Strategic partnership between Nethermind and EigenLayer
By Swapnil Raj.
The emergence of the EigenLayer protocol is revolutionizing the innovation landscape on Ethereum, introducing new possibilities and disruptions. At Nethermind, we are very excited to announce our strategic partnership with EigenLayer. As a long-term contributor to the Ethereum protocol, and with a focus on Ethereum infrastructure and security, we at Nethermind are proud to be collaborating with EigenLayer on a marketplace for decentralized trust, unifying the ethos of Ethereum, security and innovation. In this article, we explore the achievements and aspirations of our partnership.
EigenLayer is an innovative protocol built on top of Ethereum. It offers a unique solution for protocols to leverage Ethereum’s economic security through a process known as ‘restaking’. This innovative approach helps to overcome the initial challenges faced when establishing a new trust network, paving the way for unrestricted innovation. In simpler terms, EigenLayer empowers developers to explore every facet of decentralized networks.
Ethereum has revolutionized the innovation space for Decentralized Apps (DApps). These apps can harness the power of Ethereum’s decentralized trust to create solutions for decentralized finance, identity protocols, cross-chain messaging, and much more. While Ethereum’s design is comprehensive, offering both decentralized trust guarantees and an execution platform via the Ethereum Virtual Machine, EigenLayer takes it a step further. Protocols can utilize Ethereum’s decentralized trust and pair it with tailor-made execution platforms, data availability layers, or any other resources needed for their application. Through restaking, EigenLayer is accelerating the secure, modular blockchain future, offering more flexibility and customization for developers.
At Nethermind, we are united with EigenLayer in our shared passion for innovation and security. We are both driven by a joint mission: to pave the way for a global trustless communication layer. As a cornerstone developer within the Ethereum ecosystem, Nethermind is well-positioned to advocate for and uphold Ethereum’s interests. Our experience building and maintaining core infrastructure is valuable for EigenLayer and its partners. Additionally, we will work together to mitigate any negative externalities of restaking on Ethereum.
“Nethermind’s reputation as high-quality builders within the Ethereum space, their strong alignment with Ethereum’s values, and their ability to tackle complex technical challenges and empower builders make them an ideal partner for EigenLayer. Collaborating with Nethermind has been a highly rewarding experience, as they bring years of expertise and a strong dedication to the security and stability of the Ethereum protocol. Together, we are driving open innovation by exploring the utility of shared security on Ethereum and pushing the boundaries of what can be built. With Nethermind’s contributions, including the creation of a restaking dashboard and their role in establishing AVS node operator standards, we are confident in realizing our vision of empowering individuals and organizations to share Ethereum’s security guarantees for bringing groundbreaking innovation in the blockchain space.” — Sreeram Kannan
“Through strategic collaboration with EigenLayer, Nethermind will help design and explore what is possible to build with restaking on Ethereum and other chains. The Nethermind team, always caring about sustainability and security of the Ethereum protocol, is excited about the opportunity to ensure alignment of safety — censorship, and attack resistant chains and creativity when bringing restaking to the Ethereum ecosystem”, said Tomasz Stańczak, CEO at Nethermind.
The realm of permissionless innovation presents challenges for both developers and node operators. As we embrace a modular future, node operators will need to manage multiple nodes, leading to coordination and operational complexities. Acknowledging this potential hurdle for AVS (Actively Validated Services) node adoption, we took proactive steps. Four months ago, we initiated the development of a unified node specification available at eigen.nethermind.io, outlining packaging, monitoring, and other essential operations for AVS nodes. To further cater to users, we designed a user-friendly dashboard, providing visual insights into restaking activities on EigenLayer. The leaderboard showcases top restakers, fostering community engagement, while the deposit and withdrawal charts offer a clear view of restaking dynamics. This collective effort empowers developers and users alike, fostering transparency and supporting the growth of EigenLayer’s decentralized ecosystem.
EigenLayer is fully committed to decentralization and actively involves the community in creating a trustless restaking protocol. The protocol is an upgradable smart contract with a community multisig for now. The community multisig is a 9-of-13, with members of the Ethereum community, including Tim Beiko from Ethereum Foundation, Tarun Chitra from Robot Ventures, and Swapnil Raj from Nethermind. Collectively, the members of the multisig are grounded in the Ethereum ethos and dedicated to Ethereum’s longevity.
Swapnil said, “Working with Sreeram and the EigenLayer team has been a truly rewarding experience. Their dedication and innovative spirit is striking, making our collaboration not only productive but also enjoyable. I see EigenLayer as a critical component in shaping the future of the blockchain ecosystem. Their academic approach to problem-solving and development is something we at Nethermind deeply appreciate. It brings a level of rigor and depth to our work that is invaluable in this rapidly evolving field.”
If you are excited about contributing to the EigenLayer ecosystem at Nethermind, we’re all ears — send a DM to @swp0x0.
About Us
Nethermind is a blockchain research and software engineering company empowering enterprises and developers worldwide to work with and build on decentralized networks. We are a leading contributor to critical infrastructure and developer tooling for blockchain ecosystems, focused on upholding the core ethos of decentralization and security. The Nethermind execution layer client plays an important role in advancing the network, and we actively collaborate with the broader Ethereum community. Furthering Ethereum scalability through Starknet, we deliver infrastructure and developer resources, including a node implementation and a block explorer and data analytics platform.
