> A MetaMask wallet staking directly with the protocols/ yield aggregators is easier than creating a kraken account and doing KYC verification.

It's not easier at all which is why people don't do it....

That may indeed be "easier", but self-custody requires a high level of confidence in your own ability to set things up properly and securely. And equally high confidence that your machine and wallet won't be compromised. I'd also say that getting to that point is difficult, unless someone is willing to play around with a test-net and not learning with their real balance.

There's definitely an appeal when it comes to having an exchange manage this all for you, even when they take a fee for doing so.

How do you get the coins to stake in the first place without creating an account and doing KYC verification?