardano staking. Delegation still requires a 2 ADA refundable deposit and a network transaction fee, both standard procedures on the Cardano network. All operations are managed within Trezor Suite, with the hardware wallet confirming each step. The key distinction is what does not occur: there is no new account registration, no custodial transfer of assets, and no exposure to third-party platforms. The private keys are consistently kept secure on the Trezor device. This represents the same staking and delegation model Cardano was built upon, now presented through a more integrated and device-secured interface.
“Integrating ADA staking into Trezor through Everstake brings hardware-level security together with the operational performance institutions rely on,” said Bohdan Opryshko, Co-Founder and COO at Everstake. “Our priority is consistent rewards, high uptime, and giving Cardano delegators a clear and secure way to participate in staking — all while ensuring they keep full control of their assets.”
Understanding ADA Staking Rewards: Epochs and Activation
ADA staking rewards typically take some time to establish a consistent payout schedule. Cardano's reward system operates on epoch cycles, meaning delegators usually receive their first payouts after a delay of several epochs. For a new staking pool, this initial delay might seem extended, but it stabilizes once the pool becomes fully active. Trezor Suite currently indicates an estimated APY of 2% to 2.5%, aligning with long-term Cardano averages. Due to Everstake operating with 0% pool fees during the launch phase, rewards may appear slightly higher than those from typical ADA pools until standard fees are reinstated. This zero-fee period extends from 24 November 2025 to 24 March 2026, encompassing numerous Cardano epochs, providing delegators ample time to acclimate and assess long-term performance.
Investor Takeaway
Zero-fee pools can temporarily increase staking yields beyond the network's average. Long-term APY remains contingent on factors such as pool size, saturation, and broader network conditions.
The Growing Momentum of Self-Custody Staking
The year 2025 has been a significant period for hardware-based staking. An increasing number of users, particularly long-term holders, are opting for non-custodial staking solutions instead of leaving their ADA on exchanges. This shift has been further propelled by regulatory bodies tightening rules around custodial yield products. Trezor's initiative to enhance ADA staking through Everstake is part of a larger trend: hardware wallets are evolving into comprehensive hubs for staking and governance. Beyond merely storing assets, users are increasingly seeking their self-custody devices to manage delegation, validation, voting, and long-term asset participation. Everstake's substantial presence adds considerable credibility to this offering; the company operates across more than 80 networks, manages over $7 billion in staked assets, and is recognized for its exceptionally high uptime. Their infrastructure is supported by SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001:2022, and NIST CSF compliance, along with a globally distributed operations team. For users of hardware wallets, this combination of self-custody and institutional-grade infrastructure represents the highest level of security currently available for Cardano staking.
Strengthening Hardware's Role in Staking Ecosystems
Trezor has been progressively expanding its offerings beyond basic storage functionality. Through initiatives like Trezor Academy and increased integration with staking networks, the company is positioning itself as both a security leader and an educational resource within the ecosystem. The integration of Cardano's staking, supported by an introductory zero-fee period, aligns perfectly with this strategic direction. As more blockchains become capable of staking and move towards non-custodial participation models, hardware wallets are poised to play a more prominent role than they currently do, serving not just as secure storage solutions but as primary gateways to decentralized economic activities. For Trezor users, this development provides a straightforward and efficient method for delegating ADA under favorable initial conditions, reinforcing the company's core principle since 2013: your keys, your crypto, your rewards.