The short version
- Stackers count ounces, so a yield paid in gold matters more than one paid in cash.
- Physical bars cost storage and insurance, and ETFs sell metal to pay fees, so traditional stacks stay flat or shrink.
- GLDY targets around 3.5% a year, paid monthly in additional gold.
- At a constant 3.5%, 10 ounces would become about 19.9 ounces in 20 years. In GLD at a 0.40% fee, they'd become about 9.23.
What stacking means
Stackers don't think in dollars. They think in ounces.
If you're stacking, you're accumulating metal steadily because you want a store of value nobody can print more of. A bad month for the price is a discount. What counts is how many ounces you hold at the end, which is why a yield paid in gold matters more than one paid in cash. Cash interest hands you the currency you were trying to hedge.
The problem with traditional stacking
Every traditional way of holding gold costs you something.
Physical bars need a safe, a deposit box or a vault, plus insurance, all paid in cash every year. Gold ETFs take their fee from the metal: GLD launched at a tenth of an ounce per share and recent filings put it around 0.0919. So a traditional stack stays flat at best unless you keep buying.
The compounding, in ounces
Gold paid in gold compounds.
Start with 10 ounces and never buy another gram. Here's what happens at a constant 3.5% against the fees on two of the biggest gold ETFs.
| Years | GLDY at 3.5% target | GLD at 0.40% fee | GLDM at 0.10% fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10.35 oz | 9.96 oz | 9.99 oz |
| 5 | 11.88 oz | 9.80 oz | 9.95 oz |
| 10 | 14.11 oz | 9.61 oz | 9.90 oz |
| 20 | 19.90 oz | 9.23 oz | 9.80 oz |
| 30 | 28.07 oz | 8.87 oz | 9.70 oz |
Run your own numbers
Illustrative only. Constant annual rates, no price changes, taxes or trading costs. The yield is a target, varies and isn't guaranteed.
Real rates vary, and the yield is a target. Over the timeframes stackers hold for, though, small percentages paid in the asset itself build into something a flat position can't match.
Where the extra gold comes from
GLDY leases bullion to businesses that need gold.
Jewellers, mints and refiners borrow metal through Monetary Metals and pay to do it, and that payment goes to holders in gold. Gold leasing has been standard in the professional bullion market for decades. Lending gold does bring counterparty risk that a bar in a vault doesn't have, and that's the trade you make for the yield.
Your stack is still yours
GLDY is backed one-to-one by allocated bullion, legally separated from Streamex's balance sheet. EisnerAmper examines the reserves monthly, Zedra publishes daily NAV, Chainlink Proof of Reserves verifies the backing on-chain, and custody sits with qualified custodians including Anchorage Digital Bank, Coinbase Prime, tZERO and BitGo. Since 23 July 2026, buying and selling settles instantly at any hour.
How to start stacking
GLDY is open to verified accredited investors, including through Siebert Financial brokerage accounts since 29 June 2026.
Once you're verified, you can buy through the Streamex interface or a Siebert Financial account, subject to GLDY's minimum investment. From then on, each monthly distribution arrives as more gold, so your stack keeps growing in ounces between purchases.
FAQs
What does stacking gold mean?
Accumulating gold steadily over time, measured in ounces, usually with a long time horizon.
Can gold really pay a yield?
Yes, by leasing the metal to businesses that use it. GLDY targets around 3.5% a year, paid monthly in additional gold.
Why does being paid in gold matter?
Each month's distribution earns yield the following month, so your ounces compound.
Does my gold still track the gold price?
Yes. The yield changes how many ounces you hold, and the dollar value still moves with gold.
Is stacking yield-bearing gold risky?
It carries gold price risk plus counterparty risk from leasing, and the rate is a target. GLDY's secondary market is also younger than a major ETF's.
Keep reading. Compare the fees that shrink an ETF stack in GLDY vs Gold ETFs, learn how the tokens work in Digital Gold: A Complete Guide and see tokenized gold's market size in Tokenized Gold Statistics 2026.
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This article is published by Streamex Corp. (NASDAQ: STEX) for general information only and isn't investment, financial, legal or tax advice. GLDY is offered as a security to verified accredited investors under Rule 506(c) of Regulation D and is a restricted security. Target yields are variable, not guaranteed and may change; gold leasing carries counterparty risk including potential loss of metal. The compounding table is a simplified illustration assuming a constant rate and isn't a projection. Gold ETFs offer greater liquidity, longer histories and wider access than GLDY.
