Slashing Goes Live on Mainnet: Powering a New Era of Verifiable Applications with Economic Enforcement

Today marks a breakthrough moment for EigenLayer—Slashing is now live on Mainnet, marking the EigenLayer protocol's 'feature-complete' milestone for its foundational security model.

This upgrade transforms EigenLayer from powerful infrastructure into an unstoppable foundation for the Verifiable Cloud–a new paradigm where apps and services can make enforceable commitments rather than just empty promises. Think of slashing as the economic enforcement mechanism for the digital world—now both Stakers and Operators have skin in the game to ensure commits are followed through. The result is simple: When Operators meet their commitments, both they and their Stakers earn rewards — but if they fall short, both face penalties.

The arrival of slashing will only continue EigenLayer's incredible momentum. In just one year, the EigenLayer ecosystem has flourished into a vibrant marketplace with 190 AVSs in development (including 40 on mainnet), 2,000+ registered Operators, and 80,000+ unique staking addresses powering the protocol. Today's milestone doesn't just complete the core protocol—it opens up entirely new dimensions of what's possible when service providers can make and keep verifiable commitments.

In this post, we'll explore: 

• What slashing means for the EigenLayer ecosystem 
• How our launch partners LayerZero and Infura’s Decentralized Infrastructure Network (DIN) are already implementing it 
• Practical examples of how AVSs can leverage slashing 
• What this means for the future of verifiable commitments 
• How to get started with slashing today

What is Slashing?

In the EigenLayer ecosystem, Slashing is the accountability mechanism that ensures promises made are promises kept. 

Simply stated, slashing is a penalty system where an Operator's staked funds can be burned if they fail to meet the commitments they've agreed to with an AVS.

With slashing now live, AVSs can define specific conditions under which their services must operate. Operators who choose to run these services can opt into these conditions, creating a clear agreement: meet the requirements and earn rewards, or fail to deliver and face penalties. This mechanism aligns incentives effectively, enhancing EigenLayer's role as a trust layer.

The Slashing Release introduces two key features that give both AVSs and Operators improved control and security:

1. Unique Stake Allocation

Unique Stake Allocation allows an Operator to earmark portions of its delegated stake for specific purposes. In particular, Operators can now:

• Allocate specific portions of their staked assets as "Unique Stake"
• Ensure only one AVS can slash that particular stake
• Participate in multiple services without compounding slashing exposure

This innovation strengthens security guarantees for AVSs while allowing Operators and their delegated Stakers to opt in to their preferred slashing exposure. Stakers benefit from clearer visibility for their delegated assets through precise risk compartmentalization. 

2. Operator Sets

Operator Sets are a new protocol primitive that lets AVSs define distinct groups of Operators responsible for securing specific services, similar to how hospitals organize teams to best treat different health problems. With Operator Sets, AVSs can now:

• Organize Operators into distinct groups with different responsibilities
• Define precise slashing conditions for each set
• Assign tasks based on capability and risk profile
• Manage security requirements with fine-grained control

Operators can choose which sets align with their capabilities and risk tolerance, creating an organic marketplace for specialized services without forcing one-size-fits-all solutions.

These mechanisms work together to create a system where trust is cryptographically verified and economically enforced.

Real-World Implementation: Launch Partners Leveraging Slashing

EigenLayer's slashing mechanisms are already being implemented by industry leaders on testnet who recognize the competitive advantage of verifiable commitments. Let's look at how our flagship partners are putting slashing to work:

LayerZero: Securing Cross-Chain Communication

LayerZero is revolutionizing blockchain interoperability by creating trustworthy cross-chain messaging and value transfer systems. With EigenLayer's slashing mechanisms, LayerZero can now:

• Provide cryptoeconomic security guarantees for their Decentralized Verifier Networks (DVNs)
• Ensure message delivery with mathematical certainty
• Create enforceable Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for cross-chain operations
• Offer users quantifiable security assurances

“Slashing brings stronger enforcement guarantees to the AVS ecosystem and unlocks an interesting design space for coordinating security around decentralized services,” said Bryan Pellegrino, CEO of LayerZero Labs. “For LayerZero, it lays the groundwork for cryptoeconomic verification of messages going between chains and could strengthen the trust model behind application-owned security. Congratulations to Eigen Labs on the launch. We’re excited to see the ecosystem evolve with slashing now live.”

→ Start building with LayerZero's slashing-enhanced security

Infura: Decentralized Infrastructure Network (DIN)

Decentralized Infrastructure Network (DIN) is transforming blockchain infrastructure by decentralizing RPC provider networks. DIN initially launched on EigenLayer to tap into the security guarantees of staked ETH and EIGEN, and is now implementing slashing to:

• Enforce SLAs for critical RPC services
• Guarantee uptime and response times with economic backing
• Create tiered service levels with different security guarantees
• Build trust with developers through verifiable performance metrics

“We launched our Decentralized Infrastructure Network as an AVS on EigenLayer to take advantage of Ethereum’s economic security,” said Tom Hay, head of product for Infura DIN. “With this protocol completion, we can now enforce verifiable Service Level Agreements for critical RPC services and guarantee uptime with economic backing. This creates a foundation of trust for developers through measurable performance guarantees, enabling us to deliver more reliable web3 infrastructure." 

→ Read the Full AVS Spotlight: How Infura's DIN Leverages Slashing for Verifiable Infrastructure

These implementations show how slashing converts security models into business advantages, offering better value to end users and improving service quality standards.

Deep Dive: Hear Directly from Our Partners

Want to understand exactly how LayerZero and Infura are implementing slashing? We brought together the teams behind these innovations for an in-depth discussion:

Blueprint for Innovation: How AVSs Can Leverage Slashing

Beyond our launch partners, slashing enables Autonomous Verifiable Services (AVSs) to design effective security arrangements for their specific needs. The examples below showcase the multi-Operator Set model, giving AVSs granular control over performance guarantees while allowing Operators and Stakers to transparently choose their risk/reward exposure. 

Here's how different AVSs can implement this model:

Example 1: ZK Coprocessor AVS with Specialized Operator Sets

Zero-knowledge technology improves blockchain scaling and privacy, but different aspects of ZK systems have varying resource requirements. With EigenLayer's multi-Operator set model, a ZK Coprocessor AVS can establish specialized roles with well-aligned incentives:

Operator Set 1: High-Performance Proof Generation

• Role: Generate complex ZK proofs requiring specialized hardware
• Complexity: High (intensive computation, expensive GPU/CPU requirements)
• Reward: Premium compensation reflecting the specialized infrastructure needed
• Slashing Conditions: Strict enforcement of timing and accuracy requirements

Operator Set 2: Lightweight Proof Verification

• Role: Verify the correctness of submitted proofs
• Complexity: Lower (verification requires less computation than generation)
• Reward: Modest but reliable compensation for essential validation
• Slashing Conditions: Focused on accuracy and timeliness rather than raw performance

Value Creation:

• Hardware specialists can focus on proof generation while general validators handle verification
• AVS quality improves through specialization
• Resource efficiency increases as Operators select roles matching their capabilities
• Sophisticated Operators can participate in both sets if they have diverse infrastructure

Example 2: Decentralized Identity AVS with Tiered Security Requirements

Identity services require different security levels based on the credential being verified. A Decentralized Identity AVS can implement security tiers that correspond to different verification tasks:

Operator Set A: Critical Identity Verification

• Role: Verify ZKPs for high-stakes identity attributes (citizenship, accreditation, etc.)
• Complexity: Medium-High with specialized knowledge requirements
• Reward: Premium compensation reflecting the trust requirements
• Slashing Conditions: Substantial stakes to ensure only highly reliable Operators participate

Operator Set B: Routine Identity Management

• Role: Maintain reputation scores, process revocations, conduct routine audits
• Complexity: Lower with standard operational requirements
• Reward: Standard compensation for essential ongoing services
• Slashing Conditions: Moderate stakes with progressive penalties (temporary cooldown before slashing)

Value Creation:

• Critical operations receive the highest security guarantees
• Routine tasks can be performed cost-effectively without sacrificing overall AVS integrity
• Operators can grow into more specialized roles as they build reputation
• Service costs align naturally with security requirements

To summarize these two example use cases and how they might set up their Operator Sets, Rewards, and Slashing alongside them: 

The Operator Set Model: Flexibility with Accountability

A key feature of this system is complete Operator autonomy—each Operator chooses exactly which AVS sets to join based on their capabilities, infrastructure, and risk tolerance. They may join:

• A single Operator set from one AVS
• Multiple sets from the same AVS
• Different sets across various AVSs
• Any combination that aligns with their business strategy

This creates an organic marketplace where specialization and diversification emerge naturally, driving the entire AVS ecosystem toward greater efficiency and security.

Building the Verifiable Cloud: The Foundation is Complete

Today's milestone completes the foundation of the Verifiable Cloud vision that has guided EigenLayer from the beginning. With the core protocol now feature-complete, Eigen Labs enters a new phase focused on expanding what's possible when services can make and keep verifiable commitments.

Looking ahead, Eigen Labs is investing in cloud tools and services to empower teams building on EigenLayer’s pooled security.

The completion of slashing isn't the end of our journey—it's the beginning of a new era where verifiable commitments power the next generation of trustless services, accelerating innovation while maintaining the security guarantees that make blockchain technology revolutionary.

Getting Started with Slashing: Next Steps for Ecosystem Participants

We expect Slashing to go live later today, April 17th, on mainnet. Ecosystem participants can begin implementing, evaluating, and leveraging these new capabilities immediately. Follow our Twitter for updates as the Protocol Council completes the final steps to implement slashing on mainnet. Here's how different users can get started:

For AVS Developers

Action Steps:

• Design your slashing conditions to align with your service guarantees and risk model
• Communicate these expectations clearly to your operator community
• Implement slashing using our technical documentation and Launch Instructions
• Define operator sets based on your service's specialized requirements

→ AVS Slashing Guidebook

For Operators

Action Steps:

• Begin testing slashing on Holesky today using our deployed self-slasher 
• Review slashing conditions from AVSs to understand their requirements and guarantees
• Evaluate your operational capabilities against different AVS expectations
• Select operator sets that align with your risk tolerance and infrastructure
• Implement necessary monitoring systems to ensure compliance with slashing conditions

→ Operator Slashing Guidebook

For Stakers

Action Steps:

• Monitor which AVSs your operators are opting into and understand their slashing conditions
• Assess how these conditions might affect your staked assets
• Make allocation decisions based on your risk/reward preferences
• Stay informed about operator performance in meeting commitments

→ Staker Slashing Guidebook

Our documentation is comprehensive, but we understand that implementing these new capabilities may raise questions. Join our Discord community for direct support from the Eigen Labs team and experienced community members who can help you navigate slashing implementation.

Coming Soon

Eigen Labs will continue to build tooling, services, and features that expand the usability and expressiveness of slashing on EigenLayer. For example, the team is exploring the following: 

• Slashing with redistribution, which gives AVSs a means to not burn, but repurpose slashed funds. 
• EigenLayer and RISC Zero are working together on a zk-based staking oracle to help an AVS to further reduce trust assumptions in its role in the end-to-end slashing process. 
• Code, templates, and standards for launching your services on many chains.

Quick Links to Learn More

• Read the Slashing ELIP here.
• Watch the Podcast discussing the impacts of slashing on the EigenLayer ecosystem here. 
• Slashing is live on Testnet blog.
• Review the Documentation on slashing.
• Slashing on Mainnet is Coming Soon - What You Need to Know
• Reach out with questions on Discord or Forum. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What does slashing mean for Operators and Stakers?

Slashing creates stronger accountability while being completely opt-in. Operators and Stakers maintain full control over which conditions they agree to.

How does slashing differ from traditional PoS penalties?

EigenLayer's implementation is uniquely flexible, allowing AVS-specific conditions rather than one-size-fits-all rules. The unique stake allocation feature also prevents cross-contamination of staking risk between different services.

Will slashing affect existing Stakers and Operators?

Slashing will only affect Operators and their delegated Stakers if the Operator specifically opts into a slashable Operator Set created by an AVS.. Your current staking arrangements continue as before, with new opportunities to participate in slashing-enabled services if you choose.

How does slashing enhance EigenLayer's security model?

By creating economic consequences aligned with performance requirements, slashing transforms "should" into "must" for critical operations, allowing services to provide stronger guarantees to their users.