Same staked ETH, extra yield — and extra slashing risk. The 2026 reality check.
Restaking takes ETH already staked on Ethereum and commits it again to secure other services (AVSs) — for extra rewards and extra risk.
Validator opts in to extra slashing rules. Most people use liquid restaking tokens (LRTs) — ether.fi, Renzo, Kelp DAO, Puffer — instead of restaking directly.
Plain staking at 4% = $400 a year. Restaking at 6% = $600. The extra $200 doubles the risk surface — more slashing rules, more protocol layers.
$10.8B locked across restaking — but only about $30,700 in weekly fees (Sept 2026). Most extra yield is paid in printed tokens, not real fees.
EigenLayer slashing went live April 2025. In April 2026, the Kelp DAO exploit drained ~$292M via a bridge — EigenLayer contracts untouched, the LRT layer broke.
Beginners still learning plain staking, and anyone who cannot afford a partial loss of principal. Learn slashing and LRT risk first.
The fee math, the Kelp DAO lesson, the comparison table and the FAQ — all in the free guide.
Read the Full Guide →