Validator nodes are initially being operated by the core team for a brief period. This controlled rollout allows us to monitor performance, address edge cases, and optimize reliability in a real-world environment.
We will gradually open up validator participation to the community, with clear instructions. Thank you for your continued support as we prioritize the security, integrity, and long-term decentralization of Shardeum.
You can find the hardware requirements for running a validator node below.
Staking requirement will be determined and announced soon.
You can find the mainnet endpoint here.
Standby Nodes:
These are validator nodes standing by in the network and not currently participating in consensus. Standby validators require a minimum number of staked SHM to become active. They help scale the Shardeum network quicker when more transactions are pending. Additionally, at the end of each cycle, the oldest active validators are rotated out and replaced by randomly selected standby nodes, enhancing the network’s security. Standby nodes will earn rewards only while actively participating in validation, not during standby periods. Once a node is installed and the required stake is added, it initially joins the network in standby mode by default before transitioning to active validation.
Validator Nodes:
These are nodes that actively participate in consensus to validate transactions after transitioning from standby mode, earning SHM rewards in return. Validator nodes are lightweight, as they don’t store the full transaction history, and require only minimal hardware. The number of active validators dynamically adjusts based on network demand—scaling up or down depending on the volume of pending transactions. Nodes that misbehave or underperform may be evicted from the active set and risk forfeiting their staked SHM.
Archive Nodes:
Although Shardeum is a blockless network, individual transactions processed by validator nodes are grouped into blocks at set intervals for EVM compatibility. These batches are then sent to archiver nodes, which store the full state and history of the network. Archivers can be considered as supernodes requiring significant storage, RAM, CPU, and bandwidth. They do not participate in consensus but play a critical role in preserving network data. Running an archiver is expected to yield ~10x the rewards of a validator, reflecting the higher hardware demands. Archivers may also be required to stake SHM and are subject to penalties for issues like ungraceful exits. More details will be shared once community participation in archiving is enabled at a later stage following the mainnet launch.
Other than the aforementioned nodes, there are other types of nodes needed to move data and transactions in and out of the Shardeum as well as monitor the health of the network. These include connector nodes, relayer nodes, and additionally, a monitor server. The connector nodes provide an entry point for external wallets and clients to query and submit transactions to the network. These are the similar to RPC nodes in the Ethereum ecosystem. Relayer nodes communicate with archiver nodes or other relayer nodes to store and stream data produced by the network to downstream services used by exchanges and explorer services. These are similar to exit nodes in the Ethereum ecosystem. The monitor server is an important component here receiving status updates from active validator nodes and providing a visual view into the health of the network. You can read more about them in our whitepaper.
You can find the latest tutorials here. Advanced users can check our developer docs if needed.
Besides self-hosting, you can run your node using one-click setups, and VPS providers. However, please note that Shardeum does not endorse or take responsibility for any third-party services. Always Do Your Own Research (DYOR).
With GUI, you can start running a node with a few clicks of your mouse. Shardeum is one of the first L1 networks to enable user-friendly GUI feature for node validators asides from CLI.
CLI is the only interface used by the vast majority of blockchain networks. It is typically enabled for more advanced users and developers who intend to work with nodes more deeply and technically.
We’ve announced our SHM airdrop campaign for Phases 1 and 2, that include validators on betanet and incentivized testnets. Phase 1 is dedicated to our early contributors, who have played a crucial role in Shardeum’s growth since its announcement on February 2, 2022. Phase 2 is designed for incentivized testnet participants. We’ve just published a blog detailing both phases, including eligibility criteria, the registration process, important deadlines and how to claim your rewards.
We have future airdrop campaigns planned post-mainnet, with approximately 19 million tokens reserved for distribution.
The community can operate archiver nodes on Shardeum approximately one year after mainnet launch.
Our rough estimate is: 32 core, 256GB RAM, 4TB SSD. Also, as mentioned in the whitepaper, archive nodes may have to stake a minimum number of SHM tokens to join the network as an archiver. Archivers are expected to receive much higher SHM rewards for running a node. Exact requirements and incentive for running an archiver will be announced in due course.
The network ensures fair and unbiased selection of nodes for consensus and validation, without prioritizing or favoring any particular node. Shardeum is a permissionless network with a leaderless consensus mechanism.
