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Validator FAQ

TL;DR - Quick Intro​

👀 TL;DR — Key Points

  • Only the top max_validators by total stake are active.
  • New validators with higher stake can rotate out lower-staked ones.
  • Validator selection is by bonded stake, not random.

🔒 Max Validator Cap Behavior

  • If the active set is full (max_validators reached), new validators are created but inactive.
  • They’ll be evaluated at the end of each block for possible inclusion.

⚖️ Validator Set Rotation by Stake (Not Random)

  • Cosmos SDK sorts all bonded validators by total stake.
  • Top max_validators are included in the active set for block signing.

🚫 Inactive Validators

  • Validators below the threshold are not slashed or deleted.
  • They remain candidates and can still receive delegations.

⏰ When Rotation Happens

  • The validator set is recalculated at the end of each block (staking.EndBlocker).
  • Any change in stake (new validator, delegation, slashing) can trigger reshuffling.
  • A new validator with higher stake replaces a lower-staked one in the next block.

🧪 Example: Suppose max_validators = 10.

RankValidatorStake
10J100
—New K200

If K joins with more stake than J:

  • K enters the active set.
  • J is rotated out and becomes inactive.

How does reward share work for Validators on Shannon?​

In Shannon, we are moving away from a custom *supplier-like rev share* imlpementation and defaulting to standard Cosmos best practices.

Learn more about validator stake delegation here.

You can read more about how delegation works on the Cosmos Hub, which follows similar patterns, or this blog post

How many validators can be staked and how many validators can produce blocks?​

An infinite number of validators can be staked, HOWEVER, only validators in the active set will produce blocks. The size of the active set is dictated by the parameter max_validators which can be checked using pocketd query params.

How do I become an Active Validator?​

Active Validators on Pocket Network are determined by the stake-weight of each validator. Only the top N Validator nodes by stake-weight are eligible to produce blocks.

Each block, the chain evaluates the stake-weight of all Validators and then can promote or demote validators into the active set based on that stake-weight.

What is the max_validators parameter?​

The max_validators parameter is a parameter that dictates the maximum number of validators that can be in the active set.

It is native to the x/staking module defined by the Cosmos SDK.

Note that Pocket Network has not made any changes to the c/staking module.

You can read more about it at docs.cosmos.network/main/build/modules/staking.

How do I check the value of the max_validators parameter?​

pocketd query staking params

How do I query the active set of validators?​

pocketd query staking validators

How do I delegate additional tokens to my Validator?​

To increase your self-delegation or allow others to delegate to your Validator, use:

pocketd tx staking \
  delegate $VALIDATOR_ADDR <amount> \
  --from <delegator_account> \
  --fees 200000upokt \
  --network=<NETWORK> #e.g. local, alpha, beta, main

Example with specific parameters:

pocketd tx staking \
  delegate $VALIDATOR_ADDR 1000000upokt \
  --from <your_account> \
  --fees 200000upokt \
  --network=<NETWORK> #e.g. local, alpha, beta, main

How do I unbond (undelegate) tokens from my Validator?​

To unbond a portion of your staked tokens:

pocketd tx staking \
  unbond $VALIDATOR_ADDR <amount> \
  --from <delegator_account> \
  --fees 200000upokt \
  --network=<NETWORK> #e.g. local, alpha, beta, main

Example with specific parameters:

pocketd tx staking \
  unbond $VALIDATOR_ADDR 500000upokt \
  --from <your_account> \
  --fees 200000upokt \
  --network=<NETWORK> #e.g. local, alpha, beta, main
Unbonding lock period

Unbonding initiates a lock period during which tokens cannot be transferred. The duration depends on network configuration which can be checked using:

pocketd query staking params -o json | jq '.params.unbonding_time'

How do I check if my node is synchronized?​

Use the following command to check your node's synchronization status:

pocketd status
Synchronization status

Ensure that the sync_info.catching_up field is false to confirm that your node is fully synchronized.

Your Full Node must be fully synchronized before creating a Validator.

How do I stay updated with network upgrades?​

Monitor and follow:

What security practices should I follow?​

  • Never share or expose your mnemonic phrases and private keys
  • Store private keys and mnemonics in secure locations
  • Regularly monitor your Validator's status to prevent jailing from downtime
  • When setting up your validator:
    • The commission-rate, commission-max-rate, and commission-max-change-rate should be expressed as decimals (e.g., 0.1 for 10%)
    • Ensure you have sufficient balance for your specified amounts in validator.json and delegations

What keys are important for Validators?​

BE ABSOLUTELY SURE YOU HAVE THESE BACKED UP!!!

  • You will need your validator address key (the address you staked from)
  • Your priv_validator_key.json - found in /pocketd/config
  • Your node_key.json - found in /pocketd/config