You can not select more than 25 topics
Topics must start with a letter or number, can include dashes ('-') and can be up to 35 characters long.
44 lines
1.7 KiB
44 lines
1.7 KiB
Validators
|
|
==========
|
|
|
|
Validators are responsible for committing new blocks in the blockchain.
|
|
These validators participate in the consensus protocol by broadcasting
|
|
*votes* which contain cryptographic signatures signed by each
|
|
validator's private key.
|
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
Validators have a cryptographic key-pair and an associated amount of
|
|
"voting power". Voting power need not be the same.
|
|
|
|
Becoming a Validator
|
|
--------------------
|
|
|
|
There are two ways to become validator.
|
|
|
|
1. They can be pre-established in the `genesis
|
|
state <./genesis.html>`__
|
|
2. The `ABCI app responds to the EndBlock
|
|
message <https://github.com/tendermint/abci>`__ with changes to the
|
|
existing validator set.
|
|
|
|
Committing a Block
|
|
------------------
|
|
|
|
*+2/3 is short for "more than 2/3"*
|
|
|
|
A block is committed when +2/3 of the validator set sign `precommit
|
|
votes <./block-structure.html#vote>`__ for that block at the same
|
|
``round``. The +2/3 set of precommit votes is
|
|
called a `*commit* <./block-structure.html#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 <./block-structure.html>`__).
|