Slashing is the penalty a ValidatorValidatorA participant on a proof-of-stake network who locks up their own crypto as a stake to create and check blocks in return for rewards. receives for a serious breach of the rules on a network that uses proof of stakeProof of stakeA consensus method where crypto is locked up as a stake for the right to create blocks, and anyone who cheats can lose part of that stake.. Part of its stake is taken away and it is removed from the network. The penalty is meant to make cheating far more expensive than honest work.
What causes slashing?
On Ethereum, three offences lead to slashing:
- proposing two different blocks for the same slot
- voting for two different blocks at the same point in the chain
- casting a vote that contradicts its own earlier vote and would in effect rewrite the chain's history
A validator that goes offline is not slashed. It only receives mild penalties. According to ethereum.org, slashings on Ethereum have so far been caused by setup mistakes, where the same keys were running on two machines at once.
How much is lost?
On Ethereum, a small part of the stake is destroyed straight away, about 0.008 ETH for a validator with 32 ETH. The validator is then removed over 36 days, while its stake slowly drains. After 18 days an extra penalty is added, based on how much stake in total was slashed around the same time.
A single, isolated case therefore costs little. But if about a third of all stake on the network is slashed at the same time, the validators involved lose their entire stake. This makes a coordinated attack extremely expensive, while one-off mistakes stay fairly cheap.
Can slashing affect others?
On some networks, slashing can also hit those who have entrusted their crypto to a validator. On Ethereum, the loss is usually shared by everyone with a stake in a pooled StakingStakingLocking up crypto on a proof-of-stake network to help confirm transactions, in return for rewards paid in the same crypto. service or in liquid stakingLiquid stakingStaking where you receive a token as a receipt for your stake. The token can be sold or used while the crypto itself stays locked..
Everything in Myntkaup Learn is written and regularly reviewed by the Myntkaup editorial team. It is for education and is not investment advice. Editorial policy. Updated 18 October 2026.