GlossaryWhat is restaking?
What is restaking?
Restaking is using ETH that is already staked to secure other decentralized services as well, earning rewards from those services on top of normal staking rewards and taking on more risk. On November 8, 2026, DefiLlama counted about $9.0 billion in restaking protocols.
How Restaking Works
Restaking works by pledging staked ETH a second time, to services outside Ethereum's own consensus, under rules that can slash it if the operator misbehaves. ethereum.org calls these services Actively Validated Services, or AVSs, and says platforms also use names such as Autonomously Validated Services or Networks, as set out on ethereum.org's restaking page.
An AVS might be a price oracle, a token bridge or a data system. Instead of building its own validator set from scratch, it borrows security from ETH that is already staked and pays rewards for it.
Who Takes Part in Restaking
Four kinds of players take part in restaking, according to ethereum.org: platforms, restakers, operators and the AVSs themselves.
- Native restakers run their own Ethereum validators and connect that staked ETH to a restaking platform.
- Liquid restakers restake the tokens they received from a liquid staking provider such as Lido or Rocket Pool.
- Operators run each AVS's software and do the validation work, earning extra rewards for it.
- AVSs receive the security and pay token rewards in return.
Most restakers delegate to an operator instead of running AVS software, and ethereum.org notes they get a lower reward rate than the operators do.
EigenLayer and Other Restaking Platforms
EigenLayer is the restaking platform ethereum.org credits with introducing the idea in 2023, and Symbiotic is a second platform it names. EigenLayer's own contracts README describes a protocol on Ethereum that brings together restakers, operators and AVSs under reward and slashing commitments, and that accepts EIGEN, native ETH, liquid staking tokens and other ERC-20 tokens.
EigenLayer's docs now live under the EigenCloud name, and DefiLlama lists the protocol as EigenCloud.3 Restaking also exists outside Ethereum: DefiLlama's restaking list includes Babylon Protocol on Bitcoin and Jito Restaking on Solana.4
| Protocol | Chain | TVL |
|---|---|---|
| EigenCloud (EigenLayer) | Ethereum | $5.7 billion |
| Babylon Protocol | Bitcoin | $3.1 billion |
| Kelp (liquid restaking) | Ethereum | $840 million |
| Jito Restaking | Solana | $15 million |
What Liquid Restaking Tokens Are
Liquid restaking tokens, or LRTs, are receipt tokens for restaked assets, the way stETH is a receipt for staked ETH. ethereum.org gives eETH as an example of an LRT that earns both staking and restaking rewards. DefiLlama counted about $1.1 billion in liquid restaking protocols on November 8, 2026, led by Kelp.5
Restaking Risks
Restaking risks come on top of the risks of staking, and ethereum.org rates restaking from low to high risk where it rates staking low.
- Slashing: if an operator goes offline, censors or acts against the rules, stake can be burned in part or in full.
- Chain reactions: a restaker slashed while securing several AVSs leaves less security for all of them.
- Centralization: a few large operators could gain sway over restakers, AVSs and platforms.
- Slower exits: withdrawals wait for the normal queue plus an unbonding period.
ethereum.org also points out that lending or borrowing liquid staking tokens in DeFi is a different activity from restaking, even though both put staked ETH to work. The ETH staking calculator covers plain staking rewards only.
Questions People Ask About What is restaking
These are the questions people ask next about what is restaking.
What is restaking in crypto?
Restaking in crypto is using already-staked ETH, or a liquid staking token, to secure extra services called AVSs. Restakers can earn rewards from those services on top of staking rewards, and their stake can be slashed under each service's rules.
What is an AVS in restaking?
An AVS in restaking is a decentralized service, such as an oracle, a bridge or a data system, that borrows security from restaked ETH. AVS stands for Actively Validated Service on ethereum.org and Autonomous Verifiable Service in EigenLayer's README.
Is restaking riskier than staking?
Restaking is riskier than staking by ethereum.org's own rating: low risk for staking, low to high for restaking. The extra risks are slashing by each AVS, chain reactions across AVSs, operator concentration and a longer wait to withdraw.
What is the difference between restaking and liquid staking?
The difference between restaking and liquid staking is the job the ETH does. Liquid staking stakes ETH on Ethereum and hands back a token. Restaking takes staked ETH or that token and pledges it again to secure other services.
Sources
Every number on this page comes from these sources, checked November 9, 2026.