Log in

Guide

Tutorial: What are APY and APR?

Updated: May 22, 2025
Published: May 20, 2025
0
Share:

Understand APY vs. APR in crypto: learn how compounding affects your returns, and make smarter decisions in lending, borrowing, and staking

Post Feature Image

Video Tutorial

We’ll explore two important concepts in the crypto world: APY and APR. Understanding these terms is crucial for making informed decisions about lending, borrowing, and earning interest on your crypto assets. Let’s dive into these concepts and what they mean for your crypto investments. 

APY: Annual Percentage Yield

First, let’s define APY and APR. APY stands for Annual Percentage Yield. It represents the real rate of return earned on an investment, considering the effect of compounding interest over time. In simple terms, APY shows you how much your investment can grow over a year, considering that the interest earned each period is reinvested. This is especially important in DeFi platforms that frequently compound interest.

Our Top Picks:

DOGWIFHAT

DOGWIFHAT

120,650%

SPX6900

SPX6900

17,000%

POPCAT

POPCAT

66,567%

PENDLE

PENDLE

5,002%

SOLANA

SOLANA

2,500%

HYPE

HYPE

1,740%

Don’t miss our next 100X

Trusted by 230K+ investors

APY: Annual Percentage Rate

APR, or Annual Percentage Rate, on the other hand, represents the annual rate charged for borrowing or earned through an investment, without considering compounding. It’s a straightforward percentage that helps you understand the cost of borrowing or the amount of yield earned from staking over a year. APR is simpler but does not fully depict potential earnings or costs when compounding is involved.

Example

For example, let’s say you deposit 1000 USDC in a staking platform that offers an APR of 15%. You earn roughly 0.041% daily, which amounts to 0.41 USDC per day. If the platform compounds the interest daily, your actual earnings will be higher than 15% over a year, which the APY captures. With an APR of 15%, your investment would grow to 1150 USDC by the end of the year. However, if the interest is compounded daily, your actual return (APY) would be approximately 16.18%, resulting in a balance of about 1161.80 USDC. Even though the difference seems small initially, it can make a substantial impact on larger investments. Understanding these two concepts is vital for making smart decisions in the crypto space. APY helps you gauge the true growth of your investments, while APR gives a clear picture of annual costs or returns without compounding.

100% Success Money Back Guarantee

If our approach doesn’t outperform the overall crypto market during your subscription, we’ll give you a full refund of your membership. No questions asked. For quarterly and monthly subscribers this is applicable once your subscription runs for 6 consecutive months.

Terms & Conditions apply

Star

Trusted by 300,000+ traders

Take your next step towards crypto success

Save 50%

$799/year

Get everything you need to actively manage your portfolio and stay ahead. Ideal for investors seeking regular guidance and access to tools that help make informed decisions.

VisaCardImageMsCardImageCoinbaseCardImageSolanaCardImage

For your security, all orders are processed on a secured server.

What’s included in Pro:

  • Success Guarantee, if we don’t outperform the market, you get 100% back, no questions asked

  • 24/7 access to experts with 50+ years’ experience

  • All of our top token picks for 2025

  • Our latest memecoins pick with 50X potential

  • On hand technical analysis on any token of your choice

  • Weekly livestreams & ask us anything with the team

  • Daily insights on Macro, Mechanics, and On-chain

  • Curated list of top upcoming airdrops (free money)

Our track record speaks for itself

With over 2.4M tokens and widespread misinformation in crypto, we cut
through the noise and consistently find winning assets.

/images/advertorial/corpcomm3.webp
/images/advertorial/corpcomm4.webp
/images/advertorial/corpcomm5.webp

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. We've consistently identified winners across multiple cycles. Bitcoin under $1,000, Ethereum under $70, Solana under $10, WIF from $0.003 to $5, PopCat from $0.004 to $2, SPX blasting past $1.70, and our latest pick has already 200X'd since June 2025. Everything is timestamped and public record.

No. When we founded Cryptonary in 2017 the market was new to everyone. We intentionally created content that was easy to understand and actionable. That foundational principle is the crux of Cryptonary. Taking complex ideas and opportunities and presenting them in a way a 10 year old could understand.

Signal vs noise. We filter out 99.9% of garbage projects, provide data backed analysis, and have a proven track record of finding winners. Not to mention since Cryptonary's inception in 2017 we have never taken investment, sponsorship or partnership. Compare this to pretty much everyone else, no track record, and a long list of partnerships that cloud judgements.

We share highly sensitive, time-critical research. Once it's out, it can't be "returned." That's why membership is annual only. Crypto success takes time and commitment. If someone is not willing to invest 12 months into their future, there is no place for them at Cryptonary.

Yes. You will have 24/7 to the team that bought you BTC at $1,000, ETH at $70, and SOL at $10. Through our community chats, live Q&As, and member only channels, you can ask questions and interact directly with the team. Our team has over 50 years of combined experience which you can tap into every single day.

Daily. We provide real-time updates, weekly reports, emergency alerts, and live Q&As when the markets move fast. In crypto, the market moves fast, in Cryptonary, we move faster.

If our approach to the market doesn’t beat the overall crypto market during your subscription, we’ll give you a full refund of your membership fee. No questions asked. For quarterly and monthly subscribers this is applicable once your subscription runs for 6 consecutive months.

Recommended from Cryptonary
Mastering Liquidity Pools: Unlocking 48% - 250% APR on HYPE
PRO
Yield farming
Mastering Liquidity Pools: Unlockin...While most investors chase the next hype coin, a smarter few are earning up to 250% APR simply by pr...
9 min read
Nov 18, 2025
This Week's Setup: This Isn't 2022 - Here's Why We're Accumulating
PRO
Market Updates
This Week's Setup: This Isn't 2022 ...Markets just entered the kind of inflection zone that rarely lasts long. Oversold signals are buildi...
11 min read
Nov 17, 2025
Market Update: The Pullback Arrives Exactly as Expected
PRO
Market Updates
Market Update: The Pullback Arrives...The pullback we’ve been warning about has finally arrived. A reopened government, missing economic d...
9 min read
Nov 14, 2025