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Editorial policyUse EigenLayer only if you already hold ETH or an LST and you understand you are adding extra slashing and operator risk on top of staking. Skip EigenLayer if you wanted simple Lido stETH and nothing else. Restaking is optional. Educational research, not financial advice.
EigenLayer lets you restake ETH or LSTs to secure extra services (AVSs). Verdict-first guide on stacked slashing, why Lido-only staking is enough for most people, and who should not restake.
Market context
DeFiLlamaSkip EigenLayer if you have not staked or held stETH yet, you cannot name an AVS, or you thought restaking was free extra yield. You can slash more than native staking. Liquid restaking tokens add another token and another contract.
Related comparisons
Only if simple staking is already boring and you can name the extra services you are securing. EigenLayer restakes collateral to AVSs. That can earn extra rewards. It also stacks slashing conditions. Most users should stop at Lido or native staking.
Live TVL sits on DeFiLlama. Our rankings table was stamped 2026-08-27. TVL is assets locked — not a safety score and not a reason to deposit.
You opt ETH or an LST into EigenLayer and delegate to an operator that runs AVS software. Rewards and slash risks depend on those services. Liquid restaking tokens (ether.fi and others) wrap this into a token you can take to DeFi — which stacks yet more contracts.
| Path | Extra risk | Skip when |
|---|---|---|
| Native stake only | Ethereum slashing | You wanted a liquid token |
| Lido stETH | Lido + staking | You wanted extra AVS rewards |
| EigenLayer restake | AVS slash + operator | You cannot name the AVS |
| LRT (eETH etc.) | Wrapper + DeFi | You wanted fewer contracts |
stETH is enough if you wanted liquid staking. EigenLayer is a second decision. Points, airdrops and restaked TVL are not a safety rating. If you cannot explain the AVS you are securing, you are farming a narrative, not operating a thesis you can defend.
| Want | Use | Skip EigenLayer when |
|---|---|---|
| Liquid staking only | Lido stETH | Always — you are done |
| Named AVS restake | EigenLayer | You cannot name the AVS |
| Liquid restaking token | ether.fi eETH | You wanted fewer contracts |
Stacked slashing, operator failure, and LRT depegs. A large restaking TVL can unwind together. This page will not list a restaking APY — those change and often include emissions. Extra yield is extra failure modes, not free money on top of Lido.
The app we name is app.eigenlayer.xyz. You should already hold ETH or an LST. ether.fi wraps this into eETH on a different domain. This page is whether restaking is optional extra risk you can name — most users should stop at Lido.
FAQ
A restaking protocol: opt staked ETH or LSTs into extra AVS security at app.eigenlayer.xyz. Rewards and slash conditions depend on the services and operator you pick.
No. Lido stETH is a complete product. Restaking is optional extra risk and optional extra rewards.
They wrap restaking into another token. Extra token, extra contract, extra peg. ether.fi’s eETH is an example, not EigenLayer itself.
No. Educational research only. We do not recommend restaking or buying EIGEN.
Lido is the largest Ethereum liquid-staking protocol: deposit ETH, hold stETH, keep the asset usable in DeFi. Verdict-first guide on slashing, smart-contract risk, and when Rocket Pool or solo staking is the better fit.
ether.fi issues eETH, a liquid restaking token. Verdict-first guide on when Lido stETH is the simpler choice and what extra risk eETH adds.
Renzo is a liquid restaking protocol on Ethereum that issues ezETH — letting users earn Ethereum staking yield plus EigenLayer restaking rewards in a single composable token.