Coin overview
EIGEN
Ended--
Last price (USDT)
171.76K
24h total (USDT)
739.77K
Total vol (USDT)
2024-04-30 09:00:00 ~ 2024-10-01 03:30:00
Trading time (UTC+0)
2024-10-01 09:00:00
Delivery time (UTC+0)
Total supply1.72B
Resources
Introduction
EigenLayer is a protocol built on Ethereum that introduces re-staking, allowing users who have staked $ETH to join the EigenLayer smart contract to re-stake their $ETH and extend cryptoeconomic security to other applications on the network. As a platform, EigenLayer, on one hand, raises assets from LSD asset holders, and on the other hand, uses the raised LSD assets as collateral to provide middleware, side chains, and rollups with AVS (Active Verification Service) needs. The convenient and low-cost AVS service itself provides demand matching services between LSD providers and AVS demanders, while a specialized pledge service provider is responsible for specific pledge security services. EIGEN total supply: 1.67 billion tokens
Soneium and Plume Bring Tokenized US Treasuries and Private Credit Yields Onchain
Plume , a modular Layer-2 blockchain for Real World Asset Finance ( RWAfi ), has partnered with Soneium , an Ethereum Layer-2 open blockchain developed by Sony Block Solutions Labs , to provide Soneium’s users with RWA staking and real-world yield through Plume’s native interoperability layer SkyLink. Per the press release shared with Cryptonews, the SkyLink integration enables users to stream real-world asset value and yield securely cross-chain. Therefore, they get access and exposure to asset-backed yield products, including yield from tokenized US Treasuries and private credit from the Plume chain, the team claims. The email states that the launch will “leverage a real-world asset distributor managing more than $4 billion in tokenized assets, including products from Ondo Finance , a major issuer of tokenized US treasuries.” 💿 🪶 Real World Assets Get a Major Boost – @plumenetwork partners with Soneium by @Sony Block Solutions Labs. SkyLink, Plume’s interoperability solution for cross-chain RWA yield distribution, is firing up real yield for millions of Soneium ecosystem users. ▶️… pic.twitter.com/3jwObGX7VE — Soneium 💿 (@soneium) April 30, 2025 Furthermore, the integration forms “an interconnected RWAfi network” to speed up mainstream RWA adoption. Plume CEO Chris Yin commented that the blockchain aims to advance RWAs in order to grow the crypto ecosystem as a whole. The partnership with Soneium will “accelerate previously inaccessible yield opportunities for over 5.1 million users in their ecosystem.” “The future of RWAfi isn’t just about assets living on a single chain, but enabling real yield to flow seamlessly wherever users are,” Yin says. According to Ryohei Suzuki, Director of Sony Block Solutions Labs, “the ability to offer access to real-world yield through tokenized assets is a major step forward in making blockchain services relevant to mainstream financial use cases. This partnership with Plume unlocks a compelling new layer of value for our ecosystem and users.” You might also like Chris Yin, CEO of Plume, on RWA-Flavored Crypto and Tokenizing Everything | Ep. 362 Plume Price and Soneium TVL Rising Plume says it’s a full-stack RWA Chain and ecosystem with more than 180 projects building on it. It offers an end-to-end tokenization engine, a network of financial infrastructure partners, and an EVM-compatible environment for onboarding and managing diverse RWAs. “Anyone can tokenize real-world assets, distribute them globally, and make them useful for native crypto users,” the team claims. At the time of writing, the PLUME token trades at $0.189. It’s up 11% in a day, 8.3% in a week, and 12.4% in a month. The coin hit its all-time high of $0.2475 in March 2025. It has decreased by 23.1% since. Source: CoinGecko Meanwhile, Soneium is a Layer-2 blockchain built on Optimism’s OP Stack , developed by Sony Block Solutions Labs, a joint initiative established by Sony Group Corporation and Startale Group. Soneium’s total value locked (TVL) has recently surpassed $100 million, now standing at $155.48 million, according to DeFiLlama. It’s up 15% over the past 24 hours. Source: DeFi Llama Earlier in April, Astar , a collective promoting Web3 adoption, partnered with decentralized protocol AltLayer and restaking protocol EigenLayer to build a Fast Finality Layer for Soneium . In March, Soneium joined hands with game software and venture capital company Animoca Brands and San FranTokyo , a core contributor to Anime Foundation . Animoca Brands’ flagship digital identity infrastructure platform, Moca Network , will create a premier identity layer on this blockchain. With this move, Soneium aims to expand into digital identity, popular anime like Solo Leveling, and gaming experiences, the press release says. Also in March, Soneium partnered with Japanese social media platform LINE to bring four gaming applications on-chain. You might also like Soneium Slashes Finality by 98% With Astar Network, AltLayer, and EigenLayer
The State of Multichain Development: Benchmarking Across Ecosystems
Below is a summarized version of The Block Research's The State of Multichain Development: Benchmarking Across Ecosystems report. The full PDF version of this report is accessible here . The blockchain ecosystem is evolving beyond single-chain dominance toward a multichain future where specialized networks serve different purposes within a connected ecosystem. This "multichain thesis" posits that no single blockchain can optimally solve the fundamental trilemma of security, scalability, and decentralization for all use cases simultaneously. Instead, purpose-built chains with tailored trade-offs will form an interconnected network of blockchains, each optimized for specific applications or requirements. In practice, this multichain vision manifests as purpose-built architectures that enable applications such as high-throughput payment systems or data-intensive gaming to operate in tailored environments. Various multichain systems use different technical approaches to achieve this. Some distribute workloads across parallel chains, others build hierarchical layers that inherit security from a base chain, while modular designs separate blockchain functions like execution and data storage to optimize each independently. Within a multichain ecosystem, development teams gain significant advantages. They can create customized chains with governance models, tokenomics, and validator incentives specific to their applications, while benefiting from the shared security and interoperability the parent architecture provides. Additionally, by enabling applications to build on dedicated, specialized chains instead of a shared monolithic platform, multichain systems can potentially better isolate and contain risks, limiting the spread of vulnerabilities. These architectures also tackle the persistent scalability issues of single-chain networks by distributing transaction load across multiple chains, helping to reduce the congestion and fee spikes caused by competition for limited block space. While unlocking significant potential, multichain architectures introduce challenges that warrant careful consideration. The design of cross-chain communication layers influences how effectively liquidity flows between networks, with implications for capital efficiency and market depth across the ecosystem. Although these systems may better compartmentalize risk than single-chain networks, cross-chain messaging introduces new attack vectors. User experience often suffers when individuals have to use multiple wallets and interfaces to interact with applications distributed across different chains. Development teams also face increased overhead, needing to master different technical environments and security models for each chain they deploy on. With thoughtful selection and implementation strategies, however, these challenges can be effectively managed, allowing projects to capitalize on the benefits that well-designed multichain systems provide. The proliferation of multichain architectures has created a complex decision landscape for blockchain teams. Each framework involves fundamental trade-offs that impact application performance, security guarantees, and ecosystem integration. Technical choices made early in development can determine a project's ability to scale, interoperate with other protocols, and deliver seamless user experiences. This report provides a comparative analysis of leading multichain architectures to help teams navigate these critical infrastructure decisions with greater clarity and confidence. Developers must carefully weigh several key factors: Development Tooling and Infrastructure: The maturity of SDKs, documentation, and middleware directly impacts development speed and quality. More established ecosystems often provide robust tooling, while newer architectures may offer innovative capabilities but with less refined developer experiences. Fee Structures and User Experience: Transaction costs and user friction vary significantly across architectures. Rollup solutions offer dramatic fee reductions, while sovereign chains can customize fee structures for specific use cases. The emergence of account abstraction and gas optimization across multiple platforms is reshaping how users interact with blockchain applications. Security Models and Validator Economics: Different security approaches across platforms create varying risk profiles and economic structures, ranging from shared security layers to independent validator sets and cryptographic proofs. These differences fundamentally affect both the security guarantees and the operational costs of deploying on different architectures. This report examines a representative cohort of leading multichain architectures, categorized by their fundamental design approaches: Sovereign Ecosystem Networks (Avalanche L1s, Cosmos Appchains): Independent chains with dedicated validator sets, custom execution environments, and sovereign governance, prioritizing application-specific optimization with varying approaches to cross-chain interoperability. Layered Scaling Solutions (Arbitrum Orbit, ZK Chains): Inherit security from a base layer (typically Ethereum), maintain EVM compatibility, and settle transactions on the parent chain, balancing scalability with the established security of existing networks. Data Availability Separation Systems (Celestia Sovereign Rollups, EigenDA Rollups): Split blockchain functions into specialized layers, separating data availability from execution, allowing independent optimization of each component while enabling shared infrastructure across multiple execution environments. This classification framework highlights the fundamental architectural differences in how each approach balances security, execution, governance, and data availability. These key considerations help developers select an infrastructure that best aligns with their long-term strategic goals.
9 Crypto Unlocks to Watch in the Next Days
As the cryptocurrency market continues to evolve, unlocks or token releases play a crucial role in determining the next big moves in crypto. Unlocks refer to the release of previously restricted tokens into the market, and these events can have significant impacts on the price and liquidity of the tokens involved. If you’re a crypto investor, it’s essential to monitor these unlocks to stay ahead of the game. It’s important to mention that all information is according to data from TokenUnlocks at the time of writing (16:20 UTC, 20th of April). Now let’s dive into some of the top crypto unlocks you should be watching in the coming days. MRS (MRS) Price: $12.21 Unlock Date: 1 day, 7 hours, 41 minutes Market Cap : $122.1M MRS has been showing a slight dip of 4.09%, and with an unlock scheduled for the next day, traders will be closely watching for any price movements following the release of additional tokens. Given its current market cap, MRS could experience a sharp rise or fall depending on how the unlock impacts liquidity. EIGEN (EIGEN) Price: $0.840 Unlock Date: 2 days, 2 hours, 41 minutes Market Cap: $204.14M EIGEN has managed to maintain stability with a modest increase of 0.20%. With a market cap hovering at over $200 million, the unlock in the coming days could drive interest in this token, especially with over 244 million tokens in circulation. MURA (MURA) Price: $0.402 Unlock Date: 2 days, 7 hours, 41 minutes Market Cap: $5.01B MURA’s large market cap makes it a heavyweight to keep an eye on. Though it has seen a slight decrease of 0.97%, the upcoming unlock may stir significant action in the market, especially considering the large volume of tokens involved in the release. OM (OM) Price: $0.555 Unlock Date: 4 days, 7 hours, 41 minutes Market Cap: $536.12M OM’s significant 8.84% decrease could be linked to the anticipation of the unlock. As one of the top contenders with a decent market cap, traders are expecting potential volatility around the unlock. MOCA (MOCA) Price: $0.075 Unlock Date: 2 days, 7 hours, 41 minutes Market Cap: $182.25M MOCA, despite the 2.67% dip, has the potential for an uptick post-unlock. With over 2.43 billion tokens in circulation, the unlock could lead to substantial price movements depending on market sentiment. VENOM (VENOM) Price: $0.135 Unlock Date: 4 days, 15 hours, 41 minutes Market Cap : $279.39M VENOM has been showing growth with a 5.34% increase. With a large number of tokens (2.07 billion) set for release, investors will be watching carefully to see if the positive momentum continues post-unlock. FET (FET) Price: $0.599 Unlock Date: 7 days, 7 hours, 41 minutes Market Cap: $1.56B FET, with a solid market cap and a remarkable 8.28% increase, is one of the biggest tokens to keep an eye on in the coming days. The large volume of tokens set to unlock could lead to a dramatic price shift, especially given its historical price movements. CELO (CELO) Price: $0.302 Unlock Date: 7 days, 7 hours, 41 minutes Market Cap: $170.35M Despite a 2.38% drop, CELO’s upcoming unlock might present a buying opportunity for traders anticipating a price spike once the tokens are available. With more than half a billion tokens circulating, the unlock could influence its price in a positive or negative direction. TRIBL (TRIBL) Price: $0.011 Unlock Date: 8 days, 7 hours, 41 minutes Market Cap: $682.22M TRIBL is facing a steep 19.74% decline, and with the unlock coming in the next few days, market watchers are uncertain about what the future holds. Given the low price and large unlock, the token might see some significant price swings. These crypto unlocks are poised to bring either significant volatility or new opportunities to the market in the coming days. Whether you are a short-term trader or a long-term investor, it’s critical to stay updated and be prepared for how these events might affect your portfolio. Make sure to monitor market sentiment closely as these unlocks unfold and adjust your strategy accordingly! Source
Lombard and Eigenlayer partner to bring Bitcoin restaking to Ethereum
Lombard has partnered with Eigenlayer and the Eigen Foundation to integrate bitcoin into Eigenlayer’s restaking ecosystem, marking the first time Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC), via Lombard’s LBTC (CRYPTO:LBTC) token, will be used as collateral for decentralised services on Ethereum (CRYPTO:ETH). This collaboration allows bitcoin holders to restake LBTC, a liquid staking token native to Ethereum, enabling them to earn yield while securing Autonomous Verifiable Services (AVSs) such as Layerzero and Babylon-validated networks. Eigenlayer, a protocol built on Ethereum, extends the security of staked assets by allowing restaking, which increases capital efficiency and provides additional rewards for participants. Lombard’s LBTC integration unlocks dual rewards: base yield from Babylon and extra earnings through Eigenlayer restaking. The Eigen Foundation plans to incentivise LBTC adoption across Eigenlayer’s ecosystem, which currently supports over 190 AVSs and 80,000 staking addresses. Lombard and Eigenlayer are also researching slashing risk management to enhance security for bitcoin restaking. A Decentralized Validation Node (DVN), developed in collaboration with Layerzero, will improve cross-chain data availability, aligning with Eigenlayer’s modular infrastructure to foster interoperability. The partnership aims to shift Bitcoin’s role from a passive store of value to an active participant in decentralised innovation within the Ethereum ecosystem. “This integration redefines BTC’s utility by enabling holders to contribute to securing decentralized services while earning rewards,” according to the announcement. At the time of reporting, the Bitcoin price was $94,791.89 and the Ethereum price was $1,802.91.
Eigen Foundation launches community incentive and funding program, plans to invest 40 million EIGEN tokens in 2025
according to official sources, the Eigen Foundation has announced the launch of a community incentive and funding program, aimed at supporting the long-term development of the EigenLayer ecosystem through EIGEN tokens. In 2025, it plans to allocate 40 million EIGEN tokens for two funding programs: open innovation funding and strategic funding. It is reported that at the end of each quarter, the foundation will allocate funds and the team will write a transparency report. The committee will verify the report to ensure that all allocations are consistent with the annual plan and deployed in a responsible and diligent manner.
Eigen Foundation Launches Community Incentive and Grant Program, Plans to Allocate 40 Million EIGEN Tokens by 2025
According to official news, the Eigen Foundation has announced the launch of a community incentive and grant program aimed at supporting the long-term development of the EigenLayer ecosystem through EIGEN tokens. By 2025, they plan to allocate 40 million EIGEN tokens for two grant programs: Open Innovation Grants and Strategic Grants. It is reported that at the end of each quarter, the grant team of the foundation will compile a transparency report, which will be verified by the committee to ensure that all grants align with the annual plan and are deployed responsibly and diligently.
Lombard collaborates with Eigen Foundation to introduce Bitcoin re-collateralization into the EigenLayer ecosystem
PANews April 29, according to The Block, Bitcoin re-staking platform Lombard has partnered with the Eigen Foundation, which oversees the governance of the Ethereum re-staking protocol EigenLayer, to introduce Lombard's liquid staking token LBTC into the EigenLayer re-staking ecosystem. This collaboration allows Bitcoin holders to earn basic returns through the Babylon Protocol while participating in EigenLayer re-staking for additional rewards. Jacob Phillips, co-founder of Lombard, stated that this is the first time Bitcoin is accessing the re-staking ecosystem in the form of LBTC, marking a breakthrough in Bitcoin's shift from a value storage to an income tool. Both parties also plan to strengthen Bitcoin's re-collateralization security and slashing design through collaboration in the next six months.
NodeOps partners major crypto venture firms as validator
NodeOps, a top blockchain node orchestration platform, has announced a major milestone as it becomes a key validator partner for several enterprises in the crypto venture capital space. In an announcement, NodeOps said it had partnered with Maven 11, Spartan Group, Bitscale Capital, Momentum 6, and ARC Community, among other enterprises. The platform is now a key node operator for these firms, bringing its plug-and-play Node-as-a-Service solution to more industry players. NodeOps’ traction as a validator has seen it attract more than 705,000 verified users. “Trusted by enterprises and institutional-grade validators alike, NodeOps combines real-time AI-powered monitoring with top-notch security, simplicity, and scalability,” Naman Kabra, co-founder and chief executive officer of NodeOps said. “As companies are moving away from managing their own infrastructure, NodeOps is becoming the preferred partner for those seeking reliability and future-ready solutions,” he added. Data from Dune showed the platform netted more than $460k in revenue over 30 days. The milestone puts NodeOps among the top three platforms by revenue in the decentralized physical infrastructure network market. The validator platform’s total revenue, per Dune data , currently stands at over $3.6 million. As crypto.news highlighted , NodeOps’ total revenue surpassed $2.5 million in February 2025. Growth has come amid rising institutional adoption. Month-on-month revenue has grown from $180,000 in February to $388,000 in March and $547,000 in April. NodeOps is self-sustainable, with its revenue coming from its core functionality and offerings, as opposed to tapping into the traditional token-based approach. The $NODE token serves as the network’s economic backbone, driving decentralization and ecosystem growth. Meanwhile, NodeOps has over 113,000 monthly active users, with MAU subscriptions rising amid a surge of partner chains to 51. Key partners include EigenLayer, Aethir, OffChain Labs, Polygon, 0G Labs, and Movement Labs, among others. NodeOps currently boasts about $90 million in assets under management.
Taurus looks to improve staking compliance and security through partnership with Figment
Taurus SA, a Deutsche Bank-backed crypto management platform, announced a partnership with digital asset infrastructure provider Figment to improve staking compliance and security practices for banking clients. The integration makes Figment’s technology — currently powering over $15 billion in staked assets — available for Taurus' institutional customer base, according to a press release. This will allow Taurus' corporate customers worldwide to securely stake cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum, Solana, and more than 30 other proof-of-stake native tokens to earn rewards. Figment users also gain access to Taurus PROTECT, the fintech’s flagship custodial solution custom-made for large entities like banks. Taurus’ Chief Marketing Officer Victor Busson stressed that global players should benefit from this collaboration, born out of two firms that “share a deep institutional DNA.” "We're pleased to partner with Taurus to deliver Figment's industry-leading staking services securely through Taurus PROTECT," Eva Lawrence, Figment's regional managing director for EMEA, added in a statement. Crypto staking has attracted billions of dollars in capital across multiple verticals. Users have deposited north of $38 billion in liquid staking protocols like Lido and at least $16 billion in restaking services such as EigenLayer , per DefiLlama. Founded in 2018, Swiss FINMA-regulated fintech company Taurus offers an array of products, including tokenized securities and crypto custody for financial institutions. In early April, the firm unveiled an interbank digital asset network to optimize settlement and collateralization. Figment manages over $15 billion in assets for more than 700 clients, per the platform’s website. During the exchange-traded fund craze in early 2024, it joined hands with Apex Group to launch Ethereum and Solana staking ETPs .
Locked Tokens Leave Crypto Investors With 75% Losses
The crypto market is facing a harsh reality for investors who bet on locked tokens. According to recent data, between May 2024 and April 2025, these investors recorded an average loss of 50% compared to over-the-counter (OTC) valuations, worsening distrust towards new projects. In Brief Locked tokens generated average losses of 50%, worsening crypto investors’ distrust. Over 40 billion dollars in altcoins will soon be unlocked, increasing market pressure. In 2025, only strong projects with high demand will succeed in standing out. Severe Losses for Holders of Locked Tokens Between May 2024 and April 2025, investors who bought locked tokens suffered an average loss of 50% compared to over-the-counter valuations, according to STIX. Some cryptos like Scroll (SCR) and Blast (BLAST) dropped by more than 85%, while Eigenlayer (EIGEN) lost 75%. In comparison, the overall crypto market fell by only 40.7% during the same period. The contrast is even more stark against Bitcoin ( BTC ), which gained 45% in the same timeframe. Moreover, a dollar invested in a locked token would currently be worth only 0.25 dollar on the OTC market. These alarming results illustrate the major risk associated with prolonged vesting periods, which prevent any quick exit and expose crypto investors to uncontrolled price drops. Consequences for the Crypto Market and 2025 Forecasts With more than 40 billion dollars in locked altcoins about to be released, the crypto market could face massive selling pressure. This excess supply is likely to prolong the bearish trend on new projects. However, the shortening of vesting periods observed in 2025 could partially limit the damage. Analysts anticipate a more selective market: only crypto projects showing strong traction and sustained organic demand should succeed in outperforming this year. Facing historic losses of nearly 100 million dollars and the massive arrival of tokens on the market, caution is more necessary than ever in the crypto world. In 2025, only solid projects will survive this pressure. Investors will need to be extra vigilant to navigate an environment that has become much more selective.
Lombard partners with Eigen Foundation to bring Bitcoin restaking to EigenLayer ecosystem
The Bitcoin restaking platform Lombard and the Eigen Foundation, which oversees governance of the Ethereum restaking protocol EigenLayer, have partnered to bring Lombard's liquid staked bitcoin token, LBTC, into the EigenLayer restaking ecosystem. EigenLayer is a protocol that lets stakers reuse their staked assets across decentralized services. This latest partnership will allow bitcoin holders to earn base yield via the Bitcoin staking protocol Babylon as well as rewards through EigenLayer's restaking, according to a release shared with The Block. Lombard Finance and the Eigen Foundation also plan to bolster Bitcoin restaking security and slashing design over the next six months through their partnership. More broadly, the two organizations aim to grow Bitcoin beyond a store of value into a tool for accessing yield and utility through expanded LBTC use cases. "Partnering with EigenLayer creates a landmark moment for Bitcoin, bringing LBTC as the first BTC asset into the restaking ecosystem," Lombard Finance co-founder Jacob Phillips told The Block in an email. "This collaboration unlocks new rewards opportunities for Bitcoin holders while strengthening decentralized infrastructure across the ecosystem." "Lombard is an incredible addition to the ecosystem, their impressive experience in the BTC ecosystem will be a welcome force to provide additional and diverse security to AVSs," said Luke Hajdukiewicz, Eigen Lab's head of AVS business development, in an email to The Block. Lombard's partnership with EigenLayer comes amid broader moves to bolster Bitcoin staking adoption. The platform launched a new tool for developers to more easily integrate LBTC minting and Bitcoin staking into their decentralized applications on April 17, with the crypto exchanges Bybit and Binance onboarded as early users, The Block previously reported. It raised $16 million last year to expand LBTC. Bitcoin is the world's most valuable cryptocurrency by market capitalization of $1.9 trillion , according to The Block's BTC price page.
Locked Token Holders Face 50% Losses as $40B in Altcoins Set to Unlock: STIX
According to data shared by STIX founder Taran Sabharwal, investors holding locked tokens have faced major losses over the past year. Between May 2024 and April 2025, the average drop in value from over-the-counter (OTC) valuations to current spot prices recorded was around 50%. Locked Tokens Underperform Amid Market Decline Sabharwal’s analysis highlighted that many investors missed opportunities to exit at double today’s prices in 2024, as market conditions led to widespread devaluations across major tokens. Unreleased token deals are often made early with long-term expectations, but over the past year, market changes and project-specific issues have led to heavy losses. Almost all the tracked projects have seen large drops in value. Scroll (SCR) and Blast (BLAST) were hit the worst, falling by 85% and 88% respectively. Eigenlayer (EIGEN) followed with a 75% drop. Other projects like ZKsync (ZK) at -64%, Wormhole (W) at -50%, and io.net (IO) at -48% also saw sharp declines. Jito was the only project to post gains, rising 75% over the same period. Overall, these early-stage token investors who committed to locked positions faced greater losses than the general crypto market. Data from Artemis shows the broader market declined by an average of 40.7% during the same timeframe, about 20% less than the average loss for locked tokens. Investors Are Facing More Losses Further, when factoring in liquidity value over the past 12 months, such holders lost another 31% in opportunity cost when compared to Bitcoin (BTC), which gained 45% during the same period. On top of that, with over $40 billion in locked altcoins set to be released soon, sellers are now facing another 50% discount when exiting through OTC markets. Based on this data, $1 invested a year ago would now be worth $1.45 in BTC. On the other hand, that same $1 held in an unreleased coin is now worth $0.50. Further, with the current OTC discount, it would sell for only $0.25. This results in a total value loss of approximately 82.8% compared to BTC, and 75% compared to the USD. The analyst also noted that since most cryptocurrencies are reaching the end of their cliff periods in 2025, discounts are slightly lower now due to shorter vesting durations. Locked tokens usually come with vesting schedules or restrictions that delay when they can be sold. This leaves holders exposed to price changes during the lock-up period, as they cannot immediately liquidate their holdings.
Symbiotic Raises $29M To Bring Restaking Beyond Ethereum
Symbiotic raised $29 million in Series A led by Pantera and Coinbase Ventures to expand its universal staking framework. The protocol enables cross-asset restaking beyond Ethereum, challenging EigenLayer with support for LP tokens and stablecoins. Symbiotic has just shaken up the crypto staking space. The protocol has raised $29 million in a Series A funding round led by Pantera Capital and Coinbase Ventures. Not only that, more than a hundred angel investors have also participated, including big players such as Aave, Polygon, and StarkWare. This funding comes along with the launch of the Universal Staking Framework, a restaking system that allows various types of assets to be used to secure various networks, both layer-1 and layer-2. Restaking was just the beginning. Symbiotic has raised $29M in a Series A, led by @PanteraCapital with participation from @cbventures . We're building Universal Staking – a foundation that transforms how blockchains implement security and economic alignment. pic.twitter.com/8ZQIHvfHBc — Symbiotic (@symbioticfi) April 23, 2025 Cross-Asset Staking: A New Era with Symbiotic Previously, we only knew about restaking that revolved around Ethereum and its derivatives, Symbiotic is trying to break that limit. The system they bring allows for cross-asset staking: from ERC-20 tokens, stablecoins , to LP tokens. Imagine if you have idle tokens on various networks, now they can work, not just sit in your wallet. This approach makes Symbiotic a major competitor to EigenLayer, which until now has focused on native Ethereum assets. What makes it even more interesting is that Symbiotic has grown rapidly since its debut in June 2024. Imagine, in a matter of months, the protocol has secured over $1 billion in total value locked (TVL). They are already live on 14 networks and have plans to expand to over 35 more, including collaborations with Hyperlane , Spark, and Avail. All of this is driven by a flexible framework that supports slashing, risk modeling, and cross-chain collateral. Other Protocols Are Stepping Into the Spotlight Too Interestingly, Symbiotic is not the only one hot on the block. On the other hand, Babylon has just submitted a proposal to lower the unbinding fee from 100 to 30 sats/vbyte in order to encourage Bitcoin staking participation. The vote on this proposal is scheduled to be completed on April 21, 2025. Meanwhile, StaFi Protocol has recovered from its user decline by introducing Chaos_Fi as a flagship LST project on the SonicSVM platform, while also announcing new SubDAOs such as 0G Labs and MorphLayer. Last but not least, Tally—a software platform for DAO organizations—snapped up $8 million in Series A funding. The goal? Developing liquid staking that still gives token holders voting rights. It’s a kind of answer to the age-old dilemma: wanting to stake but still wanting to vote. Also, as we previously reported , Flare Network set a new record for staking delegation with a total of 27 billion FLR tokens delegated and another 8.5 billion locked. From these maneuvers, one thing is clear—the sector of staking is getting more complex, but it’s also getting more flexible. Protocols like Symbiotic are creating new ways for previously idle assets to play a role in securing the network. And for token holders, that means more options, more returns, and—if they play smart—more opportunities.
Is Solana Going To Sacrifice 57% Of Its Validators To Survive?
The Solana Foundation is adopting a new policy that will gradually phase out validators with low external participation. This initiative aims to strengthen the network’s decentralization while addressing concerns regarding validators’ dependence on foundation support. In Brief For each new validator added, three long-term validators with low external stake will be removed. Research shows that 57% of Solana validators could fail without delegation from the foundation. Increased validator autonomy strengthens the network’s Nakamoto coefficient. A New Approach to Strengthen Solana Network Autonomy The Solana Foundation announced a major shift in its delegation policy. Ben Hawkins, head of the staking ecosystem at the Foundation, revealed on Discord that a selective elimination system will be implemented. For every new validator joining the delegation program (SFDP), three validators will be excluded if they meet two conditions: have been eligible for delegation for at least 18 months; have attracted less than 1,000 SOL in external stake. This strategic decision comes as the portion of stake delegated by the Foundation has been gradually decreasing since 2022. The goal is clear: to encourage validators to develop their own participant base rather than relying solely on institutional support. The new policy also addresses criticisms raised by Kydo, head of special projects at EigenLayer. He had expressed concerns regarding the network’s transparency, stating that the majority of Solana validators “exist only because the Solana Foundation created them” and that they “receive 90 to 100%” of their staking funds from the Foundation. Challenges to Overcome for Sustainable Decentralization A study published by Helius in August 2024 highlights the scale of the challenge: if the delegation program abruptly stopped, 57% of Solana validators would become unprofitable. These operators would no longer be able to cover their operating costs, mainly consisting of network voting fees. Max Resnick, chief economist at Anza, pragmatically supports this approach: Many validators today who are independent started thanks to the SFDP program. Focusing solely on the total number of validators is misleading – low participation validators actually harm network performance. This development is part of a broader plan for Solana. Other significant changes are underway, including the Galaxy Research MESA proposal to adjust SOL inflation. Meanwhile, the market eagerly anticipates the Solana ETFs expected in June 2025. SOLUSDT chart by TradingView The growing autonomy of validators directly improves Solana’s Nakamoto coefficient, a crucial metric measuring the network’s effective decentralization. The higher this coefficient, the better the blockchain resists centralization risks, thereby enhancing its security and credibility with institutional investors.
EigenLayer and Kite AI Unite to Power Trustworthy Decentralized AI with Restaking Tech
Through this collaboration, Kite AI’s marketplace integrates EigenLayer’s Active Validation Service (AVS). Ethereum validators who have restaked their ETH may now independently validate different AI activities on the platform thanks to this integration. The Ethereum-based restaking protocol EigenLayer and Kite AI , the decentralized AI Layer-1 platform, today announced a strategic cooperation to integrate EigenLayer’s restaking technology into Kite AI’s on-chain AI asset marketplace. Through this collaboration, Kite AI’s marketplace integrates EigenLayer’s Active Validation Service (AVS), giving AI inference and asset listing processes verifiable trust. Kite AI offers a secure, decentralized framework that guarantees the precision and dependability of AI models, datasets, and agents by using EigenLayer’s restaked validators to verify computations. This framework is based on Ethereum’s proven security. Chi Zhang, Co-founder and CEO of Kite AI stated: “This partnership is a massive milestone for decentralized AI. By combining EigenLayer’s restaking with our Proof of AI consensus, we’re creating a cryptoeconomically secured environment where anyone can build and scale AI with confidence.” In a decentralized setting, Kite AI’s marketplace enables users to share and monetize from AI models, datasets, and autonomous agents. But maintaing trust depends on making sure these AI resources are trustworthy and reliable. Kite AI adds a strong cryptoeconomic assurance layer by integrating EigenLayer’s Active Validation Service (AVS). Ethereum validators who have restaked their ETH may now independently validate different AI activities on the platform thanks to this integration. These operations involve evaluating the performance and integrity of recently submitted models prior to approval, making sure that all validations satisfy a distributed consensus threshold, and reproducing model findings across several validators to verify the accuracy of inference outputs. Since attempts at manipulation or dishonest conduct might result in severe sanctions, validators have an economic incentive to perform honorably. Every interaction on the Kite AI marketplace is made more trustworthy by this system’s creation of a safe, impenetrable mechanism. The system functions via a decentralized pipeline that links the validator network of EigenLayer with the platform of Kite AI: AI Request Initiation: An AI asset is submitted to Kite AI by a user or developer, which initiates an inference. Dispatch to AVS: EigenLayer’s AVS logs the request and starts the decentralized verification. Validator Execution: Now, validator execution is carried out by EigenLayer’s Verifiable Agents, which are restaked validator nodes. These agents independently rerun the model or evaluate the data and model in comparison to predefined benchmarks. Consensus Aggregation: After agents submit their findings, the AVS compiles the data and establishes consensus. Verified Outcome Delivery: After being cryptographically attested, the verified output is returned to Kite AI’s marketplace. Provable accuracy and transparency are guaranteed across all AI workflows on the platform thanks to this end-to-end process. By enrolling more restakers from the Ethereum network, Kite AI will be able to expand its validation capacity as AI workloads continue to increase. The platform’s security and throughput may grow in tandem with user demand thanks to its expandable architecture. In addition to enhancing core marketplace functions, the EigenLayer integration opens up new possibilities, such as extending fraud-resistant validation techniques to cross-chain AI systems, preserving consistent state and inference accuracy in rollup environments, and verifying and tracking the origin of training datasets to guarantee data integrity. The basis for a scalable, secure, and demonstrably reliable AI economy is being laid by Kite AI and EigenLayer, which combine the decentralization tenets of Web3 with rigorous AI verification.
Catalysis completes $1.25 million Pre-Seed funding, led by Hashed Emergent
Web3 infrastructure startup Catalysis announced the completion of a $1.25 million Pre-Seed funding round, led by Hashed Emergent, with participation from Presto Labs, Spaceship DAO, Funfair Ventures, Cosmostation, and Crypto Times. Catalysis is developing the first "security abstraction layer" to unify the economic security of multiple re-staking protocols and simplify the process for developers and node operators to deploy shared security services. The platform has integrated with re-staking protocols such as EigenLayer, Symbiotic, and Kernel DAO, and plans to launch its public testnet in the second quarter of 2025.
Symbiotic Raises $29 Million to Build Universal Staking Coordination Layer
Symbiotic, a decentralised finance (DeFi) protocol, has secured $29 million in a funding round led by Paradigm and cyber.Fund. Other notable investors include Robert Leshner, founder of Compound, and Sreeram Kannan, founder of EigenLayer. The funding aims to support the development of Symbiotic’s universal coordination layer for permissionless restaking, a move that could reshape the staking landscape across multiple blockchains. Symbiotic is developing an open protocol that enables users to restake assets across different blockchains. This approach allows users to maximise their yield by leveraging the same assets for staking on multiple networks. The protocol is designed to be flexible and permissionless, supporting a wide range of digital assets and validator configurations. Restaking has emerged as a key trend in DeFi, with protocols like EigenLayer popularising the concept. Symbiotic’s universal coordination layer aims to address current limitations by allowing broader participation and asset support. The project’s founders believe this will foster greater security, liquidity, and innovation within the staking ecosystem. The $29 million investment signals strong confidence in Symbiotic’s vision. Paradigm, known for backing leading crypto projects, highlighted the protocol’s potential to create a more open and efficient staking infrastructure. The involvement of industry veterans like Leshner and Kannan further underscores the project’s credibility. Symbiotic plans to use the funds to accelerate protocol development and expand its team. The project is expected to launch its mainnet later this year, with initial support for major Layer 1 and Layer 2 networks. The team also aims to engage with the broader DeFi community to ensure robust security and decentralisation. Symbiotic’s unique combination of multi-asset support, modular design, permissionless integration, and robust risk management makes it a standout platform in the restaking space, offering greater flexibility, security, and efficiency for both users and decentralized networks If you want to read more news articles like this, visit DeFi Planet and follow us on Twitter , LinkedIn , Facebook , Instagram , and CoinMarketCap Community . “Take control of your crypto portfolio with MARKETS PRO, DeFi Planet’s suite of analytics tools.”
IOTA Unveils Liquid Staking—Strengthening L1 Security and Fueling Web3 Ecosystem
IOTA’s Swirl introduces liquid staking, allowing users to earn rewards while actively using their assets in DeFi. With stIOTA, users can lend, trade, or join liquidity pools without locking original tokens, boosting capital efficiency. IOTA has taken a decisive turn in digital finance by launching Swirl , a liquid staking platform that went live on its testnet on April 21st. This feature lets IOTA holders stake their tokens while still being able to use them, solving one of DeFi’s biggest hurdles—asset lock-up. Unlike standard staking methods that restrict token movement, Swirl introduces flexibility without compromise. Did anyone mention liquid staking on #IOTA ? It’s happening! Swirl is now live on the IOTA Testnet. Stake your $IOTA , receive $stIOTA , and explore what DeFi on IOTA will look like. Mainnet soon™ — but first, we test. pic.twitter.com/9Duone8Gxr — Swirl (@swirlstake) April 21, 2025 Users who stake their IOTA tokens on Swirl receive a liquid token called stIOTA in return. This stIOTA holds the same value as the staked IOTA and can be used across the decentralized financial ecosystem. So while the original tokens contribute to network security and generate staking rewards, users can continue to interact with DeFi services using stIOTA. The ability to keep assets active while still earning staking benefits is a major plus. This balance means that network participants don’t have to choose between helping the system and accessing opportunities. By combining asset utility and staking advantages, IOTA aims to promote broader engagement in Web3 finance. Fresh Capital Paths Open in Web3 with IOTA’s Swirl The platform isn’t just a token swap feature—it’s IOTA’s push toward a more active and inclusive financial layer. Picture this: a holder with 100 IOTA stakes through Swirl and instantly receives an equal value in stIOTA. They could then lend, trade, or join liquidity pools with that stIOTA—all without touching their original IOTA stake. This move builds on IOTA’s vision to amplify capital efficiency and reinforce its position in the Web3 space. It’s a clear attempt to reduce friction in how digital assets are used. Traditional staking limits user interaction with the broader ecosystem. Swirl changes that by giving users tools that work on multiple fronts—security, returns, and participation. Swirl is IOTA’s new platform designed to enable liquid staking, pushing its network to the front of the DeFi world. This places the network in a strategic position to attract a new wave of users and developers looking for usable and reliable DeFi tools. IOTA’s Strategy Combines Access with Strength Swirl also brings in another major benefit: it encourages developers to innovate. By making liquidity available through staking, app creators now have new ways to integrate financial models—lending, farming, collateral—all with real backing. This dual utility of liquid tokens strengthens IOTA’s role as a sustainable DeFi solution. The introduction of Swirl is not isolated. It mirrors the trend seen with EigenLayer on Ethereum, which similarly focuses on unlocking capital while ensuring security. However, IOTA has taken this route using its unique Tangle framework, aiming to lower entry barriers and expand adoption even further. What makes this development significant is its impact beyond IOTA. As more platforms look for ways to merge staking and utility, IOTA’s Swirl can act as a reference model. This evolution helps remove long-standing constraints in the DeFi world and paves the way for smoother onboarding of users into the financial future. Recommended for you: Buy IOTA Guide IOTA Wallet Tutorial Check 24-hour MIOTA Price More IOTA News What is IOTA?
Early-stage crypto investors face 50% average loss on locked positions
Locked token holders have experienced an average drawdown of nearly 50% for their locked positions compared to over-the-counter (OTC) valuations in May 2024. According to data published by STIX founder Taran Sabharwal on April 22, holders could have exited their positions at double the current spot prices the previous year. Sabharwal shared data comparing fully diluted valuation (FDV) estimates from May 2024 against current FDVs as of April 2025 for major tokens, including JITO, BERA, ZRO, WLD, TIA, IO, W, ZK, EIGEN, SCR, and BLAST. Widespread devaluations across top tokens Among the projects tracked, nearly all showed considerable valuation declines. SCR and BLAST recorded the largest year-over-year drawdowns at -85% and -88%, respectively. EIGEN followed closely with a -75% drop. Other tokens, such as ZK (-64%), W (-50%), IO (-48%), and TIA (-44%), also posted substantial declines relative to their locked OTC valuations from the previous year. Only JITO posted an increase, with a +75% gain relative to last year’s valuations, standing out as an exception in an otherwise broadly negative environment for locked token holders. According to Sabharwal, the disparity between OTC valuations and current spot prices highlights the risks of investing in illiquid, locked positions during early-stage token rounds. While these early investments are typically structured with the expectation of long-term upside, market volatility and project-specific factors over the past 12 months have led to substantial underperformance relative to initial valuations. In the same period, the 22 sectors in the crypto market, in addition to Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH), experienced an average correction of 40.7%, based on Artemis data. This is nearly 20% better than the performance of locked tokens. Implications for token markets and early investors The data suggests that many early-stage token investors who committed to locked positions may have missed better exit opportunities in the secondary market throughout 2024. Locked tokens typically come with vesting schedules or transfer restrictions, which prevent immediate liquidity and expose holders to market shifts during the lock-up period. The data shared by Sabharwal also reflects broader market conditions affecting fully diluted valuations across the crypto sector. Newer projects face intensified pressure in secondary markets compared to their initial fundraising rounds. The post Early-stage crypto investors face 50% average loss on locked positions appeared first on CryptoSlate.
Microcap Altcoins (MC < $100M) Poised for 3x–5x Growth: Top Undervalued Tokens Fueling Web3
MKR, LTC, DOT, StarkNet, and EIGEN boost decentralized systems by enhancing governance, speed, interoperability, scalability, and restaking security. Polkadot supports multichain interaction, while StarkNet and EIGEN improve Ethereum’s scalability and modular infrastructure through advanced designs. MakerDAO’s DAI, Litecoin’s fast payments, and EigenLayer’s restaking model offer distinct value layers across decentralized blockchain ecosystems. Blockchain networks are witnessing a resurgence in foundational protocols as key tokens like Maker (MKR), Litecoin (LTC), Polkadot (DOT), StarkNet, and EIGEN fuel infrastructure growth. Each project strengthens core blockchain functions—ranging from stablecoin governance to interoperability, scalability, and cryptoeconomic security—amid rising demand for functional DeFi and Web3 utilities. Maker (MKR) Supports Decentralized Stablecoin Governance Source: Coinmarketcap Maker (MKR) plays a central role in the MakerDAO ecosystem, a decentralized organization that manages the DAI stablecoin. DAI maintains a soft peg to the US dollar and is designed to be a decentralized, community-controlled currency without reliance on centralized custodians. MKR token holders participate in governance by voting on key proposals that affect protocol operations. These include risk parameters, fee structures, and collateral types. MakerDAO continues to build on its early lead in the DeFi space by maintaining transparency and engaging the community in protocol decisions. The project was officially launched in 2017 and remains one of the earliest Ethereum-based initiatives to provide decentralized lending and borrowing. The Maker Protocol allows users to lock crypto collateral to generate DAI, offering a non-custodial alternative to traditional stablecoin systems. Litecoin (LTC) Focuses on Speed and Cost Efficiency Source: Coinmarketcap Litecoin (LTC) is designed to enable fast and cost-effective transactions. It is based on the Bitcoin protocol but incorporates key differences, including a reduced block time of 2.5 minutes and lower transaction fees. Launched in 2011, Litecoin is widely accepted by merchants and integrated into payment solutions due to its high throughput and consistent performance. The network’s lightweight design supports microtransactions and retail use cases, making it suitable for daily digital payments. Litecoin’s hashing algorithm, Scrypt, differs from Bitcoin’s SHA-256, making it more accessible to a wider range of miners and reinforcing the network’s decentralization. Its capped supply of 84 million coins helps maintain scarcity and aligns with deflationary economic models. The project continues to attract users seeking an efficient, reliable alternative to Bitcoin for fast peer-to-peer digital payments. Polkadot (DOT) Enables Blockchain Interoperability Source: Coinmarketcap Polkadot is a multichain network protocol built to support interoperability across heterogeneous blockchain platforms. It acts as a foundational layer that links various blockchains—called parachains—through a central Relay Chain. This architecture enables cross-chain messaging and the secure exchange of data and assets. DOT, the native token, plays a key role in network governance, staking, and bonding. Token holders vote on upgrades and participate in managing the protocol without requiring hard forks. Through the bonding mechanism, new parachains are added to the ecosystem, facilitating network expansion. Polkadot’s sharded design increases scalability and efficiency while maintaining shared security. By allowing different blockchains to interoperate, the protocol supports diverse use cases from DeFi to gaming and identity solutions. The architecture promotes decentralized internet infrastructure, aligning with Web3 goals. StarkNet(STRK): Drives Ethereum Scalability with ZK-Rollups Source: Coinmarketcap StarkNet is a Layer 2 scalability solution built on Ethereum using zero-knowledge rollups (ZK-Rollups). As a validity rollup, StarkNet offloads computation from the Ethereum mainnet while maintaining the integrity of data on-chain. This design reduces gas costs and enhances transaction throughput. The network utilizes STARK cryptographic proofs to ensure security and trustlessness. These proofs are generated off-chain and verified on-chain, allowing for high-performance computation without compromising Ethereum’s decentralization. Applications on StarkNet are written in Cairo, a custom programming language optimized for generating efficient proofs. This flexibility supports a broad range of use cases, including DeFi, gaming, and enterprise systems that require scalable computation. StarkNet’s permissionless structure allows developers to build on the network without central approval, fostering innovation and adoption across the Ethereum ecosystem. EigenLayer(EIGEN):Token Expands Restaking and Intersubjective Work Source: Coinmarketcap The EIGEN token is native to the EigenLayer protocol, which introduces a novel concept called restaking. Restaking allows Ethereum validators to reuse their staked ETH to provide security for additional protocols and services. This mechanism increases capital efficiency and strengthens decentralized security infrastructure. EIGEN is categorized as an intersubjective work token, designed to secure tasks that require consensus among external observers. This model extends blockchain validation to tasks that cannot be purely verified on-chain but are still verifiable through collective agreement. The token supports a wide array of off-chain and on-chain services, including data availability, middleware execution, and oracle verification. By decentralizing the security of these services through restaking, EigenLayer broadens the scope of trust-minimized applications. EIGEN’s role in the modular blockchain stack is expected to grow as more projects leverage its restaking architecture to decentralize critical Web3 infrastructure.
Filled orders
Delivery scenarios
