# Staking Pools Centralized exchanges, wallets, and third-party services offer custodial PoS staking pools, sometimes compared to savings accounts. In exchange for locking coins for a time, users receive certain yields minus fees. Pooling of resources gives token holders indirect access to some staking benefits. However, the custodial character of most staking pools means the rewards are paid at the discretion of the third-party validator, who is the direct recipient of the mined tokens. It also goes against the philosophy of decentralized finance or the complete ownership of one's crypto asset. The risks of staking pools include exit scams, rug pulls, hacks, thefts, or bankruptcy of the central entity. Staking through the pools also requires extensive research and often complicated delegation mechanisms that may cost users their assets. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://whitepaper.trustednode.io/industry-backdrop/staking-pools.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.