Validator

A validator is the participant that proposes and verifies blocks on a proof-of-stake network, filling the role a miner plays under proof-of-work. To take part, an operator locks a required amount of the native token as a bond and runs software that keeps a node in sync, signs attestations about the chain's current head and occasionally proposes a new block. In return the validator earns staking rewards paid by the protocol. The duties are unforgiving: a validator that is offline misses rewards, and one that signs conflicting messages can be slashed and lose part of its bond. Holders who do not want to run hardware can delegate their stake to a professional operator instead, accepting that operator's risk.