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tendermint/docs/specs/validators.md

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docs: add docs from website
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  1. # Validators

  2. 

  3. Validators are responsible for committing new blocks in the blockchain.
  4. These validators participate in the consensus protocol by broadcasting _votes_ which contain cryptographic signatures signed by each validator's public key.
  5. 

  6. Some Proof-of-Stake consensus algorithms aim to create a "completely" decentralized system where all stakeholders (even those who are not always available online) participate in the committing of blocks.  Tendermint has a different approach to block creation.  Validators are expected to be online, and the set of validators is permissioned/curated by some external process.  Proof-of-stake is not required, but can be implemented on top of Tendermint consensus.  That is, validators may be required to post collateral on-chain, off-chain, or may not be required to post any collateral at all.
  7. 

  8. Validators have a cryptographic key-pair and an associated amount of "voting power".  Voting power need not be the same.
  9. 

  10. ## Becoming a Validator

  11. 

  12. There are two ways to become validator.
  13. 

  14. 1. They can be pre-established in the [genesis state](/docs/specs/genesis)
  15. 2. The [ABCI app responds to the EndBlock message](https://github.com/tendermint/abci) with changes to the existing validator set.
  16. 

  17. ## Committing a Block

  18. 

  19. _+2/3 is short for "more than 2/3"_
  20. 

  21. A block is committed when +2/3 of the validator set sign [precommit votes](/docs/specs/block-structure#vote) for that block at the same [round](/docs/specs/consensus).  The +2/3 set of precommit votes is called a [_commit_](/docs/specs/block-structure#commit).  While any +2/3 set of precommits for the same block at the same height&round can serve as validation, the canonical commit is included in the next block (see [LastCommit](/docs/specs/block-structure).