Secret Network

# Join as a Validator

# NOTE : This guide is for SECRET-2. As of the last update of this guide, the most recent chain is SECRET-3

# How to become a validator on Secret Network

# 1. Run a new full node on a new machine.

# 2. Set your minimum-gas-price parameter

We recommend starting with 0.1uscrt per gas unit:

perl -i -pe 's/^minimum-gas-prices = .+?$/minimum-gas-prices = "0.1uscrt"/' ~/.secretd/config/app.toml
sudo systemctl restart secret-node

Your validator will not accept transactions that specify --gas-price lower than the minimun-gas-price you set here.

# 3. Generate a new key pair for yourself (change <key-alias> with any word of your choice, this is just for your internal/personal reference):

secretcli keys add <key-alias>

⚠️Note⚠️: Backup the mnemonics! ⚠️Note⚠️: Please make sure you also backup your validator

Note: If you already have a key you can import it with the bip39 mnemonic with secretcli keys add <key-alias> --recover or with secretcli keys export (exports to stderr!!) & secretcli keys import.

# 4. Transfer tokens to your delegator's address:

This is the secret wallet from which you delegate your funds to you own validator. You must delegate at least 1 SCRT (1000000uscrt) from this wallet to your validator.

To create a secret wallet, run:

secretcli keys add <key-alias>

Make sure to backup the mnemonic you got from the above command!

Then transfer funds to address you just created.

# 5. Check that you have the funds:

secretcli q account $(secretcli keys show -a <key-alias>)

If you get the following message, it means that you have no tokens yet:

ERROR: unknown address: account secret1xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx does not exist

# 6. Join the network as a new validator: replace <MONIKER> with the moniker you configured in step 3 of creating a full-node, and adjust the amount you want to stake

(remember 1 SCRT = 1,000,000 uSCRT, and so the command below stakes 100k SCRT).

secretcli tx staking create-validator \
  --amount=<amount-to-delegate-to-yourself>uscrt \
  --pubkey=$(secretd tendermint show-validator) \
  --commission-rate="0.10" \
  --commission-max-rate="0.20" \
  --commission-max-change-rate="0.01" \
  --min-self-delegation="1" \
  --gas-prices 0.25uscrt \
  --moniker=<MONIKER> \
  --from=<key-alias>

# 7. Check that you have been added as a validator:

secretcli q staking validators | jq '.[] | select(.description.moniker == "<MONIKER>")'

Or run: secretcli q staking validators | grep moniker. You should see your moniker listed.

# Dangers in running a validator

There are a couple of scenarios that can lead to losing a precentage of your and your delegators' stake. These are called slashing events.

The following is updated as of July 8, 2021.

# Slashing for downtime

Conditions for downtime:

It's based on actual blocktime as opposed to being based on theoretical blocktime ie (SignedBlocksWindow & MinSignedPerWindow network parameters).

Signing less than MinSignedPerWindow blocks out of every SignedBlocksWindow window will result in a downtime slash. Blocktime tends to fluctuate on the network.

Parameters: 11250 blocks out of every 22500-blocks.

  • For a block time of 6.8 seconds, this roughly translates to being up for 21.25 hours out of every 42.5-hour window.

  • For a block time of 6.4 seconds, this roughly translates to being up for 20 hours out of every 40-hour window.

Penalties for downtime:

  • Slashing of 0.01% of your and your delegators' staking amount.
  • Jailing for 10 minutes of your validator node. You don't earn block rewards for this period and at the end must manually unjail your node with secretcli tx slashing unjail --from <key-alias> --gas-prices 0.25uscrt.

# Slashing for double-signing

Conditions for double-signing:

  • Your validator signs the same block height twice.

Penalties for double-signing:

  • Slashing of 5% of your and your delegators' staking amount.
  • Jailing forever (tombstoned) of your validator node. You cannot earn block rewards anymore with this validator and you and your delegators must redelegate your stake to a different validator.

# Protecting your validator agains DDoS attacks

See Sentry Nodes.

# Staking more tokens

(remember 1 SCRT = 1,000,000 uSCRT)

In order to stake more tokens beyond those in the initial transaction, run:

secretcli tx staking delegate $(secretcli keys show <key-alias> --bech=val -a) <amount>uscrt --from <key-alias> --gas-prices 0.25uscrt

# Editing your Validator

secretcli tx staking edit-validator \
  --moniker "<new-moniker>" \
  --website "https://scrt.network" \
  --identity 6A0D65E29A4CBC8E \
  --details "To infinity and beyond!" \
  --chain-id <chain_id> \
  --gas 200000 \
  --gas-prices="0.25uscrt" \
  --from <key_name> \
  --commission-rate "0.10"

# Seeing your rewards from being a validator

secretcli q distribution rewards $(secretcli keys show -a <key-alias>)

# Seeing your commissions from your delegators

secretcli q distribution commission $(secretcli keys show -a <key-alias> --bech=val)

# Withdrawing rewards

secretcli tx distribution withdraw-rewards $(secretcli keys show --bech=val -a <key-alias>) --from <key-alias> --gas-prices 0.25uscrt

# Withdrawing rewards+commissions

secretcli tx distribution withdraw-rewards $(secretcli keys show --bech=val -a <key-alias>) --from <key-alias> --commission --gas-prices 0.25uscrt

# Removing your validator

Currently deleting a validator is not possible. If you redelegate or unbond your self-delegations then your validator will become offline and all your delegators will start to unbond.

# Changing your validator's commission-rate

You are currently unable to modify the --commission-max-rate and --commission-max-change-rate" parameters.

Modifying the commision-rate can be done using this:

secretcli tx staking edit-validator --commission-rate="0.05" --from <key-alias> --gas-prices 0.25uscrt

# Slashing

# Unjailing

To unjail your jailed validator

secretcli tx slashing unjail --from <key-alias> --gas-prices 0.25uscrt
# Signing Info

To retrieve a validator's signing info:

secretcli q slashing signing-info <validator-conspub-key>
# Query Parameters

You can get the current slashing parameters via:

secretcli q slashing params
# Query Parameters

You can get the current slashing parameters via:

secretcli q slashing params

← Migrate a Validator →