EigenLayer Adds Slashing to Complete Restaking Protocol

Ethereum’s leading restaking protocol, EigenLayer, is set to introduce a long-awaited feature — slashing — on April 17. The move marks a major milestone for the protocol, bringing it to a “feature complete” status one year after launch.

EigenLayer revolutionized Ethereum staking by enabling users to “restake” their ETH to secure third-party protocols, giving rise to Actively Validated Services (AVSs). However, since inception, the protocol lacked slashing — a mechanism critical to punishing bad actors and enforcing trust. With slashing, AVSs can now define conditions that penalize operators who underperform or act maliciously, while rewarding those who maintain reliability.

According to EigenLayer, this addition empowers a decentralized marketplace where AVSs can launch verifiable services, and operators can earn staking rewards for their contributions. The protocol has already attracted over $15 billion in total value locked (TVL) and has fueled significant excitement around its native EIGEN token, which launched in October.

Currently, more than 100 AVSs are in development, with key examples including EigenDA — a data availability layer built by Eigen Labs — and ARPA Network, focused on trustless random number generation.

Despite pioneering the restaking model, EigenLayer’s delay in implementing slashing gave competitors like Symbiotic room to grow. Symbiotic, which supports the restaking of any asset, has gained traction with projects like Hyperlane and Ethena — both of which initially adopted EigenLayer.

With slashing now set to go live, EigenLayer aims to strengthen its position as the leading restaking infrastructure on Ethereum, offering both greater security and incentive alignment for developers, stakers, and AVSs alike.