--- title: Slashing url: "https://www.unknowngravity.com/en/glosario/slashing" site: Unknown Gravity published: "2025-06-07T15:37:46+00:00" modified: "2026-07-15T10:51:28+00:00" language: en-US description: "Slashing is a penalty mechanism implemented in blockchain networks that use Proof of Stake (PoS) or other participation-based variants (such as DPOs or NPOs)." section: "Home > Slashing" --- # Slashing GLOSSARY · BLOCKCHAIN & WEB3 Automatic penalty that reduces funds from validators who act poorly on Proof of Stake blockchains. WHAT IS IT? · FOR DUMMIES **Slashing** is like a penalty in blockchain. If you participate in the network as a validator and you cheat, such as trying to trick the system or stop doing your job, they take away part of your locked money. It's a way to ensure that everyone complies with the rules and keeps the network secure. WHAT IS IT? · PRO **Slashing** is a penalty mechanism implemented in blockchain networks that use **Proof of Stake (PoS)** or other participation-based variants (such as DPOs or NPOs). Its main objective is **protect the network against malicious, negligent, or dishonest behavior by validators**, who must lock (stake) a certain amount of tokens as a guarantee to participate in the consensus. When a validator engages in activities that jeopardize the integrity or availability of the network — such as validating conflicting blocks (double signing), not being online for long periods (prolonged inactivity), or proposing invalid blocks — a penalty called **Slashing**, which involves the **partial or total confiscation of your stake**. This penalty not only acts as **economic deterrence**, but also as **corrective mechanism** which reinforces the security and resilience of the protocol. Slashing can vary in severity depending on the network and the severity of the behavior. For example, in Ethereum 2.0 (currently Ethereum PoS), a validator can lose up to 100% of their stake if they incur certain faults such as double attestation. In other networks such as Cosmos, Polkadot or Near, slashing mechanisms are also accompanied by a **temporary expulsion of the active set of validators** or a reduction in your future rewards. In addition, in some protocols, whistleblowers of malicious behavior receive **rewards for detecting and reporting** infractions (slasher rewards), thus encouraging community surveillance. In terms of economic design, slashing is a crucial tool within **Game theory applied to blockchain security**, since it aligns participants' incentives with the well-being of the network as a whole. ## 01 / Key points - It is a penalty for validators in PoS blockchains who violate rules - It serves as protection against attacks or negligent behavior - Part (or all) of the blocked stake is lost as punishment - Ensures the honesty and availability of active validators - It varies depending on the severity of the fault and the network in which it is applied ## 02 / Advantages - **Encourages good behavior** of validators through economic pressure - **Protect the network against attacks** such as double signing or validating invalid blocks - **Decentralize surveillance** by rewarding the detection of malicious behavior - **Improves long-term safety** of the protocol without the need for centralized control - **Discourage passivity or negligence**, especially in low-performance validators ## 03 / Disadvantages - **You can punish honest mistakes** if the validator fails for technical reasons (e.g. node crashes) - **It increases the technical barrier** to operate a validator node securely - **Risk of significant economic loss** for small misconfigured validators - **Requires constant monitoring**, redundant infrastructure and proactive maintenance - **Complexity for new participants**, which must understand specific rules of the protocol RELATED CONCEPTS [Proof of Stake (PoS)](/en/glosario/proof-of-stake-pos) [Node](/en/glosario/nodo) [Blockchain](/en/glosario/blockchain) [Token](/en/glosario/token) [Smart contract](/en/glosario/smart-contract) KEEP LEARNING [How to protect your digital assets in the cryptocurrency world](/en/articulos/como-proteger-tus-activos-digitales-criptomonedas) [Comparison of smart contracts programming languages](/en/articulos/lenguajes-programacion-smart-contracts) [What Do Blockchain Developers Do?](/en/articulos/que-hacen-los-desarrolladores-blockchain) [Smart contracts: good practices that will save you from a hack](/en/articulos/contratos-inteligentes-bien-hechos-buenas-practicas-que-te-salvaran-de-un-hack) [The crypto market in full change: are we facing a new financial era?](/en/articulos/el-mercado-cripto-en-pleno-cambio-estamos-ante-una-nueva-era-financiera) RELATED SERVICES [Digital Identity Management](/en/servicios/blockchain-para-gestion-de-identidades-digitales) [Blockchain protocol development](/en/servicios/desarrollo-de-protocolos-blockchain) [Development for Ethereum (EVM)](/en/servicios/desarrollo-para-ethereum-evm) [Smart contract auditing](/en/servicios/blockchain-security-audits) [Blockchain consulting for companies](/en/servicios/consultoria-blockchain) [Full glossary](/en/glosario) This entry is informative. It is not legal, tax or investment advice. The rules cited change: check the current version on [BOE](https://www.boe.es) and [EUR-Lex](https://eur-lex.europa.eu).