Shardeum Validator Survey Underscores Decentralized Vision

In late November 2024, we surveyed our validators to gather insights into their preferences like hosting associated with operating a Shardeum testnet node. We’re now sharing these anonymized results to assist both current and future validators, bearing in mind that resource requirements may evolve as we approach the mainnet launch. We extend our gratitude to all participants whose valuable feedback not only deepens our understanding of the community’s breadth and commitment but also illustrates the accessibility of running a Shardeum validator node. Below are the findings from the survey, which included validators from our Betanet (Sphinx) and Incentivized Testnet (Atomium) programs since February 2023 till the end of December 2024.

Community Hosting Preferences

a. Self-host: Full control over your node maximizing network decentralization; More setup steps that may require technical expertise

b. Cloud/VPS Providers: Moderate control; Simpler setup that typically do not require technical expertise

c. One Click Setup: Limited control; Easiest setup that do not require technical expertise

Among the three main hosting options—over 90% of users preferred VPS providers.

Self-hosting emerged as the second most popular choice, with validators operating nodes on their own machines or personal computers.

This was followed by one-click node setup, which saw limited adoption due to fewer available options at the time of the survey. However, its potential for easier setup and lower costs may increase its popularity in the future. These findings highlight the current preference for cloud services, which offer a balance between control and convenience.

Service Providers Used by Shardeum Validators

Approximately 85% of users chose Contabo, a popular VPS provider. This was followed by VDS provider Hetzner, which, while technically a subset of VPS cloud providers, offers validators greater control over their nodes. Traditional cloud providers like Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Amazon Web Services (AWS), DigitalOcean, and Linode were also utilized, albeit to a lesser extent.

Mintair—the only available one-click node service provider at the time—emerged as the next preferred option among validators. While these results reflect current hosting preferences, trends may evolve as more options become available, particularly as we approach and progress beyond the mainnet launch.

Monthly Costs for Shardeum Validators

The poll options for monthly operating costs ranged from under $10 to over $100, with the median cost between $25 and $50. This reflects Shardeum’s commitment to maintaining a low barrier to entry, a principle we’ve emphasized over the past years. While operating costs are likely to evolve, the preference for services like Contabo is largely due to their affordability.

Even without advanced features such as dynamic state sharding and autoscaling at the mainnet launch, Shardeum’s hardware requirements are expected to remain relatively modest. Thanks to its innovative architecture and tokenomics, operating a Shardeum node offers a promising opportunity for participants.

Which Payment Subscription Did Validators Prefer?

Approximately 45% of users opted for monthly subscriptions, followed by 22% choosing annual subscriptions, and around 17% selecting usage-based models. This pattern aligns with responses to previous questions and highlights that many validators have been operating Shardeum nodes for extended periods.

Validators from Over 80 Countries Participate in Testnets

The top countries represented by validators participating in the survey are Ukraine, Germany, Poland, France, and India. Further, the image below illustrates Shardeum’s testnet spanning six continents with validators from over 80 countries, showcasing our expansive global reach. This diversity underscores the broad distribution of nodes across the network, avoiding concentration among a limited number of individuals, companies, or regions. As regulations evolve and visibility grows, we expect our network to become even more widely distributed and decentralized.

Shardeum Validators Championing Awareness Initiatives

If you participated in our survey, you may recall the question about whether you are interested in raising awareness for node operation through Twitter Spaces, YouTube livestreams, and other means like blog creation. Approximately 49% of respondents said ‘Yes,’ and provided their contact details and platform IDs.

Through initiatives like the ‘Shardeum is Borderless’ program, we have already been leveraging community-generated content to create blogs and video tutorials on how to participate in incentivized testnet quests, create decentralized wallets, and connect to the Shardeum blockchain, among others. We are excited to report that the Web3 community is deeply committed to advancing the decentralization movement and bringing blockchain technology into the mainstream.

95% Participants Agreed to Make Their Responses Public

Although we’ve shared the survey results here in an anonymized format, it’s encouraging to see that nearly everyone is committed to supporting each other in the Web3 industry, as well as empowering newcomers. By agreeing to make their choices and responses public on node operation, participants are advocating for public empowerment, which is crucial for decentralized platforms where the community should lead. Side note – Please note that the responses discussed in this blog represent 95% of participants who consented to make their feedback public.

Operating a node is akin to managing daily operations like a bank, but with key differences. Layer 1 blockchains such as Shardeum, Ethereum, and Bitcoin allow any honest user to participate without permission, validate network transactions, and earn rewards. Furthermore, these platforms enable developers to build applications with reduced dependence on intermediaries, offering peer-to-peer interactions that minimize central points of failure, censorship, and exclusivity, while also reducing the excessive fees typically charged by centralized entities.

Thank you, community, for championing Shardeum’s mission of decentralization, yet again! 🙏

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