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Glossary

Restaking

Restaking is the practice of reusing assets that are already staked on a proof-of-stake network to help secure additional protocols or services, extending the same collateral to more than one obligation at once.

Alex Nin

Alex Nin

— 2 min read
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Restaking

Restaking is the practice of reusing assets that are already staked on a proof-of-stake network to help secure additional protocols or services, extending the same collateral to more than one obligation at once. Outside crypto, the word can mean replanting a claim or renewing a position; this entry covers the onchain meaning.

How it works

On Ethereum, a validator stakes ETH to secure the base chain. EigenLayer lets a staker opt that same ETH, or a liquid staking token such as stETH, into additional contracts. The staker delegates to operators who run software for Actively Validated Services (AVSs), which are protocols like data availability layers, oracles or bridges that need their own economic security. The restaked collateral becomes subject to the slashing conditions of each AVS it backs.

Slashing is the enforcement mechanism: if an operator violates an AVS rule, a portion of the restaked stake can be burned or redistributed. Because one deposit can be committed to several AVSs, the same collateral is simultaneously at risk under multiple rule sets. Suppose 10 ETH is restaked across three AVSs. The base chain and all three services draw on that single 10 ETH, so total secured value exceeds the collateral posted, and a fault in any one service can reduce the stake available to the others.

Why it matters

Restaking lets new protocols rent security instead of bootstrapping a separate token and validator set, which lowers the cost of launching services that need cryptoeconomic trust. For an institutional allocator, the central risk is correlated slashing: the same collateral backs several obligations, so a single operator error or a flaw in one AVS can cascade into losses that exceed what any one service's risk assessment implied. Liquid restaking tokens add a layer of redemption and liquidity risk on top of the underlying slashing exposure.

  • Liquid staking token (LST)
  • Actively Validated Service (AVS)
  • Slashing
  • Liquid restaking token (LRT)
  • Proof of stake

Frequently asked questions

How is restaking different from staking?

Staking commits collateral to secure one network. Restaking reuses that already-staked collateral to also secure additional protocols, so the same deposit backs multiple obligations and carries multiple slashing conditions at once.

What is an AVS in restaking?

An Actively Validated Service is a protocol, such as a data availability layer, oracle or bridge, that borrows economic security from restaked collateral. Operators run its software and the restaked stake is subject to its slashing rules.

What is the main risk of restaking?

Correlated slashing. Because one collateral pool secures several services, a fault in any single AVS or operator can reduce the stake available to all of them, producing losses larger than a single-service assessment would suggest.

See the data behind this post. Browse the staking and liquid-staking tables, or read Blockchain Data Quality Standards for Datasets for how the records are put together.

Allium provides onchain data infrastructure. Companies named in this article may be Allium customers, prospects or commercial counterparties. The authors and other Allium personnel may hold positions in the assets discussed. This article is informational only and is not investment, legal or tax advice. Data and information last reviewed: October 23, 2026.

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