Become a validator

Any user can become a validator on dfinance network.

Being one means:

  1. Having a full-sync (and always-online) node

  2. Having account registered as validator

  3. Generating new blocks when having enough votes to be in the top of active validators

Node Setup

To become a validator:

  1. Set up a full node, using a dedicated server or cloud services. The validator machine must have a good performance and latency and must be always online.

  2. Install dnode/dncli on your node using dnode and dncli instructions.

  3. Ensure that your node is in sync with the rest of the network by requesting the latest block. Request the network status to see latest block or use explorer:

Use these commands to compare block height on your node and on the mainnet:

# Both commands require jq.

# Get latest block from mainnet
curl https://rest.dfinance.co/blocks/latest  | jq '.block.header.height'

# Get latest block from local node
curl localhost:1317/blocks/latest  | jq '.block.header.height'
# Or with dncli.
dncli q block

Once the difference between your height and mainnet height is small (just a few blocks), you can start the process of registering your account as a validator.

Important

Validator's private key is stored under ~/.dnode/config/ path and contains the key file:

  • priv_validator_key.json - private key of validator, backup it and don't miss, as it's the only way to access your validator.

Create validator

After you setup a full-node time to create a validator. Make sure you made a backup of priv_validator_key.json and store it in a safe place.

Requirements for next steps:

  • Synchronized dnode (full-node).

  • Opened 26656 port on your machine.

  • Installed dncli and dnode (with docker or not).

  • Account with at least 2500.0 sXFI.

During validator creation we will need both dnode and dncli working from your machine launched with full-node, so make sure they both available from the console:

dnode version  # Check dnode available.
dncli version  # Check dncli available.

In case you're using docker, dncli still should be installed in your console (see instruction), while dnode you can get inside docker:

First, let's try to find validator public key:

dnode tendermint show-validator

In case you are using bootstrap docker-compose:

cd bootstrap # Go to bootstrap directory.
docker-compose exec dnode bash # Run bash inside a dnode container.
dnode tendermint show-validator # Print validator public key, copy it.
exit # Exit from container.

If you see the validator consensus public key we can continue, copy the validator consensus address, we will need it in the next step. If you don't see validator public key, you have to init your dnode instance, see dnode documentation.

dncli contains staking module, that required both for validator/delegator operations, see help:

dncli q staking
dncli tx staking

Let's create a validator and official register it in the network:

dncli tx staking create-validator \
  --amount=2500000000000000000000sxfi \
  --pubkey=<pub_key> \
  --moniker=<moniker> \
  --commission-rate="0.10" \
  --commission-max-rate="0.20" \
  --commission-max-change-rate="0.01" \
  --min-self-delegation="2500000000000000000000" \
  --from <account>

Where:

  • amount - sXFI amount to self-stake, currently requires 2500.0 sXFI to up validator.

  • pubkey - validator consensus public key received during dnode tendermint show-validator command.

  • moniker - your dnode moniker, use one you used during dnode init <moniker> command. You can see it in ~/.dnode/config/config.toml file

  • commission-rate - how much your validator is going to take a commission from received rewards/fees, currently 10%.

  • commission-max-rate - maximum that validator can take as comission.

  • commission-max-change-rate - how percent per day validator can change comission, currently 1% per day.

  • from - an account that is going to send transaction and will self-stake coins for your validator, also, you can use this account to manage your validator later.

Replace command values with your own and send the transaction to the network. Most interesting parameters are commission related, we will discuss them later. Once the transaction will be confirmed, you will become a validator in the dfinance network.

Congrats!

To see list of validators use command:

dncli q staking validators

It is the start of the road to become an active validator in the top 31 and start getting rewards and fees for generated blocks. To increase your voting power you can delegate coins to your validator, see Delegate sXFI & LPT.

By changing commission params, making it less, you become more profitable for delegators to vote for you (see Rewards & Inflation), so it could be a good start to bring attention. Don't forget to always monitor your validator, it must be online most of the time, if you miss too many blocks, you can be unbonded and slashed.

Max Bonding Level

Max bonding level is the value of bonded (delegated) tokens you validator can accept from delegators. This value is based on the amount of your self delegated sXFI multiplied by 10.

To see your current max bonding level use next command:

 dncli q distribution validator [validator-addr]

The parameter called max_bonding_delegations_lvl is indeed the amount of your maximum bonding level in sXFI. To increase your max bonding level, delegate more sXFI from your account.

In case validator reduces his self-staked amount of sXFI less than delegated sXFI to his validator, validator will be moved to scheduled unbond delay status. This is the period for scheduled (delayed) force validator unbond, it's 3 days. After this period validator will be unbonded.

Socialize your validator

Having validator in dfinance network is not only about setting up validator node and producing blocks, but it's also public work, delegators (especially from the community) want to know to whom they delegate their XFI.

This way you can update your validator with social parameters, that other network users can read:

dncli tx staking edit-validator \
  --moniker="pirate_boris" \
  --website="https://dfinance.co" \
  --identity=A4094774EFC4F6FC \
  --security-contact="boris@dfinance.co" \
  --details="money printing machine!" \
  --from <account>

All flags are optional. See arguments and then replace them with your own:

  • moniker - moniker of your validator.

  • website - website of your validator.

  • identity - can be used to verify identity with systems like Keybase or UPort. Also, it's a great way to retrieve your Keybase avatar. See how to generate identity using keybase.

  • details - few words about you.

  • security-contact - a way to send your email/message.

Generate identity using Keybase

  1. Go to Keybase.io.

  2. Create your account and download the app.

  3. Add pgp key to your account using the terminal. Click add a PGP key and follow instructions.

  4. After generating keys, you will get a 16 letters ID, like ID A4094774EFC4F6FC.

  5. Use ID as a value for identity.

Change comission parameters

If you want to reduce/increase your commission as a validator, you can make another transaction with the new commission rate. Don't forget, that you can't change commission more than on commission-max-change-rate per day.

dncli tx staking edit-validator \
  --commission-rate="0.11" \
  --from <account>

Also, an important parameter is minimum self delegation (--min-self-delegation), you can change it also, as more self delegation you have, as more trust you will have in eyes of delegators. You can only increase --min-self-delegation.

Example (min self delegation to 250000 XFI):

dncli tx staking edit-validator \
  --min-self-delegation="250000000000000000000000" \
  --from <account>

Statuses

Validators could have the following statuses:

  • Bonded (2) - active validators in the top 31. Generate blocks, receiving rewards and fees.

  • Unbonded (0) - validators that don't have enough voting power to be in the top 31. Means, can't generate new blocks, get rewards, etc.

  • Unbonding (1) - once validator leaves top 31 it becomes unbonding, means, validator and all delegators have to wait during unbonding time to get XFI back, or just redelegate them now. You can read about unbonding period in [delegation manual](/staking/delegate_dfi.md#how-to-unbond-(undelegate)).

Once you create a validator, and if you don't have enough power to get to top 101, your validator will get status Unbonded, then when it reaches enough voting it will automatically move to Bonded status and start generating blocks.

Unbonding

When your validator got Unbonding status, that could happen for several reasons:

  • Validator goes out from top 31.

  • Validator unbound self delegated XFI more than promised (see --min-self-delegation parameter). In such a case the validator will be also jailed.

  • Validator missed too many blocks to sign/propose. The default amount of missed blocks to become unbonding are 50% of blocks during the 31 blocks window. Will be jailed also.

  • Validator double sign blocks. In this case the validator will be tombstoned and jailed forever.

In all cases you still can redelegate your sXFI to another validator not to wait Unbonding period.

More about jailing and slashing read in Slashing section.

PreviousDelegate sXFI & LPTNextRewards & Inflation

Last updated