How Does the Mechanism of “Slashing” Affect the Risk Profile of Staking?
Slashing is a penalty mechanism in Proof-of-Stake (PoS) systems where a portion of a validator's staked tokens is forcibly removed (slashed) if they act maliciously or fail to meet protocol requirements (e.g. downtime). Slashing introduces a significant risk to staking, as investors can lose capital.
This risk must be factored into the required rate of return and DCF discount rate.