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Validator Nodes (also known as Validators):
These nodes validate network transactions by actively participating in the consensus process. Shardeum rewards honest validators with SHM. Validator nodes store only the state of the accounts they manage, ensuring they remain lightweight, while historical data is offloaded to archive nodes. To participate, validators must stake SHM and may face slashing penalties for non-compliance with network protocols, such as leaving the network prematurely or failing to sync on time, among other violations. Detailed information will be shared in the months leading up to the mainnet launch.
Archive Nodes:
Archive nodes maintain the entire transaction history. Archive nodes may also be required to stake SHM and could face slashing penalties for failing to adhere to network protocols, such as leaving the network without prior approval. Additional details will be provided in due course. The reward for running an archiver is expected to be about 10x more than running a validator since the hardware requirements for running an archiver will be much higher.
Standby Nodes:
Standby nodes are validator nodes within the network that are not actively participating in consensus. These nodes enable the Shardeum network to scale quickly when transaction volume increases. To ensure optimal security and fairness, the network randomly rotates the oldest active validators out at the end of each cycle, replacing them with standby validators. Standby nodes must have SHM staked to become active and are eligible for rewards only after successfully completing their active validator period.
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.
We recently wrapped up our betanet – Sphinx and the hardware requirements for running the node on the network was as below.
We will announce the specific hardware and staking requirements for running a node on the mainnet closer to its launch.
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.
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.
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 must stake a certain amount SHM coin to join the network as an archiver. Exact requirements and incentive for running an archiver will be determined closer to mainnet launch. So stay tuned to our official announcement regarding the same.
On the Shardeum network, node operation is open to everyone, including professional node service providers, whom you might choose for running your nodes. However, all validators, regardless of who operates them, are required to stake a certain amount of SHM as collateral. These validators are rewarded for their participation and can unstake their collateral once they complete their active validation cycle and are rotated out. We will provide updates on our staking policies (including possibility for re-staking or pooled staking) closer to the mainnet launch.
This decision will be part of the network protocols that nodes on the network will have to follow. We will update the community once we finalize staking, slashing and hardware requirement ahead of the mainnet launch. In the meantime, you can take a look at our whitepaper for a more general understanding of how Shardeum will operate post mainnet.
As a validator on the network, specific protocols must be adhered to, including staking a minimum amount of coins and meeting the minimum hardware requirements. Once these criteria are met, the network ensures fair and unbiased selection of nodes for consensus and validation, without prioritizing or favoring any particular node.
Read our whitepaper for more detailed and interesting information on this.
