The Ethereum restaking protocol, EigenLayer, has outperformed JustLend in the crypto-asset sector to clinch a top-four spot based on total value locked (TVL). As of February 15, the protocol witnessed a 5.73% upsurge in its TVL, hitting a new peak of $6.99 billion. DefiLlama, a blockchain data analytics firm, reports a significant 47.95% increase in EigenLayer’s TVL over the past week and an impressive threefold surge over the preceding month.
Significant Surge for EigenLayer’s Offerings
EigenLayer’s TVL trajectory began to climb steeply on February 5 when it lifted staking caps temporarily, sparking organic expansion. Within a five-day span, the TVL leaped from $2.15 billion to in excess of $6.05 billion, marking an 181% rise. While a fresh cap is under consideration, EigenLayer intends to abolish the limit on a permanent basis in the future.
EigenLayer, along with other restaking platforms, empowers validators and stakers to reinvest in liquid staking assets like Lido Staked ETH and RocketPool’s rETH. These assets are pivotal for securing and validating various networks and are also utilized across decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms to accrue additional yields.
Restaking Attracts Staking Community
Liquid staking stands as the heavyweight category with a TVL of $42.69 billion, whereas restaking is the sixth-largest, amassing $6.99 billion in TVL according to DefiLlama. Strategy lead Brianna Montgomery highlighted that one in every four Ethereum validators had registered with EigenPod as their withdrawal choice in the 30 days before February 9.
The surge in interest among staking communities toward protocols like EigenLayer was evident after its TVL crossed the $1 billion mark on December 28, 2023. Dune Analytics reveals a total of 108,574 depositors in the protocol, with EigenLayer safeguarding more than 1.52 million Ethereum. With plans to roll out its mainnet for operators and the impending EigenDA—a decentralized data service on Ethereum—EigenLayer is on an expansion path.