What is cbETH?

How do I wrap ETH to cbETH on Coinbase?

The process of wrapping ETH to cbETH is easy thanks to Coinbase's intuitive user interface. First, you will need to convert your ETH to ETH2 on the platform. Then, you can follow the simple steps below to get started:

1. Sign into your Coinbase account and find the assets page.
2. Find the 'Ethereum 2' token and select it.
3. Find the 'Send your ETH2' button to convert your ETH to cbETH.
4. Input the amount of ETH2 you want to wrap and click 'Accept and Wrap now'.
5. You will now have cbETH on your wallet that you can hold or withdraw to an on-chain wallet.

Is cbETH Safe?

The first issue to address is the safety and risks around cbETH, prior to exploring how to earn more rewards. At its core, cbETH is a representation of Ethereum 2 that has been staked through Coinbase, and is backed by the underlying ETH2 tokens held in cold storage. As such, it is highly secure and safe to use on-chain with other DeFi protocols.

Moreover, Coinbase has implemented multiple layers of security, including additional monitoring and auditing processes around the staking of ETH2. As a result, users can rest assured that their cbETH tokens are safe to use on-chain with other DeFi protocols.

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Where is the Best DeFi yields for cbETH?

Once you are comfortable with the process of wrapping ETH to cbETH on Coinbase, you can now withdraw it off the platform to a Coinbase Wallet or MetaMask Wallet. In doing this, you can now stake your cbETH on a DeFi protocol to earn extra yield outside of the staking rewards that get accrued to the cbETH token.

Our top pick for DeFi yields on cbETH is Convex Finance. They are currently offering a 9.88% APY to provide liquidity for ETH/cbETH on the platform. For users looking to do this, you can follow this guide:

1. Visit Curve Finance and connect your MetaMask or Coinbase Wallet.
2. Add liquidity to the cbETH/ETH pool and receive a staked ETH/cbETH LP token (this is a token that represents your stake in the pool).
3. Visit Convex Finance and deposit the ETH/cbETH token into the protocol.
4. You will now accrue rewards that can be claimed at any time.

What are the risks of cbETH?

The risks of using cbETH to wrap your staked ETH include potential fluctuations in the value of cbETH compared to staked ETH. This could result in a loss of cash value if you choose to sell your cbETH when its value is lower than staked ETH. Additionally, while unwrapping cbETH to ETH2 is free and returns both the underlying ETH2 and accrued rewards, the unwrapped ETH2 and rewards remain locked up and cannot be accessed until a future protocol upgrade.

Outside of this, if you are interested in using a DeFi platform to earn extra rewards, there are smart contract risks associated with those platforms. This means that the DeFi contracts used to earn rewards could suffer exploits that result in loss of user funds, which in most cases is not recoverable.

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cbETH Exchange Rate

The chart below represent the live cbETH exchange rate for cbETH/ETH.

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Final Thoughts

In summary, cbETH is a utility token created and maintained by Coinbase, which represents Ethereum 2 (ETH2) that has been staked through Coinbase. It provides a secure and easy way for users to earn rewards for staking their ETH. Users can also withdraw cbETH off Coinbase and use it with popular DeFi protocols to earn extra yields, with Convex Finance being a top pick for DeFi yields on cbETH.

However, users should be aware of the risks associated with cbETH, including potential fluctuations in its value compared to staked ETH and smart contract risks associated with using DeFi protocols. Overall, investors should do their own research, understand the risks and potential rewards, and make informed decisions based on their own risk tolerance and investment goals.