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44 lines
1.7 KiB
44 lines
1.7 KiB
Validators
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==========
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Validators are responsible for committing new blocks in the blockchain.
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These validators participate in the consensus protocol by broadcasting
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*votes* which contain cryptographic signatures signed by each
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validator's public key.
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Some Proof-of-Stake consensus algorithms aim to create a "completely"
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decentralized system where all stakeholders (even those who are not
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always available online) participate in the committing of blocks.
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Tendermint has a different approach to block creation. Validators are
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expected to be online, and the set of validators is permissioned/curated
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by some external process. Proof-of-stake is not required, but can be
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implemented on top of Tendermint consensus. That is, validators may be
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required to post collateral on-chain, off-chain, or may not be required
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to post any collateral at all.
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Validators have a cryptographic key-pair and an associated amount of
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"voting power". Voting power need not be the same.
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Becoming a Validator
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--------------------
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There are two ways to become validator.
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1. They can be pre-established in the `genesis
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state <./genesis.html>`__
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2. The `ABCI app responds to the EndBlock
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message <https://github.com/tendermint/abci>`__ with changes to the
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existing validator set.
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Committing a Block
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------------------
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*+2/3 is short for "more than 2/3"*
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A block is committed when +2/3 of the validator set sign `precommit
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votes <./block-structure.html#vote>`__ for that block at the same
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``round``. The +2/3 set of precommit votes is
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called a `*commit* <./block-structure.html#commit>`__. While any
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+2/3 set of precommits for the same block at the same height&round can
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serve as validation, the canonical commit is included in the next block
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(see `LastCommit <./block-structure.html>`__).
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