Running a Validator

Validators are the backbone of Trayon's security model. They independently re-execute proposed batches, verify AI-submitted data, and vote under the consensus protocol described in Consensus.

Minimum requirements

Setup overview

1. Install the Trayon validator client
2. Generate a validator key pair (BLS)
3. Acquire and lock 32,000+ TRAY via ValidatorRegistry.registerValidator()
4. Sync the node to the current network state
5. Start the validator process and confirm it appears as active
   in GET /v1/validators

Responsibilities

• Maintain high uptime — missed votes are penalized (-10% stake).
• Independently verify batches rather than blindly trusting the sequencer's proposed state root.
• Keep signing keys secure — Byzantine behavior (double-signing) results in a full stake slash.

Rewards

Validators earn a share of network fees and block rewards proportional to stake and reputation. Reputation is tracked on-chain via ValidatorRegistry.updateReputation() and influences long-term reward weighting. See TRAY Tokenomics for the full fee and burn model.