The best methods of earning Stardust in Pokemon GO (September 2021)

Stardust is one of Pokemon GO's core resources. It is used to power up Pokemon and perform trades.

Since power-ups and certain trades can get pretty expensive, it never hurts to have as much Stardust on hand as possible. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to earn Stardust in Pokemon GO, and Niantic often increases the yields during the game's various events.

However, some methods are more effective than others. Pokemon GO trainers may want to use as many of these optimal methods as possible in order to keep their Stardust stock healthy.

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Pokemon GO: Top methods to earn Stardust

Star Pieces may be worth the investment in order to obtain more Stardust from all sources (Image via Niantic)

Niantic has ensured that players have plenty of ways to earn Stardust in Pokemon GO. Some of the optimal methods of earning Stardust can be found below:

GO Battle League

• Winning the first and fifth battles rewards players with a decent amount of Stardust in GO Battle League. With an active Premium Battle Pass, players can obtain some extra Stardust by winning the third battle of the round. On top of that, completing all daily battles also rewards Stardust. Although these rewards are dependent on one's PvP ranking in a given Battle League season, they're still significant. The amount of Stardust earned really comes down to dedication. The more a player battles, the more Stardust they can take home.

Gifts

• Gifts that players receive from fellow trainers on their Pokemon GO friends list can contain 100-300 Stardust when opened.

Raiding and Team GO Rocket

• Pokemon GO battle rewards for Stardust don't stop at PvP battle. Gym raids on Raid Boss Pokemon can reward a good amount of Stardust once the boss is defeated. Pokemon GO players can also obtain Stardust by defeating Team GO Rocket members. Defeating Grunts, Leaders, or Giovanni will yield different amounts (from 500 to 1,000 to 5,000) of Stardust.

Research Rewards

• Every so often, especially during timed events and Special Research Stories, Niantic offers a significant amount of Stardust as a reward for completing research tasks. These tasks can be as simple as catching a few Pokemon or throwing successful curveballs. Weekly research breakthroughs also typically reward 2,000 Stardust, which isn't an insignificant amount.

Catching Wild Pokemon

• This option is pretty self-explanatory for most Pokemon GO trainers, but catching Pokemon rewards players with Stardust at a consistent but low rate. While capturing Pokemon does not reward a lot of Stardust, it does ensure that there is a steady drip of the resource.

Hatching Eggs and Adventure Sync Rewards

• The amount of Stardust that a player earns from hatching eggs in Pokemon GO depends on egg distance. 12-kilometer eggs can provide a whopping 6,400 Stardust upon hatching. Players who have access to Adventure Sync functions and who travel while the game is closed can also reap additional Stardust each week. The amount of Stardust they can earn depends on the distance they cover, with as much as 1,500 Stardust on the table.

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