Validator Guide

Role

Validators in EXOCHAIN are custody verifiers. They produce blocks, but more importantly they attest custody, run the validator rules deterministically, and uphold the constitutional invariants of the protocol.

Hardware

Validators are expected to run on attested hardware with secure boot, key management in an HSM or equivalent, and synchronized time sources. Specific minimums are listed in the validator onboarding flow at /app/validators.

Attestation

Hardware attestation is required before joining the validator set. Attestation evidence is recorded as part of the validator's registration AVC.

Observation period

New validators run in observation mode before participating in quorum. The observation period validates determinism, network behavior, and operational hygiene.

Slashing

Slashing rules are governed by the constitutional kernel and are published as part of governance documents. Slashing is a placeholder in the alpha; consult the latest governance amendment for the active rule set.