← Protocols
EigenLayer
01Description

The original Ethereum restaking protocol. Restake native ETH or LSTs to secure Actively Validated Services (AVSs) and earn additional rewards in exchange for accepting AVS-specific slashing risk.

02Best for
  • 01ETH / LST restaking
  • 02AVS operator infrastructure
  • 03delegating to operators
  • 04earning EIGEN + AVS rewards
03Install
  • pnpm add viem ethers
04Environment variables
VariableScopeDescription
NEXT_PUBLIC_EIGEN_DELEGATION_MANAGERClientDelegationManager proxy on Ethereum mainnet: 0x39053D51B77DC0d36036Fc1fCc8Cb819df8Ef37A.
NEXT_PUBLIC_EIGEN_STRATEGY_MANAGERClientStrategyManager proxy on Ethereum mainnet: 0x858646372CC42E1A627fcE94aa7A7033e7CF075A.
05Prompt snippet
Integrate EigenLayer restaking. To restake an LST: approve the relevant `Strategy` (one per LST — e.g. stETH, cbETH, rETH) and call `StrategyManager.depositIntoStrategy(strategy, token, amount)` which mints non-transferable shares. To restake native ETH: deploy an `EigenPod` via `EigenPodManager.createPod()`, point your beacon-chain validator's withdrawal credentials at the pod, then call `verifyWithdrawalCredentials` to credit shares. Delegate via `DelegationManager.delegateTo(operator, signature, salt)` so an operator can opt your stake into AVSs. Withdraw with `DelegationManager.queueWithdrawals` then `completeQueuedWithdrawal` after the escrow delay. AVS opt-in is per-operator via `AllocationManager.modifyAllocations` (slashing-aware allocation).
06Gotchas
  • Restaking is slashable — each AVS can slash a percentage of your delegated stake for misbehavior; slashing is now LIVE on mainnet via `AllocationManager`, not just theoretical.
  • There is a withdrawal escrow (currently 14+ days on mainnet); funds are locked the entire period and can be slashed mid-queue if your operator misbehaves.
  • You delegate to ONE operator at a time per staker; switching operators requires a full undelegate→queue→complete→re-delegate cycle.
  • Restaked ETH via EigenPod requires running (or partnering with) a beacon-chain validator and proving withdrawal credentials on-chain — non-trivial ops.
  • EIGEN token rewards and AVS rewards are claimed via `RewardsCoordinator.processClaim(claim, recipient)` using off-chain Merkle proofs — they are NOT auto-compounded.
  • Strategy caps and AVS allocation caps can pause new deposits or restrict which operators you can delegate to.
  • LRTs (ether.fi, Renzo, Kelp, Puffer) abstract this entire flow but stack additional smart-contract and operator risk on top of EigenLayer's slashing risk.
07Alternatives