Validator States

This page is intended to explain what the different states of a Validator are possible in the Chainflip system, and what each of them means.
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Status Tag
Description
Criteria
Online / Offline
Online validators may participate in auctions and signing ceremonies. 

Offline validators may get slashed. See Reputation & Slashing for further details.
A validator is considered online if it has submitted a heartbeat extrinsic within the last heartbeat interval (currently fixed at 150 blocks or ~15 minutes). 
Bidding
A bidding node is indicating its intention to participate in auction. 

Validators that wish to retire should set their bidding intention to false
Outside of auction periods, Validators can set their bidding status freely.

During Auctions:
Bidding Validators may not withdraw any funds and may not change their state to Non-Bidding.
Non-Bidding Validators can withdraw any unlocked funds and can change their state to bidding.
All Validators can stake extra funds at any time
Qualified
A Qualified validator can participate in Keygen ceremonies and is eligible for Backup rewards.
A validator node is considered Qualified if all of the following conditions are fulfilled:
Account Role is Validator
Online (based on the duration since the last heartbeat submission)
Session Keys are registered
Peer Id is registered
Bidding is true.
Backup
A Backup validator earns Flip rewards but does not participate in block authorship, see Backup Rewards.

May be a keyholder.
Is Qualified
Is not an Authority
Is among the next set of highest bidding nodes, (maximum 1/3rd the size of the current Authority Set, usually 50).
Authority 
Authorities are responsible for block authorship and consensus, witnessing, threshold signing and transaction broadcasting. In return they earn Authority Rewards​

Authorities are also Keyholders for the latest AggKey. 
Keyholder for the latest AggKey.
Keyholder
Keyholders hold a fragment of one or more unexpired AggKeys. Keyholders may be called upon to perform a threshold signing ceremony.

Keyholders are Bonded according to the auction preceding the KeyGen ceremony for the held key.
Auction winner or auction runner-up.
Successfully participated in a Keygen ceremony.
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Status Tag	Description	Criteria
Online / Offline	Online validators may participate in auctions and signing ceremonies. Offline validators may get slashed. See Reputation & Slashing for further details.	A validator is considered online if it has submitted a heartbeat extrinsic within the last heartbeat interval (currently fixed at 150 blocks or ~15 minutes).
Bidding	A bidding node is indicating its intention to participate in auction. Validators that wish to retire should set their bidding intention to `false`	Outside of auction periods, Validators can set their bidding status freely. During Auctions: Bidding Validators may not withdraw any funds and may not change their state to Non-Bidding. Non-Bidding Validators can withdraw any unlocked funds and can change their state to bidding. All Validators can stake extra funds at any time
Qualified	A Qualified validator can participate in Keygen ceremonies and is eligible for Backup rewards.	A validator node is considered Qualified if all of the following conditions are fulfilled: Account Role is Validator Online (based on the duration since the last heartbeat submission) Session Keys are registered Peer Id is registered Bidding is true.
Backup	A Backup validator earns Flip rewards but does not participate in block authorship, see Backup Rewards. May be a keyholder.	Is Qualified Is not an Authority Is among the next set of highest bidding nodes, (maximum 1/3rd the size of the current Authority Set, usually 50).
Authority	Authorities are responsible for block authorship and consensus, witnessing, threshold signing and transaction broadcasting. In return they earn Authority Rewards Authorities are also Keyholders for the latest AggKey.	Keyholder for the latest AggKey.
Keyholder	Keyholders hold a fragment of one or more unexpired AggKeys. Keyholders may be called upon to perform a threshold signing ceremony. Keyholders are Bonded according to the auction preceding the KeyGen ceremony for the held key.	Auction winner or auction runner-up. Successfully participated in a Keygen ceremony.

Last modified 10d ago