Alternatives to EigenLayer: 7 Restaking Protocols 2026 | Crawlux
Why look for alternatives to EigenLayer?
EigenLayer launched the restaking category and still has the deepest liquidity plus most AVS partnerships. But three structural problems push capital toward alternatives: (1) AVS rewards have been disappointing relative to early projections with most AVSs paying minimal fees to restakers; (2) governance over which AVSs can launch creates a permissioned dynamic that limits market efficiency; (3) ETH-only collateral is restrictive for stakers who want exposure to BTC, multi-asset baskets or chain-specific opportunities. The alternatives below address one or more of these gaps.
How we picked these alternatives
We evaluated alternatives based on what matters for restakers in 2026: TVL depth (can you restake $1M+ without crashing rewards), permissioning (can networks launch without governance approval), collateral flexibility (ETH only vs multi-asset vs Bitcoin vs Solana), AVS/Network economics (actual rewards distributed to restakers) plus security architecture. We excluded protocols under $200M TVL because the operator economics don't work at smaller scale.
Alternatives Overview
1. Symbiotic
Best for: Restakers and protocol builders who want permissionless network deployment plus multi-asset collateral
Score: 8.5/10
- Advantage over EigenLayer: Permissionless: any protocol can deploy a Network without governance approval which EigenLayer requires for AVS launches. Multi-asset collateral including stETH, wBTC plus arbitrary ERC-20 tokens.
- Disadvantage vs EigenLayer: TVL roughly 13% of EigenLayer's ($1.5B vs $11B) which means thinner economic security per Network.
Key metrics
- TVL: $1.5B+
- Architecture: Permissionless Networks
- Collateral: Multi-asset
- Notable Networks: Cycle, Hyperlane
- Live Since: Mainnet 2024
2. Karak
Best for: Multi-chain restakers who want unified restaking across L2s plus emerging chains
Score: 8.0/10
- Advantage over EigenLayer: Multi-chain native (deployed across Ethereum, Arbitrum, BNB, Mantle plus more).
- Disadvantage vs EigenLayer: TVL around $850M which is meaningfully below EigenLayer plus Symbiotic.
Key metrics
- TVL: $850M+
- Chains: Ethereum + Arbitrum + BNB + Mantle
- Architecture: Distributed Secured Services
- Collateral: Multi-asset including LRTs
- Live Since: 2024
3. Babylon
Best for: Bitcoin holders who want restaking exposure without bridging or wrapping BTC
Score: 8.2/10
- Advantage over EigenLayer: Native Bitcoin restaking using Bitcoin's own security model.
- Disadvantage vs EigenLayer: Bitcoin-only collateral. ETH and ERC-20 holders can't use Babylon directly.
Key metrics
- TVL: $5B+
- Collateral: Bitcoin native
- Architecture: Bitcoin staking protocol
- Networks Secured: 20+ BSNs
- Live Since: Mainnet 2024
4. Solayer
Best for: Solana-native users who want restaking aligned with Solana ecosystem services
Score: 7.5/10
- Advantage over EigenLayer: Native to Solana so no bridging required for SOL holders.
- Disadvantage vs EigenLayer: Solana-only (no EVM coverage). TVL around $300M which is far below EigenLayer's scale.
Key metrics
- TVL: $300M+
- Chain: Solana
- Architecture: Endogenous Restaking Services
- Collateral: SOL plus Solana LSTs
- Live Since: 2024
5. Pell Network
Best for: Bitcoin restakers who want an alternative to Babylon plus broader chain integration
Score: 7.0/10
- Advantage over EigenLayer: Bitcoin restaking with multi-chain integration.
- Disadvantage vs EigenLayer: Smaller TVL than Babylon for Bitcoin restaking.
Key metrics
- TVL: $200M+
- Specialization: Multi-chain BTC restaking
- Architecture: Hybrid Bitcoin L2
- Live Since: 2024
- Chains: Bitcoin + Bitcoin L2s
6. Renzo (LRT layer)
Best for: Restakers who want one-click EigenLayer access without managing operator selection
Score: 7.3/10
- Advantage over EigenLayer: Liquid Restaking Token (ezETH) abstracts EigenLayer complexity.
- Disadvantage vs EigenLayer: Adds LRT-layer fees on top of EigenLayer rewards.
Key metrics
- TVL: $3B+
- LRT Token: ezETH
- Built On: EigenLayer
- Composability: DeFi-wide
7. Cycle Network
Best for: Application-specific restaking with custom security parameters
Score: 7.1/10
- Advantage over EigenLayer: Application-Specific Restaking (ASR) lets apps deploy custom restaking.
- Disadvantage vs EigenLayer: Smaller scale than EigenLayer or Symbiotic.
Key metrics
- Architecture: Application-Specific Restaking
- Built On: Symbiotic
- Specialization: Builder-focused
- Live Since: 2024
- Chain: Ethereum
Pick by use case
| Your situation | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| If you want permissionless network deployment | Symbiotic | Anyone can launch a Network without governance approval. |
| If you operate across multiple chains | Karak | Multi-chain restaking across Ethereum plus L2s plus emerging chains. |
| If your collateral is Bitcoin | Babylon | Native Bitcoin restaking without bridging or wrapping. |
| If your capital is on Solana | Solayer | Native Solana restaking integrated with Solana DeFi services. |
| If you want one-click EigenLayer access | Renzo (ezETH) | LRT abstraction over EigenLayer with DeFi composability. |
| If you're building a protocol with custom security | Cycle Network | Application-Specific Restaking with tailored parameters. |
Side-by-side comparison
| Alternative | TVL | Collateral | Live Since | Architecture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symbiotic | $1.5B+ | Multi-asset | 2024 | Permissionless Networks |
| Karak | $850M+ | Multi-asset including LRTs | 2024 | Distributed Secured Services |
| Babylon | $5B+ | Bitcoin native | 2024 | Bitcoin staking protocol |
| Solayer | $300M+ | SOL plus Solana LSTs | 2024 | Endogenous Restaking Services |
| Pell Network | $200M+ | Bitcoin restakers | 2024 | Hybrid Bitcoin L2 |
| Renzo | $3B+ | Restakers who want one-click access | 2024 | LRT layer on EigenLayer |
| Cycle Network | N/A | Application-specific restaking | 2024 | Application-Specific Restaking |
What you trade off when switching from EigenLayer
Switching from EigenLayer means accepting some tradeoffs. You'll likely lose access to the deepest restaking liquidity plus the most mature AVS partnership network. EigenLayer's 100+ AVSs span more diverse use cases than any alternative. You may gain permissionless market access (Symbiotic), multi-chain coverage (Karak), Bitcoin native exposure (Babylon), Solana alignment (Solayer) or LRT composability (Renzo) depending on which alternative you pick. None of the alternatives match EigenLayer on raw scale plus network breadth. Each wins in a specific situation.
Final verdict
If you're looking past EigenLayer in 2026, your goal determines the answer. For permissionless market access, Symbiotic. For Bitcoin native restaking, Babylon. For Solana alignment, Solayer. For multi-chain coverage, Karak. For LRT composability without operator management, Renzo. For application-specific restaking, Cycle Network.