Validator FAQ

Check the FAQ for running a validator on Guru.

General Concepts

What is a validator?

Guru is powered by CometBFT, which relies on a set of validators to secure the network. Validators run a full node and participate in consensus by broadcasting votes which contain cryptographic signatures signed by their private key. Validators commit new blocks in the blockchain and receive revenue in exchange for their work. They also participate in on-protocol treasury governance by voting on governance proposals. A validator's voting influence is weighted according to their total stake.

What is "staking"?

Guru is a public Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchain, meaning that validator's weight is determined by the amount of staking tokens(GXN) bonded as collateral. These staking tokens can be staked directly by the validator or delegated to them by GURU holders.

Any user in the system can declare its intention to become a validator by sending a create-validator transaction. From there, they become validators.

The weight (i.e. total stake or voting power) of a validator determines wether or not it is an active validator, and also how frequently this node will have to propose a block and how much revenue it will obtain. Initially, only the top 150 validators with the most weight will be active validators. If validators double-sign, or are frequently offline, they risk their staked tokens (including GURU delegated by users) being "slashed" by the protocol to penalize negligence and misbehavior.

What is a full node?

A full node is a program that fully validates transactions and blocks of a blockchain. It is distinct from a light client node that only processes block headers and a small subset of transactions. Running a full node requires more resources than a light client but is necessary in order to be a validator. In practice, running a full-node only implies running a non-compromised and up-to-date version of the software with low network latency and without downtime.

Of course, it is possible and encouraged for any user to run full nodes even if they do not plan to be validators.

What is a delegator?

Delegators are GURU holders who cannot, or do not want to run validator operations themselves. Users can delegate GURU to a validator and obtain a part of its revenue in exchange (for more detail on how revenue is distributed, see What is the incentive to stake? and What is a validator's commission? sections below).

Because they share revenue with their validators, delegators also share responsibility. Should a validator misbehave, each of its delegators will be partially slashed in proportion to their stake. This is why delegators should perform due-diligence on validators before delegating, as well as diversifying by spreading their stake over multiple validators.

Delegators play a critical role in the system, as they are responsible for choosing validators. Be aware that being a delegator is not a passive role. Delegators are obligated to remain vigilant and actively monitor the actions of their validators, switching should they fail to act responsibly.