EigenPods

EigenPods are smart contracts that connect stakers, validators, and AVS operators and thus make Eigenlayer work.

The EigenPod contract is set as the withdrawal address for one or multiple validators. Before any exited ETH are returned to the staker's or operator's wallet, they flow through this contract, which has the power to slash them in case the AVS operator misperforms their duties.

In this way, the AVS operator's work is backed by the same 32ETH stake as the ETH validator's work, meaning the results of AVS operator consensus can be considered similarly secure.

For more details, have a look at the EigenLayer documentation.