Ethereum stakers earn 1.84% APY. IOTA stakers earn 11%. That's a 6x difference.

So how much IOTA do you actually need to hit $100/month? About 116,000 IOTA, or ~$10,900 at today's prices.

We pulled the numbers directly from the network—you can verify them on Coinbase and Staking Rewards. And here's where it gets interesting: if IOTA returns to $0.25 (levels we saw in previous market cycles), that same stake would generate $266/month. No new money in—just price appreciation.

The catch? This yield won't last forever.

But first—where do these numbers actually come from?

Where These Numbers Come From (January 18, 2026)

Here's what the network looks like right now:

Most guides assume 6-8% APY. IOTA is paying 12%+ right now because only half the supply is staked—early stakers get a bigger share of rewards.

You can verify all of this on our APY Calculator.

How IOTA Stacks Up Against Alternatives

Some context on that 11% APY:

Crypto Staking Comparison

Source: Coinbase Staking Rewards, January 2026

Why is IOTA so much higher? Simple: only 51% of IOTA is staked vs. 69% for Solana. Fewer stakers = bigger slice of the reward pie. This won't last forever.

If you're staking now, you're ahead of half the network. That window is closing.

Traditional Finance Comparison

The catch? You're getting stock-market returns with crypto volatility. A 20% drawdown in a week isn't unusual. Traditional investments won't give you 11%, but they also won't drop 50% overnight.

What You'd Actually Earn Today

Here's a breakdown by stake size:

The Mistake Costing You 1,200 IOTA (~$113) Per Year

A common mistake: picking validators purely based on low commission.

But wait—a validator with 10% commission and 99.9% uptime will outperform one with 5% commission and 95% uptime.

The fix:

1. Open the APY Calculator
2. Sort by "Our Score" (we factor in commission, uptime, AND decentralization)
3. Look for:
   • Commission: ≤10%
   • Uptime: >99%
   • Voting Power: <3%

This combination typically delivers the best risk-adjusted returns.

What Happens Wen IOTA Hits $1

With 116,000 IOTA staked at 11% APY, you earn about 1,063 IOTA/month. Here's what that translates to at different price points:

Read that last row again: $6,048/month from the same $11K stake. That's not hopium—that's what happens if IOTA revisits its 2017 ATH.

If IOTA drops, you're accumulating tokens at cheaper prices. If it recovers, your income scales up without adding any money.

Here's the mindset shift most people miss: stop tracking USD. Track IOTA. At these prices, you're accumulating tokens faster than you would at $0.50 or $1. The USD will take care of itself when price moves.

For more on where we think price could go, check out our IOTA Price Prediction 2026 analysis.

The Bottom Line

You came for the $100/month calculation. Here's what matters more:

IOTA's 11% APY exists because only half the supply is staked. When participation catches up—and it will—yields compress toward the 4-6% you see everywhere else.

The real question isn't "how much IOTA for $100/month?" It's whether you want to accumulate at 11% or wait and accumulate at 6%.

Getting Started

If you want to run your own scenarios:

1. Compounding Calculator — Model different stake amounts and timeframes
2. APY Calculator — Compare validators by uptime, commission, and voting power
3. Staking Tracker — Track your actual returns over time

Data from IOTA mainnet (epoch 258) and CoinGecko API, pulled January 18, 2026. APY and prices fluctuate—use the calculators above for current numbers. This isn't financial advice.