⚠️ Slashing Conditions: Double Signing & Downtime

Understand what behaviors trigger slashing penalties

Slashing Conditions

Not all mistakes lead to slashing. Understanding the specific conditions that trigger penalties helps validators avoid violations.

Downtime Simulator

See how missed attestations accumulate and trigger slashing. Validators must miss 500+ consecutive attestations (~18 hours) before being slashed for downtime.

32 ETH
32 ETH1,000 ETH
Current Epoch
0
Missed Attestations
0
Threshold: 500
Status
Active
00/500 missedSlashed

Slashing Conditions Breakdown

ViolationTrigger ConditionPenaltyDetection
Double SigningSign two blocks at same height5% stakeCryptographic proof
Surround VoteAttestation surrounds previous1% stakeVote analysis
Double VoteTwo attestations for same epoch1% stakeAttestation record
Extended Downtime>500 missed attestations0.5% stakeParticipation tracking
Invalid BlockPropose invalid state transition2-5% stakeState verification

Key Differences: Slashable vs Non-Slashable

⚠️

Slashable Offenses

  • Actions that are provably malicious or negligent
  • Can be detected on-chain with cryptographic proof
  • Threaten network security or liveness
  • Result in immediate stake reduction

Non-Slashable Issues

  • Brief downtime (under threshold)
  • Slow attestations that still arrive
  • Minor configuration errors
  • Result in missed rewards, not slashing
💡

Prevention Best Practices

Most slashing events are preventable with proper setup: use slashing protection databases, maintain redundant infrastructure, monitor validator health actively, test failover procedures, and never run the same validator keys on multiple machines simultaneously. The vast majority of validators never experience slashing if they follow operational best practices.