# How to Restake Ethereum (ETH) on EigenLayer *Complete Beginners Guide, but at a brisk walking pace* By [Trustless](https://paragraph.com/@trustless) · 2026-06-18 rocketpool, staking, ethereum, eth, eigenlayer --- > in this article we will use rainbow wallet and rETH (rocket pool ETH) as examples. Many different wallets and staking protocols still apply. This is not financial advice, you need to do your own research. and something else to keep in mind before continuing. **don't trust, verify first.** ============================== `Keep that in mind, before clicking on any urls, downloading anything, or clicking on results from a web search engine.` a quick intro, to bring everyone up to speed. Feel free to skip ahead: What is staking? ================ Staking is providing an amount of a token you have purchased (in this case, Ethereum) to help secure the network. It is like a **loan**, and you are collecting the interest from deciding to loan out your token. To stake, you will choose a validator to "loan" your ETH to. The validator uses software that verifies the entire Ethereum network of transactions. The validators all play a part in keeping these cryptocurrency financial networks secure. \*A few bullet points before going further. ------------------------------------------- A couple things with **Ethereum**. * First, you need to keep **gas fees** in mind. You will be spending (small amounts) for every. single. transaction. Nothing is free. * The price of Ethereum, like any cryptocurrency, can fluctuate wildly, and if you hold long term, **you may gain or lose a lot in value**. * **Slashing** is a risk when staking some cryptocurrencies. It is basically like the bank you loaned the money to got penalized for making mistakes, and everyone that loaned tokens through that bank now lost value in their loan because its tied to the bank that screwed up. Let's Begin =========== First, use a wallet of your choice that is compatible for Ethereum. I have tested Rabby, Phantom, Metamask, and more, for this example I will be using Rainbow wallet on Brave browser.\* ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/c1fc1b8a2486099c739b96c8f62bf7fe9ad07f7710069ea73391b5ba2e8c3d45.png) For this example I am using Rainbow wallet. Make sure you double check the url ALWAYS before downloading anything. the correct url for rainbow wallet as of writing this article is **rainbow.me** **\*** One of my complaints about some of these browser wallets is that they don't always have a full screen option, or sidebar compatibility. It might just be the way I have things configured, or maybe an issue with Brave browser. Buy some ETH and transfer to your wallet ======================================== Next, once you have acquired some ETH (buy from kraken, coinbase, robinhood, or however you prefer), transfer the ETH to your browser wallet, or use the wallet on your phone if you can manage to connect it during this example. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/b9019792a1ccc660eb48ac2ae18c4baf848bb2b073d5799b2fedb6af074994fa.jpg) I like playing around with these ai image generators. Staking ETH (on RocketPool) =========================== To restake, we first have to stake. There are many different options, it is ideal to do your own research and find a validator that aligns with your values or interests, such as earning the highest APY for your ETH. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/1e75dc4acc0d5bff26e5e84cd56e56c9612c6a93394873ae3d208d33245ff819.png) For this example, go to [rocketpool.net](http://rocketpool.net) to follow along and stake I chose Rocket Pool because it is a decentralized validator, as opposed to a centralized one like coinbase or kraken. Also, when you stake ETH On rocketpool, you receive a **derivative token** called rETH (Rocket Pool ETH), which represents your investment. And with that token, you can earn even more rewards by staking **_the derivative token._** ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/765d2cb4cd574a505c4bab4c4d20a9ea168657b26459acb4bc57dd2c92f32b56.png) Here you can see I am providing my 0.029 ETH to stake, and will receive 0.025 rETH. A note. Staking ETH and receiving rETH is not a 1:1 exchange. The value of rETH will be different, sometimes higher or lower than ETH. This is expected, keep calm and continue. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/3937306b6b0a91cdd47b1ec581962d466e5d0265a8fc781d10cd3f8502da4768.png) and here is the step before confirming the stake. You can see the estimated gas fee of $0.05 above the 'Cancel' button ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/3c7fa45f3f5f87c64d6b1dc362ef752fe8c57c33d7dd5749fdba6a380bd9b692.png) stake complete! Sharp eyed readers might notice that drop in amount staked and received. Occasionally I get excited and will select "stake all", forgetting that a small amount of ETH is required in the wallet for gas fees. So I corrected my mistake once the first staking transaction failed due to this foolish mistake. So I left about $2 worth of ETH In my wallet, as a buffer to cover any gas fee amounts. Now what? ============ Hooray! We now have staked ETH, and received rocketpool rETH. It is ours to do with as we please. So let's stake it. but first. **STOP.** there is more risk with restaking. I just want to be clear about that. Establish what your own tolerance for risk is, and keep in mind everything could go to zero. Don't stake more than you can afford to lose. Restaking with Eigenlayer ========================= ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/4d92ae56bdca587ebd657481ba7ce057d3516c60b0e7a9913bd2e1d0fbf21f0c.png) app.eigenlayer.xyz This is Eigenlayer, which is for liquid restaking. Basically liquid tokens, like our rETH, that we received from staking the ETH token. We will use the rETH that is in the wallet, and provide it to an operator. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/d80c4ea741c6cc4d4a7a0d1c7d0fc37e93548c39814f25189db8ceea38de831f.png) There are a lot of operators to choose from. I chose P2P based on their high reliability. Take some time to research operator that fits well with what you are looking for. For this example I chose P2P based on their scale and reliability, but it is important to note that some operators are growing so large that they are creating a risk of centralization of power. The first step before delegating is to deposit. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/13262a0ec829685a13deb053112245d4f1b788f7c44c61bad57cae06eb619a75.png) I like how it shows the full amount, like sats for Bitcoin. Now we choose an operator. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/29dbf2e5fc0c733e8ac7d8e8708c2b5050b73ccc14fa32ba9265de186c9d4030.png) Here we have opened the connected wallet that contains the rETH, and are now about to delegate it to the operator P2P. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/a6b84815882b40eccbfcac8f8e4030d64bb0fcb42703a8572be6864bd8b5c7a2.png) Done! We have now restaked with EigenLayer ==================================== Your Dashboard should now show the restaked amount. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/29480db25e10b4ba41e4e11a3251d00e4381481265531f65aed6e760cdbded8a.png) It will take some time to process, so just leave it for now. Congratulations. Congratulations! You are a participant in the decentralized economy. Thank you for reading. Some Extra Reading ===================== ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/1412772f69075c34d35573b3c2162ceffa68669f69890c0a0ea84cdf2cfa5eb7.jpg) **Why Ethereum?** Ethereum is a decentralized network of computers running the same software. The network that all runs the same software that agree and record on every transaction. It is the opposite of a central bank that holds all this power, and it is more resistant to fraud. The Ethereum token is the “native” token of this network. It is the currency used to do a few things, such a paying “gas” fees, and it is the asset that is used to stake. **How to get back my ETH?** To get back your original token, there are a few ways such as swapping, but to reclaim your original Ethereum, first you need to unstake from Eigenlayer. Then unstake from Rocketpool. Keep gas fees in mind. **a footnote** ALWAYS verify a link before clicking on it, I suggest a few ways is to check on reddit, and crypto blog posts and being very careful about what results you get from google search. **don't trust, verify first.** and ai chatbots can also be a helpful tool for immediate results, asking if they can verify official links for web 3 sites. --- *Originally published on [Trustless](https://paragraph.com/@trustless/how-to-restake-ethereum-eth-on-eigenlayer)*