Definition
EigenLayer is an Ethereum-based restaking concept that extends the security of the Ethereum validator set to additional protocols and services. It enables holders of staked ETH or liquid staking tokens to opt in to secure external modules, known as actively validated services, by subjecting their stake to extra slashing conditions. In doing so, EigenLayer aggregates cryptoeconomic security across multiple applications without requiring each one to bootstrap its own independent validator network. The design focuses on creating a shared security marketplace where different services can tap into Ethereum’s existing trust and capital base.
As a concept, EigenLayer introduces a programmable layer of slashing and reward logic that sits on top of Ethereum’s native staking system. Participants delegate their restaked assets to operators, who run the infrastructure needed to validate the external services that plug into EigenLayer. Those services can range from data availability layers to oracle-like systems, all relying on the same pool of restaked collateral. This structure aims to align incentives between stakers, operators, and integrated protocols through a unified security and reward framework.
Context and Usage
EigenLayer is often discussed in the context of decentralized finance because it can provide shared security to DeFi protocols that might otherwise rely on smaller or less robust validator sets. While concepts like Liquidity Mining and Yield Farming focus on distributing tokens to attract capital and usage, EigenLayer centers on reallocating existing staked capital as a security resource. This makes it relevant to protocols that already depend on Ethereum’s trust assumptions, including lending markets such as Aave or derivatives platforms like dYdX, which may explore integrating with shared security models. In broader discourse, EigenLayer is viewed as a way to modularize and export Ethereum’s security to a wider ecosystem of on-chain services.