EigenLayer
Top Crypto Startup Drove Other Projects' Airdrops to Its Employees
Eigen Labs circulated a list of team members' wallet addresses to EigenLayer ecosystem projects that were preparing to issue tokens. Some teams asked for it. At least one didn't.

As Restaking Takes Shape on Solana, Ethereum's Renzo Jumps in With 'ezSOL'
Liquid restaking protocol Renzo, known for its work on Ethereum-based projects like EigenLayer and Symbiotic, disclosed Wednesday that it's preparing a new liquid staking token focused on the Solana-focused restaking platform now under development by developer Jito Labs.

Ethereum-Based Swell Imports Wrapped Bitcoin to Serve as Liquid Restaking Token
Users can deposit their wBTC to get swBTC in return, with yield expected to start flowing from mid-September – as part of a blockchain "restaking" scheme ultimately designed to secure protocols in the Ethereum blockchain ecosystem.

What Do EigenLayer's Outflows of $2.3B Signal?
Total value locked on EigenLayer has dropped by 13% to $15.1 billion in the last 30 days, even though ether is trading at a similar level to June. DefiLlama data also shows that restaking protocols like Renzo and Kelp have respectively lost 42% and 20% of their TVL. Is the slump in total value locked a signal that the restaking sector is sliding? CoinDesk's Jennifer Sanasie presents the "Chart of the Day."

EigenLayer Outflows of $2.3B Signal Restaking Sector Slide
The yield offered by restaking is dwarfed by the likes of yield-generating platform Ethena.

Second Ethereum Foundation Researcher Acknowledges Advisory Deal Paid in EIGEN
The news set off a debate on the social-media platform X about whether advising the EigenFoundation might constitute a conflict of interest – given the flagged risks to Ethereum from restaking protocol EigenLayer.

The Protocol: Lido Backers vs EigenLayer
In this week's issue, we've got the scoop on a new possible rival to restaking pioneer EigenLayer. PLUS Are meme coins an investable asset class? With the latest Runes data and $70M of project fundraisings.

Lido Co-Founders, Paradigm Secretly Back EigenLayer Competitor as DeFi Battle Lines Form
The popularity of new blockchain "restaking" protocols led by EigenLayer has drawn a response from the principals behind the liquid staking platform Lido, which itself burst onto the scene a couple of years ago to become the largest project in decentralized finance.

EigenLayer Opens Claims for Airdrop of EIGEN Token, Though It's Non-Transferable
The much-hyped restaking project initiated its long-awaited though highly controversial plan to distribute EIGEN tokens, by opening a window of time where eligible users can claim them. They're not freely tradeable, but speculators in side markets put the fully diluted value around $15 billion.

EigenLayer's EIGEN Airdrop Might Signal Demise of Once-Popular 'Points'
EIGEN's airdrop comes after a wave of criticism of its distribution plan and points program.
