How to get started with EigenLayer restaking after Symbiotic launch

The current dominance of EigenLayer

EigenLayer holds over $20 billion in total value locked. Symbiotic launched its mainnet only three months ago with $1.5 billion in assets. Karak maintains $1 billion in TVL as a cross-chain contender. I see EigenLayer as the dominant standard for yield because it integrates with Aave, Curve, and Pendle. The protocol controls 93.9% of the restaking market. This dominance remains despite the emergence of multi-asset challengers. EigenLayer also manages over 4.3 million ETH. The ecosystem includes over 100 actively validated services. EigenLabs rebranded the platform to EigenCloud in June 2025 to focus on verifiable cloud infrastructure. This includes EigenDA for data availability and EigenCompute for off-chain execution. EigenDA helps rollups like Mantle and Celo reduce transaction costs. The EIGEN token has an initial supply of 1.67 billion tokens. The marketplace consists of three actors: restakers, AVSs, and operators. Restakers supply capital, AVSs consume pooled security, and operators run the node infrastructure. This triangular structure allows for natural price discovery. AVSs include oracle networks, bridges, and decentralized sequencers. The EIGEN token provides an initial supply of 1.67 billion tokens.

Two ways to earn yield

You probably already use LSTs for your base staking. To start, you can use the EigenLayer interface directly at app.eigenlayer.xyz. You deposit stETH or rETH and then pick an operator and an AVS like AltLayer, Brevis, or Lagrange. This path gives you the most control but requires you to manage delegations and monitor slashing. Alternatively, you can use liquid restaking protocols to simplify the process. ether.fi holds over $2.8 billion in TVL and provides weETH. Renzo provides ezETH through an algorithmic model that selects AVSs and operators for you. Kelp DAO provides rsETH but suffered a $293 million exploit in April 2026 via a LayerZero bridge vulnerability. Puffer and Swell provide other options for users. In the liquid staking layer, stETH rebases while rETH maintains a fixed balance and appreciates against ETH. You can also buy LRTs on DEXs like Uniswap or Curve. This path allows you to skip the deposit step, though you pay slippage or a premium to net asset value. For example, ether.fi uses a permissionless node operator model. Renzo provides ezETH through an algorithmic model that selects AVSs and operators for you.

Managing the risk of slashing

Slashing risk remains the biggest threat to your capital. Each AVS defines its own conditions for penalties. Because operators manage the validation software for various AVSs, a single mistake by a poorly run operator can trigger slashing across multiple networks simultaneously, which reduces your staked assets and your total balance. Some AVSs set aggressive penalties of 10% to 100% for specific offenses like equivocation or liveness failure. I would avoid aggressive strategies if you cannot handle a 5% to 10% depeg of your LRT during market stress. Yields for restaking typically fall between 4.8% and 6%, though aggressive strategies can hit 7% to 10%. Rewards vary depending on whether the AVS pays in EIGEN, WETH, or native tokens. Withdrawals typically face a 7 to 14 day delay. Smart contract risk multiplies because your funds interact with EigenLayer, the AVS, and the LRT contracts. If an operator triggers a slashing condition on an AVS, all restakers delegated to that operator lose a portion of their stake. For an ETH holder, a practical portfolio includes 30% to 50% in base ETH and 10% to 30% in liquid restaking. A poorly run operation could get slashed through negligence. Aggressive strategies involving LRT loops should only account for 0% to 10% of your allocation. Will the EigenCloud pivot maintain these yield spreads?