Restaking
Reusing already-staked ETH to help secure other protocols, earning extra rewards while taking on additional slashing risk.
Stake ETH once and it secures Ethereum. Restaking lets you commit that same stake—or a liquid staking token representing it—to additional services like oracles and bridges. Each pays its own reward.
EigenLayer built the model and held tens of billions in deposits at its 2024 peak. Other chains copied it.
The catch is stacked risk. One stake now backs multiple protocols, so a fault in any of them can trigger slashing. More yield, more ways to lose principal.
Related terms
Locking up tokens to help secure a proof-of-stake network and earn rewards, similar to interest on a deposit.
Liquid StakingStaking tokens while receiving a tradable receipt token, so your capital keeps earning rewards without being locked up.
SlashingA penalty that destroys part of a validator's staked coins for misbehavior or downtime.
ValidatorA participant in a proof-of-stake network that proposes and confirms blocks, putting staked coins at risk for honesty.