Mellow Protocol
Moderate risk — permissionless vault creation and untested slashing mechanics introduce meaningful uncertainty despite solid architecture
Top Risks
1
Permissionless vault creation enables malicious vaults; curator gatekeeping is only defense, but curators may lack incentives for rigorous diligence or face capture/bribery
2
Symbiotic slashing risk is untested at scale; a major AVS failure causing 20%+ slashing would cascade across multiple Mellow vaults simultaneously, destroying platform credibility
3
LRT token redemption queues during stress (7-day Ethereum unbonding) create bank-run dynamics and NAV discounts, amplifying panic as early exiters escape while remaining holders face losses
Risk Breakdown
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mellow Protocol safe to use?
Mellow Protocol receives a B risk grade (27/100) from Hindenrank, where lower scores indicate lower risk. Moderate risk — permissionless vault creation and untested slashing mechanics introduce meaningful uncertainty despite solid architecture A restaking platform that lets anyone create vaults where users deposit ETH to earn extra yield from securing other networks through Symbiotic. It manages $310M in deposits. Its B- grade reflects a solid design with meaningful risks from untested slashing penalties and the fact that anyone can create vaults, with only curators standing between you and a bad one.
What are the main risks of using Mellow Protocol?
The key risks identified for Mellow Protocol are: (1) If a service secured by Symbiotic fails, multiple Mellow vaults could be penalized simultaneously. Users in all affected vaults lose 10-30% of their deposit, not just those directly exposed. (2) Anyone can create a vault. Curators are supposed to filter out bad ones, but curators could be bribed, negligent, or socially manipulated into approving a trap vault. (3) Withdrawing your ETH takes 7 days. During a crisis, early exiters get out while later ones face growing losses as the secondary market price crashes below the actual value.
What is Mellow Protocol's risk score breakdown?
Mellow Protocol scores 27/100 across eight risk dimensions: Mechanism Novelty: 4/15, Interaction Severity: 10/20, Oracle Surface: 0/10, Documentation Gaps: 2/10, Track Record: 2/15, Scale Exposure: 0/10, Regulatory Risk: 3/10, Vitality Risk: 6/10. The highest risk area is Vitality Risk at 6/10.
How does Mellow Protocol compare to other Restaking protocols?
Among 23 rated Restaking protocols on Hindenrank, Mellow Protocol ranks #1 by safety (lowest risk score = safest). Its 27/100 risk score and B grade place it among the safer Restaking protocols.
Has Mellow Protocol ever been hacked or exploited?
Mellow Protocol scores 2/15 on the Track Record risk dimension, indicating some history of security incidents or exploits. Higher scores reflect more severe or frequent incidents. Review the full risk report for details.
Last scanned 2026-02-26