Restaking goes ‘universal’

This is a segment from the 0xResearch newsletter. To read full editions, subscribe.

Restaking is evolving. What started as an Ethereum-native capital efficiency play is now transforming into a cross-chain economic coordination layer that spans protocols, assets and use cases.

Symbiotic announced today a $29 million Series A, led by Pantera Capital, to launch its Universal Staking Framework. The move goes toward supporting any asset securing any network — L1 or L2, modular or integrated. Symbiotic is active on 14 networks, a number expected to more than double in the coming months, providing programmable slashing, cross-chain collateral composition and new financial primitives like staking-backed insurance and “structured risk products.”

“This isn’t a pivot, it’s an expansion — a natural progression of the vision we started with,” Symbiotic co-founder Misha Putiatin told Blockworks. “From the outset, we focused on building a flexible coordination layer that supports a wide range of use cases.”

While EigenLayer remains Ethereum-centric, with restaking built primarily via ETH-native validators and liquid staking tokens (LSTs), Symbiotic expands the model across networks and collateral types — enabling non-EVM assets and modular AVSs to coordinate security under a unified staking framework.

Of course, EigenLayer isn’t standing still. Just last week, Eigen Labs activated slashing on mainnet — the final piece of its original roadmap. In terms of scale, it’s way out in front. It even launched its own marketing agency. More than 190 AVSs (actively validated services) are now building on EigenLayer, including heavyweights like LayerZero and Infura. With slashing now live, these services can enforce performance guarantees backed by economic penalties.

EigenLayer founder Sreeram Kannan called it “the next phase in our mission to transform Ethereum’s trust into a programmable primitive.”

As EigenLayer cements its role as Ethereum’s trust marketplace, other players are extending the restaking model in novel directions. Puffer Finance, for example, came out earlier this week with staking and restaking vaults for institutions. Designed for asset managers, DAOs and custodians, Puffer’s platform combines ETH staking with EigenLayer AVS restaking together within a compliance-ready framework. Features include validator permissioning, withdrawal policies and modular configuration of restaking exposure.

Meanwhile, MoreMarkets — formerly Nuffle Labs — is using restaking infrastructure to unlock utility for previously siloed assets like XRP, ADA and DOGE. By integrating with Wormhole and AVS-layer attestations, MoreMarkets lets users stake or provide liquidity directly from their origin chain.

Source