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EigenLayer recently unveiled its presence on the Ethereum mainnet, marking a significant development in the Ethereum ecosystem. One of the primary avenues to participate in EigenLayer involves contributing to the security of Ethereum and amplifying interest in staking activities. Staking on Ethereum has gained considerable momentum, particularly with the surge in popularity of restaking methods, as discussed in recent discussions.
In a noteworthy update, EigenLayer made its debut on the Ethereum mainnet, introducing its EigenDA data availability layer. Notable operators such as Coinbase Cloud and Google Cloud have joined as the protocol’s initial participants. Additionally, EigenLayer revealed six actively validated services that would benefit from its restaking mechanism, reinforcing its position in the ecosystem.
This launch enables restakers on the platform to earn an additional yield on their staked ETH, a feature previously unavailable. Many users had initially deposited ETH into the protocol in anticipation of higher yields and speculated on potential airdrops as EigenLayer allocated restaking points.
Accessing EigenLayer necessitates staking ETH, either by setting up a validator or utilizing a liquid staking protocol to acquire staking derivative tokens. Liquid staking tokens (LST) offer holders liquidity and can be obtained by depositing into designated protocols or through direct purchase.
The surge in new validators underscores the increasing interest in contributing to Ethereum’s security through EigenLayer. Notably, Ethereum transitioned to Proof-of-Stake with The Merge in September 2022, allowing individuals to operate validators on the Beaconchain alongside the mainnet. Staking gained substantial traction following the Shapella upgrade in April 2023, which introduced the ability to withdraw staked ETH, enhancing user confidence in the security of their funds.
At its peak in June 2023, the validator queue reached 96,000, prompting measures to maintain network stability. However, the queue gradually subsided, remaining below 10,000 from October 2023 to March of the following year. The resurgence of interest in restaking has propelled the validator entry queue to 20,000, reflecting robust demand to fortify the Ethereum network.
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