<aside> 💡 Restaking for Everyone: A Deep Dive into Symbiotic’s Custom Vault Innovation

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Executive Summary

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Symbiotic is a next-generation, permissionless restaking protocol launched on Ethereum mainnet in January 2025.

Architected for modularity, asset-agnostic collateralization, and full decentralization, it is positioned as a direct competitor to EigenLayer and a key driver in the rapidly growing restaking sector.

By enabling any ERC-20 asset , including LSTs and stablecoins , to secure multiple networks and Actively Validated Services (AVSs), Symbiotic aims to redefine the landscape of shared security, capital efficiency, and validator participation in Web3.

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Introduction

The blockchain industry is increasingly shifting toward modular architectures, where different layers—such as rollups, data availability (DA) layers, and bridges—operate independently but need strong shared security. However, most new chains lack their own validator networks and face high barriers to secure infrastructure.

Restaking is emerging as a key solution: it enables already-staked assets (like ETH or LSTs) to secure multiple networks, improving capital efficiency and trust distribution.

Symbiotic takes this idea further with a permissionless, flexible, and asset-agnostic framework. It allows anyone to create custom Vaults that define how assets are staked, which operators are used, and how slashing is enforced—all with modular logic and no centralized control.

The Importance of Shared Security in Modular Blockchains

As blockchain ecosystems scale, shared security becomes essential to:

• Reduce costs for new chains by reusing existing validator resources.
• Improve security by pooling economic incentives across networks.
• Boost capital efficiency by restaking assets in multiple services.
• Enable composability between applications and protocols that rely on common trust layers.

Without a shared security model, modular chains must rely on siloed validators or create expensive redundant infrastructures.

Symbiotic addresses this by offering:

• Vaults that accept any ERC-20 token—not just ETH.