Slashing on Mainnet is Coming Soon - What You Need to Know
Slashing goes live on EigenLayer mainnet April 17th. Get essential details on what slashing is, the implementation timeline, key reminders for all users, and specific guidance for AVSs, Operators, and Stakers in this comprehensive update.
What’s Happening?
In December, Eigen Labs announced Slashing on Testnet. The launch of Slashing on mainnet is a major milestone for the EigenLayer protocol. This April, Slashing will go live on mainnet. We want all of our users to be properly prepared for the mainnet launch.
What is Slashing?
Slashing is the latest major protocol release in EigenLayer. With this release, AVSs can set specific conditions under which Operators must run their service. Operators can opt into those conditions when running AVS code. If Operators do not meet the conditions set, the AVS may penalize them. But, if the Operator runs the service successfully, AVSs can reward the Operator’s performance and incentivize specific activity. This is a major step forward in the EigenLayer protocol because it allows for a free marketplace where Operators can earn rewards for their work and AVSs can launch verifiable services.
Timing & Process
Testnet:
- Today - Slashing is live on Holesky Testnet. Users can continue testing today on Holesky.
- Coming Soon - Slashing will be live on Sepolia and Hoodi Testnets. The Hoodi EigenLayer Testnet is dependent upon smart contract infrastructure being deployed by third parties.
- Ongoing - Slashing will remain live on EigenLayer testnets so users can continue to test slashing.
Mainnet
- April 7th - The Protocol Council will queue the transaction for the Slashing Upgrade to go live after a 10 day timelock.
- April 17th - Slashing will be live on EigenLayer on mainnet.
Key Reminders
- Slashing adoption on mainnet will not happen all at once. On Day 1, slashing likely will not be fully adopted by all AVSs and their Operators. We expect this process to unfold over time as AVSs gradually implement it.
- Operators and Stakers will not be automatically opted in to slashing with the AVSs they are currently running. Operators will be able to opt into the slashing criteria that each AVS sets.
- With the launch of slashing on mainnet, there is a requirement for all stake withdrawals to take 14 days after being queued. This allows for AVSs to properly account for and slash, if necessary, stake pending withdrawal. Detailed rationale can be found here.
What Each User Group Can Expect
Resources
- Read the Slashing ELIP here.
- Slashing is live on Testnet blog.
- Review the Documentation on slashing.
- Reach out with questions on Discord or Forum.
Dive into How Slashing Unlocks a New Era in Blockchain Security, where experts from LayerZero, Infura, and Eigen Labs reveal how this groundbreaking feature creates new opportunities for AVSs, Operators, and Stakers, while strengthening the entire ecosystem: