Restaking vs. Liquid Staking | Where DeFi Heads Next

Staking has evolved — and now it’s a race between restaking and liquid staking protocols. On one side, restaking lets users earn multiple yields by reusing the same staked $ETH across security layers like EigenLayer. On the other, liquid staking protocols like $LDO and $SWISE are building liquid tokens that unlock capital while securing the chain.

This is more than a tech upgrade. Restaking introduces programmable trust layers, creating a marketplace for validator services. Liquid staking turns locked capital into a composable asset, fueling DeFi liquidity. As these two paths compete and converge, expect a new class of DeFi applications to emerge — smarter, faster, and more secure.

2025 is the year staking gets modular.