Restaking Map
Token restaking connects base consensus deposits with secondary middleware services. This map outlines the four main layers, how capital routes through them, and where failure points accumulate.
1. Four core layers
2. Comparison matrix
Each model is covered in more depth, one protocol at a time, in EigenLayer vs. Babylon vs. Symbiotic.
| Dimension | Ethereum (EigenLayer) | Bitcoin (Babylon) | Modular Vaults (Symbiotic) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Asset | Native ETH / LSTs (stETH, etc.) | Native BTC (UTXO locked) | ERC-20 / Collateral tokens |
| Slashing Enforcement | Smart contract withdrawal credentials & slashing hooks | Extractable One-Time Signatures (EOTS) key exposure | Configurable resolver contracts & vault rules |
| Consensus Tie | Directly tied to Ethereum validator set | Independent of Bitcoin miners; cryptographic timelocks | Independent of underlying token consensus |
| Main Risk Vector | Smart contract bugs & subjective slashing disputes | Unbonding delays & script signature vulnerabilities | Collateral illiquidity & custom resolver failures |
3. Service types (AVSs)
Services use restaked capital to back their validation rules. Operators run software for these main categories:
Services that guarantee rollup transaction data is published and retrievable. Slashes occur if operators withhold data blobs or sign missing blocks.
Decentralized price feeds and off-chain data providers. Slashes trigger if nodes submit stale, manipulated, or out-of-bounds attestations.
Relayers and validators that verify state across different blockchains. Slashes happen if operators sign invalid message transfers or facilitate double-spending.
Where to go next
The failure map sets these four layers against the documented failures in our case files, and records which layers hold no documented case at all.
Read our in-depth guides on specific failure points:
- Slashing Risk & Enforcement — How deterministic and committee penalties work.
- LRT Depegs & Liquidity Runs — Why receipt tokens trade below net asset value in stress events.
- EigenLayer vs. Babylon vs. Symbiotic — Deep technical breakdown of each model.