Restaking Explained: EigenLayer, AVSs, and Yield Multiplication in 2025

Staking ETH used to be simple: stake, earn ~3–5%, go back to sleep.

In 2025, things are different. Welcome to the world of restaking.

Thanks to EigenLayer, Ethereum stakers can now opt in to validating multiple networks — from bridges and data availability layers to oracles and rollups — using the same stake.

This unlocks:

• More yield
• Higher capital efficiency
• New security models
• The emergence of AVSs (Actively Validated Services)

Let’s unpack why restaking is crypto’s most important infrastructure trend in 2025.

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🧠 What is Restaking?

Restaking lets users reuse their ETH staking collateral to secure additional services beyond Ethereum consensus.

Mechanism:

• Stake ETH (or LSDs like stETH, rETH)
• Opt in to EigenLayer
• Delegate to operators securing AVSs
• Earn additional rewards (AVS tokens, ETH fees, points)

It’s like turning your validator into a security marketplace.

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🔄 How EigenLayer Works

Component	Description
Stakers	ETH or LSD holders restake via EigenLayer contracts
Operators	Run nodes for AVSs, selected by stakers
AVSs	Pay operators to validate, bridge, or compute
Slashing	Misbehavior risks original stake (high trust)

Operators are opt-in, and services can select operator requirements, slashing rules, and payment models.

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🔥 What Are AVSs?

AVS = Actively Validated Service

These are modules that require economic security — but not L1 consensus. Examples:

• Bridges (e.g., Wormhole, Hyperlane)
• Data Availability (e.g., EigenDA, Avail)
• Oracles (e.g., Redstone AVS, Flux)
• Rollups (e.g., Espresso sequencers)
• Coprocessors (e.g., RISC Zero, AI inference)

AVSs are buyers of security — and stakers are sellers.

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📈 Restaking Stats (as of June 2025)

Metric	Value
Total Restaked ETH	4.7 million ETH
Active AVSs	15+
EigenLayer Points TVL	$11.2B
Largest LSDs restaked	stETH, rETH, cbETH
Operators Registered	900+

Restaking is now a core part of ETH staking strategy.

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💸 Yield Multiplication: Real or Risky?

Restakers earn:

• ETH staking yield (3–5%)
• AVS rewards (tokens, ETH fees)
• EigenLayer points (possible airdrops)
• LRT yield (more below)

Some users are now earning 9–15%+ APY with layered restaking.

But beware:

• Slashing applies (double the risk)
• AVS failures or exploits can cut into principal
• Smart contract risk is higher with LRTs (see below)

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🧱 Liquid Restaking Tokens (LRTs)

New category of DeFi primitives:

LRT Platform	Token	Features
EtherFi	eETH	LSD + EigenLayer wrapper
Renzo	ezETH	LST aggregator + points meta game
Kelp DAO	rsETH	Strategy automation, AVS farming
Puffer Finance	pufETH	Native staking with DVT support

LRTs can be used in:

• DeFi protocols (LPs, lending, yield vaults)
• Farming strategies (points, retro rewards)
• Collateral in EigenLayer-integrated AVSs

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⚠️ Risks of Restaking

Risk Type	Example
Slashing Risk	Bad operator behavior → ETH slashed
Smart Contract Risk	LRT contract bugs or exploits
MEV Centralization	EigenLayer staking may impact Ethereum neutrality
Governance Capture	AVSs can create economic dependencies
Operator Collusion	AVSs with low decentralization = fragile

Restaking is powerful — but not risk-free.

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🌍 EigenLayer Ecosystem (2025)

Top AVSs building on EigenLayer:

• EigenDA – Native DA service for rollups
• Espresso – Shared sequencer layer
• Aethos – AI coprocessor with privacy
• Redstone AVS – Decentralized oracle network
• AltLayer – Rollup-as-a-service infra
• Omni Network – Cross-rollup messaging layer

Rollups and dApps can now plug in custom security as a service.

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🔮 What Comes Next?

Trend	Implication
Restaking on alt-L1s	Solana & Sui exploring parallel models
Cross-LRT liquidity pools	Unified yield across providers
Shared AVS marketplaces	Pick AVSs like dApp plugins
Restaking vaults	Auto-allocate to top AVSs
Staking UX simplification	Restake with one click, one app

By 2026, restaking could become the default staking layer for Ethereum.

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🧾 Final Thoughts

Restaking is turning Ethereum’s validator set into a programmable economic layer — and giving stakers a way to earn more while securing the future of Web3 infrastructure.

It’s early, but the EigenLayer revolution is real — and it’s already reshaping crypto’s most important primitive: trust.

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Written by Web3BrosNews.com – Yield, risk, and modular trust in the age of Ethereum 2.5.