Emerging Ethereum restaking protocol Karak’s total value locked (TVL) rose over 25% in the past week to over $440 million and industry experts believe it could start eating into EigenLayer’s market share.

Following the disappointment around the EigenLayer airdrop, Karak has a “good chance” of become the next big restaking protocol, according to Anndy Lian, intergovernmental blockchain expert and author of NFT: From Zero to Hero. He told Cointelegraph:

“Karak supports a broader range of assets for restaking, including ETH, LST, LRT, stablecoins, LP tokens, and wrapped Bitcoin. This diversity could attract a wider user base looking for more options beyond ETH.”

At the beginning of April, Karak closed a $48 million Series A funding round giving it a valuation of over $1 billion, which means more upside potential. By comparison, EigenLayer has a $15.7 billion valuation, making it the largest restaking protocol on Ethereum.

Related: Crypto on track to hit 1B users by end of 2025 — Analyst

EigenLayer airdrop disappointment could lead to a drop in TVL

On April 29, EigenLayer released a white paper for its upcoming EIGEN token, which banned several jurisdictions from its upcoming airdrop, including the United States, Canada as well as several African and Asian countries.

The decision caused widespread criticism in the crypto community. Pseudonymous crypto trader Jay noted that it could be a significant opportunity for Karak, in an April 29 X post:

“Think Eigen has handed Karak a golden opportunity.”

EigenLayer’s decision to ban airdrop participants from key crypto jurisdictions could lead to a fall in TVL as stakers look for more lucrative alternatives, according to Lian. He said:

“Farmers and stakers who were eagerly anticipating the EIGEN airdrop might now seek alternative platforms or protocols. Some may choose to reallocate their assets to other DeFi projects that offer more inclusive airdrop opportunities.”

Related: EigenLayer on the brink of potential yield crisis

EigenLayer is a venture capitalist (VC) scam aiming to attract liquidity from unsophisticated retail investors, according to crypto analyst and Crypto Banter podcast host Ran Neuner. He wrote in an April 30 X post:

“Early VCs get in early at small valuations - Retail will get in at $15bn+. Low circulation high [fully diluted valuation] at the start - let’s fleece more retail…”

Neuner argued that the airdrop ban in key unbanked jurisdictions, along with the decision to keep airdropped EIGEN tokens locked until the team decides, are mainly in favor of early-stage VC investors:

“Any retail investor that buys this in the first 3 years will be punished.”

While Karak could become the next leading restaking protocol, multi-asset restaking could introduce more protocol risks compared to EigenLayer, according to Alon Muroch, CEO of SSV.Labs. Muroch told Cointelegraph:

“With more complexity comes more risk. EigenLayer has put its eggs in the Ethereum basket because Ethereum is the most secure and battle-tested PoS network and therefore a safer foundation for shared security.”

Related: Lido Finance hits 1M validators, fueling the growth of DeFi