EigenLayer

EigenLayer is a protocol built on Ethereum that introduces restaking, a new primitive in crypto-economic security.

Restaking allows those who stake ETH, either directly on the Beacon Chain or through liquid staking tokens (LSTs), to repurpose their staked ETH via EigenLayer's smart contracts. By doing so, they can bolster the security of various applications on the network and receive additional rewards.

From the network security point, with EigenLayer, Ethereum participants can amplify the security of numerous services. They do this by reallocating their already staked ETH to specific node operators. These operators then commit to offering economic protection to several services at once. Through restaking, the same ETH ensures the safety of multiple services, leading to increased incentives for both the stakers and the node operators involved in the validation process.