Running a Validator

Join the Goliath Network as a Validator Node Operator

⚠️ Preview Testnet Phase: Validator onboarding is currently limited during the preview testnet phase. Open validator registration will be enabled once the testnet phase is concluded. This page provides information for future validator operations.

🌟 Overview

Validators are the backbone of the Goliath Network, responsible for:

• Consensus Participation: Validating transactions and achieving network agreement

• Network Security: Maintaining the integrity of the distributed ledger

• State Management: Storing and updating the network state

• Event Generation: Producing event streams for network activity

🚀 Validators

Current Phase: Preview Testnet (Q4 2025)

• Status: DAO-operated nodes only

• Purpose: Network stability testing

• Access: Limited to Onyx DAO validators

• Staking: Proxy staking available to DAO nodes

Phase 2: Open Testnet (Q1 2026)

• Permissioned Validators: Selected operators invited

• Performance Testing: Stress testing and optimization

• Incentivized Testnet: Rewards for participation

• Documentation: Complete validator guides released

Phase 3: Mainnet Beta (Q1 2026)

• Open Registration: Public validator onboarding

• Stake Requirements: Minimum stake implementation

• Reward Distribution: Full staking rewards activated

• Monitoring Tools: Advanced analytics dashboard

Phase 4: Full Decentralization (Q3 2026)

• Permissionless: Anyone can run a validator

• Governance Integration: Validator voting rights

• Slashing Conditions: Full security measures

• Professional Services: Enterprise validator support

Validator Dashboard

The Goliath Validator Dashboard is a web-based blockchain explorer that provides real-time visibility into the Goliath Network. It's an essential tool for validator operators to monitor network activity, track performance, and manage operations.

Access the Dashboard: https://validators.testnet.goliath.net/

Key Features for Validators:

Feature	Description
Validator Monitoring	Track all validators with geographic visualization and performance metrics
Stake Tracking	View stake weight, reward distribution, and stake percentages
Network Metrics	Real-time transaction counts, TPS, and network health
Transaction Explorer	Browse and analyze all network transactions
Account Management	View account balances, token holdings, and history

Validator-Specific Metrics:

• Node ID: Unique validator identifier

• Stake: Total XCN staked to the validator

• Stake %: Percentage of total network stake

• Min/Max Stake: Accepted stake range

• Reward Rate: Current annualized reward rate

• Service Endpoints: Validator network endpoints

• Geographic Location: Interactive world map visualization

📖 Full Documentation: Validator Dashboard Guide

💻 System Requirements

Minimum Hardware Specifications

Component	Testnet	Mainnet
CPU	8 cores @ 2.8GHz	16 cores @ 3.0GHz
RAM	32 GB	64 GB
Storage	500 GB NVMe SSD	2 TB NVMe SSD
Network	100 Mbps	1 Gbps
OS	Ubuntu 22.04 LTS	Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

Recommended Specifications

Component	Specification
CPU	32 cores @ 3.5GHz+
RAM	128 GB DDR4/DDR5
Storage	4 TB NVMe RAID 1
Network	10 Gbps dedicated
Backup	Redundant power/network

🛠️ Installation Guide (Future Release)

Prerequisites

# Update system
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

# Install dependencies
sudo apt install -y build-essential git curl wget

# Install Docker
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

# Install Docker Compose
sudo curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/latest/download/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose

Node Setup (Coming Soon)

# Clone validator repository (future)
git clone https://github.com/goliath-network/validator-node
cd validator-node

# Configuration
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your settings

# Generate node keys
./scripts/generate-keys.sh

# Start node
docker-compose up -d

# Check status
docker-compose logs -f validator

💰 Economic Model

Staking Requirements

Parameter	Value
Minimum Stake	1,000,000 XCN
Recommended Stake	5,000,000 XCN
Maximum Stake	No limit
Unbonding Period	Instant (liquid)

Reward Structure

Validator Reward Distribution

Expected Returns

Stake Amount	Daily Rewards	Annual APY
1M XCN	~150 XCN	~5.5%
5M XCN	~800 XCN	~5.8%
10M XCN	~1,650 XCN	~6.0%
50M XCN	~8,500 XCN	~6.2%

Note: Rewards vary based on network activity and total stake

🔐 Security Best Practices

Key Management

1. Hardware Security Module (HSM): Use for production keys

2. Key Rotation: Regular rotation schedule

3. Backup Strategy: Secure, encrypted backups

4. Access Control: Multi-signature for critical operations

Operational Security

# Firewall configuration
sudo ufw allow 50211/tcp  # Gossip port
sudo ufw allow 50212/tcp  # Consensus port
sudo ufw allow 8080/tcp   # REST API (optional)
sudo ufw enable

# Security updates
sudo unattended-upgrades -v

# Monitoring
sudo apt install prometheus node-exporter

DDoS Protection

• Rate Limiting: Configure connection limits

• Cloudflare: Use for API endpoints

• Fail2ban: Automated blocking of attackers

• Network Segregation: Separate management network

📊 Monitoring & Maintenance

Health Metrics

Metric	Threshold	Alert Level
CPU Usage	> 80%	Warning
Memory Usage	> 90%	Critical
Disk Space	< 100GB	Critical
Peer Count	< 3	Warning
Consensus Participation	< 90%	Critical

Monitoring Stack

# docker-compose.monitoring.yml
version: '3.8'
services:
  prometheus:
    image: prom/prometheus:latest
    volumes:
      - ./prometheus.yml:/etc/prometheus/prometheus.yml
    ports:
      - "9090:9090"
  
  grafana:
    image: grafana/grafana:latest
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    environment:
      - GF_SECURITY_ADMIN_PASSWORD=secure_password
  
  alertmanager:
    image: prom/alertmanager:latest
    ports:
      - "9093:9093"

🎯 Proxy Staking

For XCN Holders

If you don't want to run a validator, you can still earn rewards:

1. Choose a Validator: Research operator performance

2. Delegate Stake: Assign your XCN to the validator

3. Earn Rewards: Receive proportional rewards

4. Maintain Control: XCN remains in your wallet

Delegation Process

// Web3 delegation example
const delegate = async (validatorAddress, amount) => {
  const tx = await stakingContract.delegate(
    validatorAddress,
    web3.utils.toWei(amount, 'ether')
  );
  await tx.wait();
  console.log('Delegation successful:', tx.hash);
};

🌐 Network Participation

Validator Responsibilities

1. Uptime: Maintain 99%+ availability

2. Updates: Apply network upgrades promptly

3. Security: Protect node and keys

4. Community: Participate in governance

Performance Requirements

Metric	Requirement
Uptime	> 99%
Consensus Participation	> 90%
Response Time	< 100ms
Peer Connections	> 10

🛡️ Slashing Conditions (Future)

Validators may face penalties for:

1. Double Signing: Signing conflicting blocks

2. Downtime: Extended offline periods

3. Censorship: Selective transaction processing

4. Malicious Behavior: Attack attempts

Penalty Structure

Violation	Penalty
Downtime (1 hour)	0.1% stake
Downtime (24 hours)	1% stake
Double Signing	5% stake
Malicious Activity	100% stake

🆘 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Node won't sync:

# Check peer connections
docker exec validator goliath-cli peers list

# Reset database if corrupted
docker-compose down
rm -rf ./data/blockchain
docker-compose up -d

Low peer count:

# Add bootstrap nodes
echo "BOOTSTRAP_NODES=node1.goliath.net,node2.goliath.net" >> .env
docker-compose restart

High resource usage:

# Adjust cache settings
echo "CACHE_SIZE=2GB" >> .env
echo "CONNECTION_LIMIT=50" >> .env
docker-compose restart

📚 Resources

Documentation

• Network Architecture: Understanding the system

• Consensus Algorithm: How consensus works

• Staking Guide: Detailed staking information

• Security Best Practices: Security guidelines

Tools & Utilities

• Validator Dashboard: Monitor your node performance

• Staking Calculator: Estimate your rewards

• Network Explorer: View network statistics

• Alerting Service: Get notified of issues

🤝 Support Channels

Get Help

Have questions or need assistance? Use the Goliath Help Bot on Telegram to:

• Report issues or bugs

• Request features or improvements

• File support tickets

• Get technical assistance

Community Support

• Telegram: Validator operators group

• GitHub: Technical discussions

• Community Forum: Governance and proposals

Professional Support

• Enterprise Plan: 24/7 dedicated support

• Consultation: Architecture review

• Managed Services: Full node management

🎆 Future Enhancements

Planned Features

1. Auto-scaling: Dynamic resource allocation

2. Multi-region: Geographic distribution

3. Hardware Wallet: Native HSM integration

4. Automated Updates: Zero-downtime upgrades

5. Performance Analytics: Advanced metrics dashboard

Timeline

• Q1 2026: Beta validator program

• Q2 2026: Open validator registration

• Q3 2026: Full decentralization

• Q4 2026: Enterprise features

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Becoming a Goliath validator means joining a community dedicated to building the future of distributed ledger technology. While validator onboarding is currently limited during the preview testnet phase, we encourage interested operators to prepare for the upcoming open registration phase.

Stay Updated: Join our Telegram and follow our announcements for validator program updates.