Lido's Withdrawal Queue Hits 46-Day Peak Amid Slashing Threats

An infrastructure provider exited all its validators on September 9, 2025, causing a massive influx of 1.6 million ETH into Ethereum's exit queue.

This pushed the waiting time to a historical peak of 46 days, exceeding the daily churn limit of 57,600 ETH.

Lido's withdrawal queue has been plagued by liquidity gaps and slashing threats, with users facing significant wait times depending on their request size.

The Lido Buffer prioritizes fulfilling withdrawals using available ETH, but if insufficient, it exits validators to meet demand. In the event of a buffer shortage, wait times for smaller requests can range from 3-8 days, while larger requests may face waits of up to two weeks.

Users remain exposed to slashing risks while waiting in the queue, and a mass slashing event can trigger 'bunker mode,' postponing withdrawals for 1-36 days as the protocol prioritizes security over speed during chaos.