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Become a Validator ​

Validator nodes are a crucial component of the X1 network. These nodes operate as full nodes and contribute to consensus, thereby enhancing the network's security and facilitating the creation of new blocks.

Requirements

  • Minimum state requirement: 100,000 XN
  • Maximum stake: 15x the minimum state amount
  • Earn staking rewards and a 15% fee on delegator's rewards
  • Minimum hardware requirements: AWS T2.large EC2 (or equivalent) and at least 800GB of Amazon EBS General Purpose SSD (gp2) storage (or equivalent).

Step 1: Run A Full Node ​

Following the Developer Docs guide to install and run a full node.

TIP

Allow the node to fully sync before moving forward.

Step 2: Fund a wallet ​

Fund a wallet with enough XN to become a validator.

At the time of writing, you need at least 100,000 XN (plus gas fees) to become a validator.

WARNING

We highly recommend using a hardware wallet to keep your funds secure.

Step 3: Create Validator Key ​

Create validator key with go-x1. Take note of the validator public key; we will need it later. Enter a strong password when prompted.

shell
# Switch to the x1 user first.
# This is optional depending on your setup.
sudo su x1

x1 validator new

Step 4: Save the Validator Password ​

Place the Validator Password in a File.

shell
echo "MY_STRONG_PASSWORD" > ~/.x1/.password

Step 5: Navigate to the X1 Explorer ​

Navigate to the SFC Contract on the explorer.

Step 6: Connect Your Wallet ​

Click the "Connect wallet" button and connect to your validator wallet.

Connect wallet

Step 7: Enter Your Validator Public Key ​

Enter your validator public key from step 3 and the amount of XN you want to stake, then click "Write".

Connect wallet

Step 8: Confirm the Transaction ​

Confirm the transaction in your wallet.

Step 9: Verify Your Validator Registration ​

Verify your validator registration by searching for your validator ID on the PWA explorer using your wallet account. Make note of the validation ID.

Step 10: Edit the config file and update the Validator ID, public key, and password file path. ​

shell
# Use the example config file for a validator node
cp /usr/local/share/x1/configs/testnet/validator-node.toml \
  /etc/x1/config.toml

# Edit the config file and update the Validator ID,
# public key, and password file's path.
# (Use your favorite text editor)
nano /etc/x1/config.toml

# Restart the node
sudo systemctl restart x1.service

# check the logs for any errors
journalctl -t x1 -f

🎉 Awesome!

You're now running an X1 validator node! Make sure to keep your node up and running.