How long does unstaking take?
It depends on the protocol, and most take two steps: request, wait, then come back to withdraw. Per the official docs: EigenLayer is a fixed 14 days; Lido is normally 1–5 days and longer when the queue is long; Ethena's sUSDe cooldown is currently 1–7 days and can change. ether.fi and Rocket Pool give no fixed number of days — whether you get ETH right away depends on how much ETH the protocol has on hand.
Last checked 2026-11-05
Why you can't always get it back at once
Staked money sits in the protocol's contracts. To give it back, the protocol either needs ready coins on hand or has to run out a security wait set by its rules. So most protocols take two steps: you request, wait, then return to the official site and withdraw before the money is back in your wallet.
Below is what each protocol's official docs say (checked 2026-11-05). Numbers change, so go by what the official site shows when you act.
How long each protocol takes
Some waits are a fixed number of days, some depend on a queue, and some depend on how much ready money the protocol holds.
- EigenLayer: after you press Unstake, the funds enter the withdrawal queue for a fixed 14 days on mainnet (100,800 blocks in the contract). Then press Withdraw under 'Available to Withdraw' and sign once more to get the money back. Native restaking (EigenPods) also requires exiting the validator first: an exit queue (usually under a day per the docs, but unbounded in extreme congestion), a fixed delay of about 27 hours, and a 0–9.1 day sweep, so the total is longer.
- Lido (stETH, wstETH): submit a request on the Request tab; under normal conditions it takes 1–5 days. The size of the queue, Ethereum's validator exit queue and Bunker mode can all make it longer. After you submit, the Claim tab shows the estimate; when it's ready, press Claim to get the ETH.
- Ethena (sUSDe): unstaking has a cooldown. The docs call it 'dynamic (currently between 1 and 7 days)', set by governance depending on reserve conditions, and the contract allows up to 90 days. During the cooldown your USDe sits in a separate contract, and you withdraw it when the cooldown ends. Go by the time shown when you request.
- ether.fi (eETH, weETH): two routes. Instant redemption pays out at once, minus a small exit fee, when the protocol's buffer has enough liquidity. A queued withdrawal has no fee: you get a withdrawal-request NFT and claim the ETH once it's processed. The docs give no fixed number of days; timing depends on protocol liquidity, Ethereum validator withdrawals and network conditions.
- Rocket Pool (rETH): there's no queue. Swapping back to ETH on the official site is instant, but only when the deposit pool holds enough ETH. If it doesn't, the site shows 'Insufficient liquidity' and routes through the third-party CoW Swap instead, or you can swap on a decentralized exchange, likely at a small premium.
Can I sell instead of waiting?
Most liquid staking tokens can be swapped on an exchange, but the price isn't always the redemption value, and there's no guarantee of a buyer at every moment.
- Lido says that if you don't want to wait, you can swap stETH or wstETH on decentralized exchanges or aggregators for an instant exit.
- Ethena says you can sell sUSDe before the cooldown if outside markets exist, but it doesn't plan to create such markets and can't guarantee one.
- ether.fi says a liquid secondary market doesn't guarantee that weETH always trades at its redemption value.
- Rocket Pool says swapping on an exchange will likely come with a small premium.
While you wait
While you wait, the money is still in the protocol's contracts. Keep these in mind.
- You may get less than you requested: Lido says slashing and penalties can make the claimable ETH lower than the requested amount, and EigenLayer says shares in the withdrawal queue can still be slashed.
- The withdrawal NFT is the right to the money: Lido says the NFT is transferable, and whoever holds it can claim, while you lose that ability. Never send it to any 'support' agent.
- Use only the official sites: stake.lido.fi for Lido, app.eigenlayer.xyz for EigenLayer. Don't use links from search results or DMs.
- If the site won't load, check the project's official X or Discord first. EigenLayer's docs describe finishing a withdrawal directly through its Delegation contract on Etherscan when the app has problems. That is only for people comfortable with contracts; it costs gas and fails before the 14 days are up. If that's not you, wait for the official site rather than letting someone 'do it for you'.
- DeFiExit only asks your wallet to share its address — it never asks you to sign, approve or send anything, and we never message first.
Common questions
I staked and now the site doesn't work (or says traffic is too high). Is my money still there?
Staked funds are recorded in contracts on the chain, not on the website; the site is only a way to reach them. Check the project's official X or Discord for notices and try again later. EigenLayer's docs explain how to finish a withdrawal on Etherscan when the app isn't working, but that's only for people comfortable with contracts. Don't search for a 'backup site', and don't accept help from anyone who DMs you.
I pressed Unstake on EigenLayer. Why 14 days?
It's a security delay set in EigenLayer's contracts: 100,800 blocks on mainnet, about 14 days. EigenLayer says the delay protects the protocol when a vulnerability or unusual activity is found. When the 14 days are up the money doesn't come back by itself: return to the app, press Withdraw and sign again.
Lido says it will take several days. Is that normal?
Yes. Lido says 1–5 days under normal conditions, and longer when the queue is long, Ethereum's validator exit queue is backed up, or the protocol is in Bunker mode. After submitting, the Claim tab shows the time left; when it's ready, you still have to press Claim.
The waiting period is over. Why isn't the money in my wallet?
With most protocols you have to do the second step yourself: Withdraw on EigenLayer, Claim on Lido, withdraw after the cooldown on Ethena, and claim a processed queued withdrawal on ether.fi. Go back to the official site, connect the same wallet, find the request, confirm and sign. It costs a little gas.
Someone says they can skip the waiting period for a fee.
That's a scam. The wait is a rule in the protocol's contracts, such as EigenLayer's 14 days, and nobody can skip it for a fee. If you need the money now, use the protocol's own instant route if it has one, or sell the token yourself on an exchange at the going price.