1 of 100

Qubetics Docs

Getting Started

Quickstart

Introduction To Qubetics Network Ecosystem

Qubetics is the world's first Layer 1, Web3 aggregated ecosystem with a proprietary Layer 1 Proof-of-Stake Network with EVM compatibility and purpose-built for interoperability.

It emphasizes the innovative implementation of chain abstraction through intents that showcase a seamless and efficient transactional framework. Qubetics’ advanced, privacy-focused decentralized infrastructure, where user and node interactions occur entirely on-chain, effectively eliminating central points of failure.

The Qubetics Network represents a transformative shift in the blockchain industry, poised to establish a self-contained, high-efficiency ecosystem. Built upon a proprietary layer 1 POS blockchain. Qubetics network redefines scalability, throughput, and interoperability within its EVM-compatible network.

The key to Qubetics Network’s success is its commitment to decentralization and user-centric design. Through an advanced consensus mechanism, “Delegated Proof Of Stake (DPOS) and powerful security protocols, the Qubetics Network ensures a level playing field for all participants, promoting a community-driven environment where every voice is heard and valued through its on-chain governance mechanism, where users can contribute in major decisions using a Governance Portal.

The Qubetics Network aims to empower its users with unparalleled transaction speed, promoting rapid growth and easy collaboration. By removing traditional barriers and constraints, creating a dynamic ecosystem where transparency, trust, and innovation merge to redefine the future of transactions. Furthermore, the Network's smart contracts serve as a stronghold of the ecosystem, offering immutable, transparent, and efficient execution of agreements. With benefits such as fraud reduction, cost efficiency, and fault tolerance, smart contracts empower users with confidence and security in their interactions.

Network Architechture

The technical architecture supporting interoperability is crafted with precision and foresight. It is robust and flexible, capable of accommodating the distinct features and functionalities inherent to Qubetics. This well-thought-out framework is engineered to facilitate seamless cross-chain operations, allowing for efficient asset transfers and data exchange across different blockchain networks. By combining compatibility with resilience and adaptability, we aim to offer a versatile and resilient blockchain platform that meets the diverse needs of developers, enterprises, and users alike.

Qubetics: TICS Token

Central to this ecosystem is the native utility token "TICS", which serves as the lifeblood of the network, facilitating transactions, powering DeFi applications, and incentivizing network participants. Through the strategic deployment of TICS and the integration of cutting-edge blockchain technologies, the Qubetics Network aims to revolutionize the way individuals and enterprises engage with decentralized finance. By providing a robust, scalable, and user-friendly platform, Qubetics is poised to drive widespread adoption and unlock new frontiers in the blockchain space.

Add Qubetics Network

Qubetics has Testnet and Mainnet networks available. You can use the test network to experiment with the smart contracts and your application on that network.

To perform transactions on the Qubetics network, you would require TICS Coins to pay for the transaction fee. Follow the instructions given to add the Qubetics network to your EVM-compatible wallet, such as MetaMask.

Qubetics makes it super-easy for you to add the Qubetics Network on MetaMask. All you have to do is click the Add Qubetics Network button on the Explorer Dashboard Mainnet and similar on the Testnet as well.

How to add Qubetics Network Manually

Go to MetaMask or any other EVM-compatible wallet, click on Add Network, and enter the following details:

Properties

Network Details- Mainnet

Network Details-Testnet

Get TICS tokens

Qubetics faucet is a helpful tool where Qubetics users and developers can get free test TICS tokens to deploy and interact with their smart contract or application on Qubetics' testnet networks. There is no faucet for Qubetics Mainnet.

Prerequisites

To request tokens from the faucet, you must own a wallet address that can receive the TICS tokens.

Request test tokens through the Faucet

You can access the test TICS token from the testnet faucet .

Each address is eligible to receive 20 TICS Coins per day.

Validator FAQ

Check the FAQ for running a validator on Qubetics.

General Concepts

What is a validator?

Qubetics is powered by Tendermint Core (Comet BFT), which relies on a set of validators to secure the network. Validators run a full node and participate in consensus by broadcasting votes which contain cryptographic signatures signed by their private key. Validators commit new blocks in the blockchain and receive revenue in exchange for their work. They also participate in on-protocol treasury governance by voting on governance proposals. A validator's voting influence is weighted according to their total stake.

What is "staking"?

Qubetics is a public Proof-of-Stake (PoS) blockchain, meaning that validator's weight is determined by the amount of staking tokens (TICS) bonded as collateral. These staking tokens can be staked directly by the validator or delegated to them by TICS holders.

Any user in the system can declare its intention to become a validator by sending a create-validator transaction. From there, they become validators.

The weight (i.e. total stake or voting power) of a validator determines wether or not it is an active validator, and also how frequently this node will have to propose a block and how much revenue it will obtain. Initially, only the top 100 validators with the most weight will be active validators. If validators double-sign, or are frequently offline, they risk their staked tokens (including TICS delegated by users) being "slashed" by the protocol to penalize negligence and misbehavior.

What is a full node?

A full node is a program that fully validates transactions and blocks of a blockchain. It is distinct from a light client node that only processes block headers and a small subset of transactions. Running a full node requires more resources than a light client but is necessary in order to be a validator. In practice, running a full-node only implies running a non-compromised and up-to-date version of the software with low network latency and without downtime.

Of course, it is possible and encouraged for any user to run full nodes even if they do not plan to be validators.

What is a delegator?

Delegators are TICS holders who cannot, or do not want to run validator operations themselves. Users can delegate TICS to a validator and obtain a part of its revenue in exchange (for more detail on how revenue is distributed, see What is the incentive to stake? and What is a validator's commission? sections below).

Because they share revenue with their validators, delegators also share responsibility. Should a validator misbehave, each of its delegators will be partially slashed in proportion to their stake. This is why delegators should perform due-diligence on validators before delegating, as well as diversifying by spreading their stake over multiple validators.

Delegators play a critical role in the system, as they are responsible for choosing validators. Be aware that being a delegator is not a passive role. Delegators are obligated to remain vigilant and actively monitor the actions of their validators, switching should they fail to act responsibly.

Becoming a Validator

How to become a validator?

Any participant in the network can signal their intent to become a validator by creating a validator and registering its validator profile. To do so, the candidate broadcasts a create-validator transaction, in which they must submit the following information:

Validator's PubKey: Validator operators can have different accounts for validating and holding liquid funds. The PubKey submitted must be associated with the private key with which the validator intends to sign prevotes and precommits.

How to Display Your Validator Image on Qubetics Native Explorer?

Follow these steps to set up and display your validator identity on the Qubetics explorer:

1. Create a Keybase Account

Validator keys and states

What are the different types of keys?

In short, there are two types of keys:

Tendermint Key: This is a unique key used to sign block hashes. It is associated with a public key qubeticsvalconspub.
- Generated when the node is created with qubeticsd init

What are the different states a validator can be in?

After a validator is created with a create-validator transaction, it can be in three states:

bonded: Validator is in the active set and participates in consensus. Validator is earning rewards and can be slashed for misbehaviour.

What is "self-bond"? How can I increase my "self-bond"?

The validator operator's "self-bond" refers to the amount of TICS stake delegated to itself. You can increase your self-bond by delegating more TICS to your validator account.

Is there a testnet faucet?

If you want to obtain coins for the testnet, you can do so by using the .

Is there a minimum amount of TICS that must be staked to be an active (bonded) validator?

There is 25000TICS token minimum. The top 100 validators with the highest total stake (where total stake = self-bonded stake + delegators stake) are the active validators.

How will delegators choose their validators?

Delegators are free to choose validators according to their own subjective criteria. That said, criteria anticipated to be important include:

Amount of self-bonded TICS: Number of TICS a validator self-bonded to its staking pool. A validator with higher amount of self-bonded TICS has more skin in the game, making it more liable for its actions.
Amount of delegated TICS: Total number of TICS delegated to a validator. A high stake shows that the community trusts this validator, but it also means that this validator is a bigger target for hackers. Validators are expected to become less and less attractive as their amount of delegated TICS grows. Bigger validators also increase the centralization of the network.

Responsibilities

Do validators need to be publicly identified?

No, they do not. Each delegator will value validators based on their own criteria. Validators will be able(and are advised) to register a website address when they nominate themselves so that they can advertise their operation as they see fit. Some delegators may prefer a website that clearly displays the team running the validator and their resume, while others might prefer anonymous validators with positive track records. Most likely both identified and anonymous validators will coexist in the validator set.

What are the responsibilities of a validator?

Validators have three main responsibilities:

Be able to constantly run a correct version of the software: validators need to make sure that their servers are always online and their private keys are not compromised.
Provide oversight and feedback on correct deployment of community pool funds: the Qubetics protocol includes the a governance system for proposals to the facilitate adoption of its currencies. Validators are expected to hold budget executors to account to provide transparency and efficient use of funds.

What does staking imply?

Staking Qubetics can be thought of as a safety deposit on validation activities. When a validator or a delegator wants to retrieve part or all of their deposit, they send an unbonding transaction. Then, the deposit undergoes a two week unbonding period during which they are liable to being slashed for potential misbehavior committed by the validator before the unbonding process started.

Validators, and by association delegators, receive block provisions, block rewards, and fee rewards. If a validator misbehaves, a certain portion of its total stake is slashed (the severity of the penalty depends on the type of misbehavior). This means that every user that bonded TICS to this validator gets penalized in proportion to its stake. Delegators are therefore incentivized to delegate to validators that they anticipate will function safely.

Can a validator run away with its delegators' TICS?

By delegating to a validator, a user delegates staking power. The more staking power a validator has, the more weight it has in the consensus and processes. This does not mean that the validator has custody of its delegators' TICS. By no means can a validator run away with its delegator's funds.

Even though delegated funds cannot be stolen by their validators, delegators are still liable if their validators misbehave. In such case, each delegators' stake will be partially slashed in proportion to their relative stake.

How often will a validator be chosen to propose the next block? Does it go up with the quantity of TICS staked?

The validator that is selected to mine the next block is called the proposer, the "leader" in the consensus for the round. Each proposer is selected deterministically, and the frequency of being chosen is equal to the relative total stake (where total stake = self-bonded stake + delegators stake) of the validator. For example, if the total bonded stake across all validators is 100 TICS, and a validator's total stake is 10 TICS, then this validator will be chosen 10% of the time as the proposer.

To understand more about the proposer selection process in Tendermint BFT consensus, read more .

Incentives

What is the incentive to stake?

The main incentive to stake is that you earn 30% APY in block rewards, while unstaked tokens get diluted since rewards are only distributed to stakers. On top of that, 20% of transaction fees are burned (making TICS more scarce), and 80% goes into the community pool to grow the ecosystem. So staking not only gives you yield but also protects your share of the network over time.

What is the incentive to run a validator?

Validators earn proportionally more revenue than their delegators because of commissions.

Validators also play a major role in governance. If a delegator does not vote, they inherit the vote from their validator. This gives validators a major responsibility in the ecosystem.

What is a validator's commission?

Revenue received by a validator's pool is split between the validator and its delegators. The validator can apply a commission on the part of the revenue that goes to its delegators. This commission is set as a percentage. Each validator is free to set its initial commission, maximum daily commission change rate and maximum commission. Qubetics enforces the parameter that each validator sets. These parameters can only be defined when initially declaring candidacy, and may only be constrained further after being declared.

How are block provisions distributed?

Block provisions (rewards) are distributed proportionally to all validators relative to their total stake (voting power). This means that even though each validator gains TICS with each provision, all validators will still maintain equal weight.

Let us take an example where we have 10 validators with equal staking power and a commission rate of 1%. Let us also assume that the provision for a block is 1000 TICS and that each validator has 20% of self-bonded TICS. These tokens do not go directly to the proposer. Instead, they are evenly spread among validators. So now each validator's pool has 100 TICS. These 100 TICS will be distributed according to each participant's stake:

Commission: 100*80%*1% = 0.8 TICS

How are fees distributed?

Fees are not distributed 20% of transaction fees are burned (making TICS more scarce), and 80% goes into the community pool to grow the ecosystem.

What are the slashing conditions?

If a validator misbehaves, its bonded stake along with its delegators' stake and will be slashed. The severity of the punishment depends on the type of fault. There are 3 main faults that can result in slashing of funds for a validator and its delegators:

Double-signing: If someone reports on chain A that a validator signed two blocks at the same height on chain A and chain B, and if chain A and chain B share a common ancestor, then this validator will get slashed on chain A. The penalty for double signing is 5% of total stake.

Do validators need to self-bond TICS?

A validator’s total stake comes from two parts:

their own self-bonded stake (what they personally lock up), and
the delegated stake (what delegators delegate to them).

Even if a validator doesn’t put much of their own tokens, they can still attract delegators. That’s why reputation matters a lot

Technical Requirements

What are hardware requirements?

Validators should expect to provision one or more data center locations with redundant power, networking, firewalls, HSMs and servers.

We expect that a modest level of hardware specifications will be needed initially and that they might rise as network use increases.

What are software requirements?

In addition to running an Qubetics node, validators should develop monitoring, alerting and management solutions.

What are bandwidth requirements?

Qubetics has the capacity for very high throughput compared to chains like Ethereum or Bitcoin.

As such, we recommend that the data center nodes only connect to trusted full nodes in the cloud or other validators that know each other socially. This relieves the data center node from the burden of mitigating denial-of-service attacks.

Ultimately, as the network becomes more used, one can realistically expect daily bandwidth on the order of several gigabytes.

What does running a validator imply in terms of logistics?

A successful validator operation will require the efforts of multiple highly skilled individuals and continuous operational attention. This will be considerably more involved than running a bitcoin miner for instance.

What can validators expect in terms of operations?

Running effective operation is the key to avoiding unexpectedly unbonding or being slashed. This includes being able to respond to attacks, outages, as well as to maintain security and isolation in your data center.

What are the maintenance requirements?

Validators should expect to perform regular software updates to accommodate upgrades and bug fixes. There will inevitably be issues with the network early in its bootstrapping phase that will require substantial vigilance.

How can validators protect themselves from Denial-of-Service attacks?

Denial-of-service attacks occur when an attacker sends a flood of internet traffic to an IP address to prevent the server at the IP address from connecting to the internet.

An attacker scans the network, tries to learn the IP address of various validator nodes and disconnect them from communication by flooding them with traffic.

One recommended way to mitigate these risks is for validators to carefully structure their network topology in a so-called sentry node architecture.

Validator nodes should only connect to full-nodes they trust because they operate them themselves or are run by other validators they know socially. A validator node will typically run in a data center. Most data centers provide direct links the networks of major cloud providers. The validator can use those links to connect to sentry nodes in the cloud. This shifts the burden of denial-of-service from the validator's node directly to its sentry nodes, and may require new sentry nodes be spun up or activated to mitigate attacks on existing ones.

Sentry nodes can be quickly spun up or change their IP addresses. Because the links to the sentry nodes are in private IP space, an internet based attacked cannot disturb them directly. This will ensure validator block proposals and votes always make it to the rest of the network.

Cancel Unbonding

Cancel Unbonding Guide

This guide explains how to cancel the unbonding delegation on qubetics chain using the qubeticsd CLI.

Prerequisites

Ensure you have:

A working Qubetics chain is running.
The CLI (qubetcisd ) is installed and configured.
Your keyring is already set up with the validator and delegator keys.

Step 1: Check Pending Unbonding Delegations

To see your current unbonding delegations:

Example:

You’ll see something like:

Field meanings:

<creation_height>: The block height when the unbonding delegation was initiated. Here: it started at block 789195.

<completion_time>: The timestamp when the unbonding period finishes (i.e., when the tokens become liquid and transferable). Here: 2025-08-25T16:05:59Z is the unlock time.

<initial_balance>: The original number of tokens that were unbonded at the time of starting. Here: 1000000000000000000000 (tics = 18 decimals → 1000 TICS).

<balance>: The remaining balance that is still unbonding. If you redelegate or cancel part of it, this value decreases. Here, still the full amount (1000 TICS) is waiting. <unbonding_id>: A unique identifier for this unbonding entry. Useful if there are multiple unbondings per delegator. Here: entry ID is 378.

<unbonding_on_hold_ref_count>: Internal counter used when unbonding is paused/put on hold (e.g., due to slashing events or other protocol logic).

0 → means not on hold; tokens are progressing toward release normally.

Greater than 0 → means unbonding is currently paused.

Step 2: Cancel the Unbonding

To cancel the unbonding delegation and redelegate it back:

Note:

The amount entered on the CLI must include 18 zeros. For example, if the amount is 1 TICS, then on the CLI it should be entered as 1000000000000000000 TICS.

Example:

Note:

The amount entered on the CLI must include 18 zeros. For example, if the amount is 1 TICS, then on the CLI it should be entered as 1000000000000000000 TICS.

Where:

<validator-address> → The validator where you delegated.
<amount> → Amount you want to cancel unbonding.
<creation_height> → The block height when the unbonding delegation was initiated. Here: it started at block 789195.

Step 3: Verify the Transaction

After submission, confirm it on-chain:

Or check your updated delegation:

⚠️ Common Issues & Fixes

account sequence mismatch
- Your account has pending transactions. Wait for confirmation or increase the sequence manually.
insufficient funds

Notes

Canceling unbonding must be done before the completion_time shown in the unbonding entry.

References

Cosmos SDK Staking Docs: https://docs.cosmos.network/main/modules/staking

Disk Usage Optimization

Customize the configuration settings to lower the disk requirements for your validator node.

Blockchain database tends to grow over time, depending e.g. on block speed and transaction amount. For qubetics, we are talking about close to 100GB of disk usage in first two weeks.

There are few configurations that can be done to reduce the required disk usage quite significantly. Some of these changes take full effect only when you do the configuration and start syncing from start with them in use.

Indexing

If you do not need to query transactions from the specific node, you can disable indexing. On config.toml set

If you do this on already synced node, the collected index is not purged automatically, you need to delete it manually. The index is located under the database directory with name data/tx_index.db/.

Configure pruning

By default every 500th state, and the last 100 states are kept. This consumes a lot of disk space on long run, and can be optimized with following custom configuration:

Configuring pruning-keep-recent = "0" might sound tempting, but this will risk database corruption if the qubeticsd is killed for any reason. Thus, it is recommended to keep the few latest states.

Logging

By default the logging level is set to info, and this produces a lot of logs. This log level might be good when starting up to see that the node starts syncing properly. However, after you see the syncing is going smoothly, you can lower the log level to warn (or error). On config.toml set the following

Mainnet Node Setup

This guide provides a step-by-step process for using the qubetics_ubuntu_node.sh script to set up and run a Qubetics node. Please follow the instructions carefully to ensure a successful setup.

Prerequisites

System Requirements

Operating System: Ubuntu 22.04
Memory: At least 16GB RAM
Storage: Minimum 500GB available disk space
CPU: 8-core minimum
Network: Stable internet connection

Tools and Dependencies

Ensure the following tools are installed:

Go ( by running the install_go.sh script )
Jq
Bash
wget

All of these installations are already covered in the qubetics-mainnet-script.sh script.

Step 1: Prepare Your Environment

Run as Root or with Sudo Privileges: Ensure the script is executed with root privileges. If not, you may encounter permission issues.

2. Clone the Repo: Clone the repository and change into the directory. This script supports both Ubuntu (22.04, 24.04) and macOS (14, 15).

Step 2: Execute the Script

Check if Go is installed, and if not, then run this script ./install-go.sh

Approach 1: Run the Full Node Script

Use this prompt for faster synchronization if you prefer not to run an archived node. By running this script, you don't need to follow the steps (3, 4, & 5 mentioned in the archived node section).

-OR-

Approach 2: Run the Archived Node Script

Execute the script to install the required components and set up the node on Ubuntu.

Execute the script to install the required components and set up the node on a Mac.

The script prompts for the node name; please provide it.
The script prompts the user to set up a password for the keyring so that the keys are stored securely.
Set a secure numeric/alphanumeric password and provide it whenever prompted.

Key Configuration Prompts

If a previous node configuration exists, you will be prompted to overwrite it. Choose y to overwrite or n to retain the existing setup.
Save the generated keys and mnemonics securely when prompted. These are essential for accessing your node.

Step 3: Verify Installation

Validate Genesis: Ensure the Genesis file is properly configured.

Display Node Information: After setup, the script displays important node details:

Tendermint Public Key
Bech32 Address
Node ID

Record these details for future reference.

Step 4: Start the Node

The script automatically sets up and starts the node as a system service.

Manage the Node Service

Start the Service:

Check the Service Status:

Enable the Service to Start on Boot:

Step 5

The chain will get upgraded once it reaches the height of 175,000. Clone the repository and change into the directory.

Now run the below command

Additional Configurations

Update Configurations

The script automatically modifies configuration files located in /data/.tmp-qubeticsd/config/

Timeout Settings: Adjusted for optimal performance.
Gas Prices: Set to 0.7 TICS (approx).
Networking: Configured to listen on all interfaces (0.0.0.0).

Persistent Peers

The script includes default persistent peers to facilitate P2P communication. To add or modify peers, edit the config.toml file.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Dependency Errors: Ensure all dependencies (e.g., jq, go) are installed before running the script.

Service Not Starting: Check logs for detailed error messages.

Genesis File Validation Failed: Verify the Genesis file contents and ensure they match the required network configuration.
Permission Denied: Please verify that you have completed all the required steps and granted the necessary permissions to the script using the chmod command.

Maintenance

Restart the Node

Stop the Node

Qubetics nodes work best on Linux and macOS. While you can technically run a node on Windows, it’s not recommended for production use. Most validators and node operators prefer Ubuntu or other Linux systems because they are stable, secure, and fully compatible with the Cosmos SDK. MacOS is fine for local development, but isn’t used for production nodes. Running a node on Windows comes with several challenges:

Limited Compatibility: Qubetics node uses Cosmos SDK tools and scripts. These are designed only for Linux/macOS.
Performance Issues: Windows handles processes and networking differently, which can lead to instability.
Dependency Problems: Setting up the Qubetics node on Windows requires extra steps, like using WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux 2).
No Systemd Support:

For the best experience:

Use Linux (Ubuntu 22.04 LTS is recommended) for development, testnets, and production.
macOS is okay for local testing.
If you’re on Windows, use WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux 2) instead of running the node natively.

How To Become a Validator on Mainnet

Becoming a Validator in the Qubetics Network: Prerequisites and Setup

To join the Qubetics network as a validator, users must meet specific system requirements, install essential tools to run a validator node, and fulfill staking requirements. Below is a detailed guide to help you become a validator in the Qubetics ecosystem:

System Pre-Requisites

To ensure optimal performance and reliability as a validator, users need to have a dedicated server with the following computational resources:

Validator Migration

Safe Migration: Moving Your Validator to a New Server (Qubetics Chain)

Prepare the New Server (Node B) Set up Node B and fully sync it to the latest block height using:

Confirm that Node B is fully synced and responsive.

Testnet Node Setup

This guide provides a step-by-step process for using the qubetics_ubuntu_node.sh script to set up and run a Qubetics node. Please follow the instructions carefully to ensure a successful setup.

We will be sunsetting the alpha testnet shortly. To prevent the confusion and conflict between both the chains, the script will automatically remove the alpha-testnet's configurations from user's system and setup a new testnet node for them.

Prerequisites

How To Become a Validator

Becoming a Validator in the Qubetics Network: Prerequisites and Setup

System Pre-Requisites

To ensure optimal performance and reliability as a validator, users need to have a dedicated server with the following computational resources:

Operating System: Ubuntu 22.04 or a compatible Linux distribution.
Memory: At least 4 GB of RAM to handle network demands.
Storage: A minimum of 20 GB of available disk space to store Qubetics chain data and logs.
Internet Connection: A stable, high-speed internet connection would be required to maintain a consistent node performance and uptime.
Server Setup: You can set up your server either on a cloud platform or on your local system to host the validator node.

Here’s an example for the reference link to help you with the server setup on the EC2 instance. Link: You can choose any server to host the node based on your choice.

Software and Tool Installation

The following tools must be installed on the system to operate as a validator on the Qubetics network:

Bash: Command-line shell for script execution.
Go: Install a version compatible with the Cosmos SDK requirements.
jq: A lightweight and flexible command-line JSON processor.
wget: For downloading files from the internet.

Make sure all tools are properly installed and configured before proceeding to node setup on the Qubetics chain.

Minimum TICS Holdings

To participate as a validator in the Qubetics network, users must hold a minimum balance of 100 TICS coins in their wallet. This balance is critical for the following:

Staking Requirements: Validators must stake TICS coins to join the network and participate in transaction validation.
Economic Security: Staked tokens serve as collateral, ensuring validators act in the best interest of the Qubetics network. Validators are rewarded with TICS tokens for adhering to protocols, but any mistakes or rule violations can result in slashing their stake. Beyond their own tokens, validators are also accountable for those delegated to them, making reliability and integrity essential. This dual responsibility highlights their critical role in maintaining network security and safeguarding the community's trust.

Steps to run a Validator Node

Here is the step-by-step guide to run a Qubetics Validator Node:

Responsibilities of Validators

1. Maintain Uptime

24/7 Operations: Keep your node online and fully operational at all times to avoid penalties and ensure consistent participation.
Redundancy: Implement backup systems to minimize downtime due to hardware or network failures.

2. Secure the Network

Node Security: Follow best practices to protect your node from unauthorized access and attacks.
Private Keys: Safeguard your private keys securely in encrypted backups.

3. Adhere to Governance Policies

Compliance: Follow the governance rules and protocol standards of the Qubetics network.
Ethical Practices: Ensure fair and honest participation to maintain the integrity of the Qubetics network ecosystem.

How to onboard as a Validator

Here is the link with a step-by-step guide to onboarding as a validator on Qubetics Validator:

Validator Application: User Guide

Official guide to onboard as a validator in the Qubetics network using the Qubetics validator application.

Validators play an important role in ensuring the security of a blockchain network and facilitating the creation of new blocks. They also participate in the consensus process with other validators. This document is intended to guide users through the process of becoming a validator on the Quebtics network.

Before proceeding, please ensure you have successfully set up your Quebtics Validator Node.

Who are validators?

A validator is a participant in a network who is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the distributed ledger by validating transactions and adding them to the blockchain. They are in charge of creating new blocks, as well as ensuring the network's finality and, ultimately, its security.

Validator Login

To become a validator on the Qubetics platform, user can access the validator application through a secure login screen that authenticates them before granting them access to validator features.

By connecting to the Qubetics network via a valid node URL and logging in with a wallet. Users can become a validator to participate in the consensus mechanism and manage validator-specific tasks such as staking, unbonding, and account management. This process ensures secure, reliable access and aligns with blockchain best practices.

Login Section

This section allows users to authenticate and access the validator application.

Node URL Input Field Users need to provide the URL of the node they want to connect to in the Node Information section. This URL serves as a gateway for communication with the blockchain network, enabling validators to interact with real-time blockchain data. Make sure the URL is secured with s in https://

Validator Dashboard

The dashboard page offers a comprehensive understanding of how to use the platform. The dashboard provides critical insights into validator operations and overall blockchain performance.

The Navigation Menu is designed for ease of use, ensuring that users can quickly access relevant screens without confusion. This menu acts as a central hub for managing all aspects of validator operations while ensuring a secure and user-friendly interface.

Dashboard Here, users can view essential validator metrics, such as their current status, performance statistics, and recent wallet activities.
Block Navigate to the Block Screen, where users can explore:
- Block numbers
- Block hashes
- Validators associated with each block
Validators This leads to the Validators List screen, displaying all active and inactive validators. Users can access additional tabs and tools to view validator-specific data, such as voting power, staking, and delegator information.
Manage Account Enables users to manage their validator account. Key actions include:
- Bond More: Stake additional tokens to increase validator power.
- Unbond: Withdraw staked tokens.
- Stop Validator: Deactivate the validator role.
My Account Allows users to:
- View their wallet balance.
- Check transaction history for an overview of activities.
Validator Address Displays the Validator Address, which identifies the node set up on the Qubetics blockchain as part of the validator network. This ensures users have quick access to their validator node details.
Balance Shows the current token balance in the user’s connected wallet. Reflects available funds for staking or other transactions.
Logout Provides a secure way for users to log out of the application, ensuring their account and wallet remain protected.

Metrics Section

The Metrics Section offers a comprehensive overview of key network statistics, giving users insights into the blockchain's economic performance and staking opportunities. Below are the details of each metric displayed in this section:

Market Cap Displays the total market capitalization of the native TICS tokens (e.g., $1,493,7089). This metric reflects the overall value of the blockchain's circulating supply.
Qubetics Price This tile shows the current market price of one TICS token (e.g., $100). This price updates in real-time, helping users assess the token's value and market trends.
Inflation Reflects the current annual inflation rate on the blockchain (e.g., 12%). Inflation determines the rate at which new TICS tokens are added to the token supply, affecting token supply of the token.

Validator Status

The Validator Status section offers key insights into a validator’s performance and operational details. Below are the detailed components of this section:

Total Stake Displays the total amount of tokens staked with the validator (e.g., 1000 TICS). Includes both self-bonded tokens (staked by the validator themselves) and delegations (tokens staked by others with the validator). This metric reflects the validator’s voting power, which directly impacts its influence in the consensus process. A higher stake indicates greater trust and reliability from delegators.
Commission Shows the percentage of rewards retained by the validator as a fee for their services (e.g., 10%). Validators charge this commission to cover operational costs such as infrastructure maintenance and security. Delegators earn the remaining rewards based on their staked amount.
Status Indicates whether the validator is active, inactive, or awaiting activation.

Real-time updates ensure users know their validator’s operational state and any necessary actions.

Recent Wallet Action

The Recent Wallet Actions section provides a quick overview of the latest activities related to the validator. Below is a breakdown of the components and details:

Unbond Shows details of tokens unstaked from the validator (e.g., 100 TICS).
Withdraw Displays details of withdrawal requests (e.g., 100 TICS).

Key Metrics

The Key Metrics section provides a detailed overview of critical validator and network statistics. This information is essential for understanding a validator's performance, influence, and contributions to the network.

Latest Block Proposed This metric displays the block number of the most recent block proposed by the validator.
No. of Delegators Shows the total number of delegators who have staked their tokens with this validator (e.g., 32).
Total Delegators' Stake Amount Displays the cumulative amount of tokens staked by all delegators with this validator (e.g., 150 TICS).

Validators

The Qubetics Validator Overview Page offers a list view of validator performance, including voting power, self-stake, blocks proposed, and delegator participation. It helps users analyze staking opportunities with metrics like APR and commission rates, enabling easy sorting and navigation.

Validators Overview

The Validators Overview section gives users a clear and concise summary of the overall performance of validators and the network's health. It is a key area for understanding how the network operates and provides essential metrics for both validators and delegators.

Total Validators This metric displays the total number of active validators in the network. A higher number of validators indicates greater decentralization and security for the network. It shows the level of participation in block validation and consensus, reflecting the network’s robustness.
Staking APR Displays the current annual return rate for staking tokens with validators. The APR is calculated based on the total rewards distributed and the total tokens staked.

Validator Tabs

Three tabs categorize validators based on their current status:

All Validators Displays all validators in the network.
Active Shows only validators actively participating in block production.
Inactive Lists validators temporarily not participating.
Deactivated Shows validators that are permanently removed or not validating.

Validator List Table

The validator list table provides a comprehensive view of all validators in the network, organizing key details into columns for easy navigation and analysis. This table is essential for both delegators and validators to assess network performance, validator contributions, and staking opportunities.

Sr No. A unique serial number is assigned to each validator for quick reference.
Name Displays the name of the validator (e.g., Shinobi Validator, Sherlock Nodes). The validator name is a human-readable identifier, making it easier for delegators to recognize and select validators.
Validator Address The blockchain address associated with the validator (e.g., 0x47865...46845). This address uniquely identifies the validator on the blockchain. Clicking on the address opens a detailed page with metrics like blocks proposed, commission history, and staking statistics.

Validators are required to configure three commission-related parameters at the time of validator creation:

Initial Commission Rate: The percentage of rewards the validator will initially retain from the delegators’ staking rewards. (Example: 10%)
Maximum Commission Rate: The upper bound on the commission rate that the validator can ever set. This protects delegators from abrupt hikes. (Example: 20%)

Summary of Rewards

Self Stake The amount of tokens the validator has staked themselves to maintain their role. Validators must maintain a minimum self-stake to remain in the active set. Insufficient self-stake can result in status changes to "Deactivating" or "Inactive".
Delegators The number of users who have delegated tokens to the validator (e.g., 2). This metric indicates the validator’s popularity and level of trust within the community.

Pagination

Pagination controls below the table help users navigate through multiple pages of transaction data by selecting specific page numbers (e.g., 1, 2, 3). Additionally, the table can be sorted by columns like value, timestamp, or transaction hash, allowing users to organize the data according to their preferences for easier analysis.

Active Validators Tab

Validators Table

The Active Validators Tab serves as a centralized hub for understanding validator contributions and making informed staking decisions. Delegators can assess validator performance, reward structures, and operational status to choose validators that align with their goals. Validators can monitor their metrics to evaluate their standing within the network and optimize their operations for better performance.

Serial Number (Sr. No.) Each validator is assigned a unique serial number for quick reference and streamlined navigation. This allows users to locate and compare validators effortlessly within the table.
Name The Name column displays the unique names of validators, such as "Shinobi Validator" or "Sherlock Nodes". This identifier helps delegators easily recognize and select validators for staking, making the interface user-friendly and intuitive.
Validator Address The Validator Address represents the unique blockchain address associated with each validator (e.g., 0x47865...46845). Clicking on the address provides a more in-depth view of the validator’s metrics, performance history, and contribution to the network. This feature allows users to make informed decisions based on detailed validator data.
Status The Status column indicates the validator's operational state, ensuring transparency in their participation within the network. This status overview helps delegators identify reliable validators for staking:
- Active: The validator is currently contributing to block validation and participating in consensus.
- Deactivating: The validator is in the process of exiting from active participation but may still be holding delegators' stakes temporarily.
Total Stake The Total Stake column reflects the total number of tokens staked with each validator, including contributions from delegators and the validator themselves.
Commission The Commission column displays the percentage of staking rewards retained by the validator as a fee for their services.
Self Stake The Self Stake column highlights the amount of tokens the validator has personally staked to maintain their eligibility.
Delegators The Delegators column shows the number of users who have staked their tokens with the validator (e.g., 2).

Deactivated Validator Tab

The Deactivated Tab on the Validators Page of the Qubetics Validator interface provides critical information about validators who are no longer actively participating in the network. It offers insights into their past performance, commission rates, total stake, and delegator count, helping users make informed staking decisions. This section also enables delegators to review validators for potential future staking opportunities and allows validators to analyze their deactivated status for potential reactivation. By ensuring transparency and accessibility, the Qubetics ecosystem empowers both delegators and validators to contribute effectively to network participation and growth.

Validators Table Overview

The Validators Table offers a comprehensive view of all validators in the network, displaying essential details in organized columns. This information helps both delegators and validators assess performance, trustworthiness, and staking opportunities.

Sr.No. Each validator is assigned a unique serial number to make navigation and identification straightforward.
Name The validator's name (e.g., Shinobi Validator, Sherlock Nodes) provides an easily recognizable identity, allowing delegators to quickly locate and evaluate specific validators.
Validator Address The blockchain address associated with the validator (e.g., 0x47865...46845). Clicking on the address reveals detailed metrics, such as the validator's performance, transaction history, and operational activities.

Validator Details

The Validator Details Page provides in-depth information about a validator’s performance, commission rates, and community engagement. Delegators can explore these details to make informed decisions about staking their tokens. It includes key metrics such as total stake, self-stake, delegator count, and commission structure, offering insights into the validator's reliability and efficiency. Validators can use this page to track their performance, monitor their contributions to the network, and compare their metrics with other validators, helping them improve and maintain their position within the ecosystem. This page ensures transparency and supports both delegators and validators in making data-driven decisions.

Back Button

Located at the top left, this button allows users to return to the main Validators list page.

Wallet Address Field

Displays the unique blockchain address of the validator (e.g., 0x47685...8B145).

Name

The name of the validator (e.g., Shinobi Validator) serves as its identity within the network, making it easier for users and delegators to locate and recognize them. Validators often choose unique and meaningful names to establish trust and attract delegators.

Status

This indicates the current operational state of the validator. Understanding a validator’s status is crucial for delegators when choosing where to stake their tokens.

Active: The validator is currently validating blocks and actively participating in the network’s consensus mechanism.
Inactive: The validator is temporarily not participating in block validation, potentially due to downtime or issues.
Deactivating: The validator is transitioning out of active status, which could indicate reduced activity or operational changes.

Commission Rate

This is the percentage of staking rewards that the validator retains as payment for their services.

Commission Max Rate

The maximum commission rate a validator can charge offers insight into the potential upper limit of their fees. This sets an upper limit on how high the validator can ever increase their commission rate.

It protects delegators by ensuring that validators can’t drastically raise their commission and take a larger portion of the rewards later on.

Commission Change Rate

This defines how quickly a validator can adjust their commission rate over time. This defines the maximum percentage a validator can increase (or decrease) their commission in a single day.

It ensures commission changes happen gradually, giving delegators time to react if a validator increases their fee.

Total Stake

The combined total of tokens staked with the validator, including both the validator’s self-stake and delegator contributions.

Self-Stake

The number of tokens the validator has staked from their own holdings. A significant self-stake demonstrates the validator’s commitment to the network and its security, reassuring delegators about their credibility.

Validator Since

The date the validator started operations on the network. This provides historical context about the validator’s experience and longevity in the network, which can influence delegators’ decisions.

Delegators

The total number of delegators who have staked tokens with this validator (e.g., 27).

How To Become a Delegator

Prerequisites

Wallet Setup

A Qubetics-compatible wallet
TICS Tokens: Ensure that 50 TICS tokens are held to participate in delegation on Testnet and 1 TICS tokens are held to participate in delegation on Mainnet.

Understanding the Process

Familiarize yourself with the roles and responsibilities of validators.
Understand key metrics such as stake amount, commission rates, stake rewards, and the potential risks involved.
Gain basic knowledge of the unbonding period and how delegation works.

Steps to Become a Delegator

Step 1: Access Qubetics Delegator Application

Visit the delegator application, the official delegator application for the Qubetics blockchain, to seamlessly onboard as a delegator in 4 easy steps.
Sign in with your Keplr in the application and click on the “Become a delegator” button.

Step 2: Select a Validator

Evaluate validator performance metrics on the validator page, including:
- Total Stake: The total amount of TICS tokens staked, including self-stake and stake delegated by delegators to the validator.
- Commission Rate: The percentage of rewards retained by the validator as a fee before distributing the staked rewards to all the delegators.

Step 3: Delegate Tokens

Use the Qubetics Wallet TICS balance to delegate your tokens.
Specify the number of tokens to delegate.
Review and confirm the delegation process.

Step 4: Monitor Rewards

Regularly log into the delegator application to track staking rewards and validator performance.
Stay updated on any changes in validator metrics

Step 5: Re-Delegate or Withdraw Tokens

If you’re unsatisfied with your current validator, re-delegate your tokens to another validator.
Withdraw your staked tokens if needed, adhering to the unbonding period, during which your tokens remain locked before becoming accessible.

Responsibilities of Delegators

1. Choose Validators Wisely

Conduct thorough research on validator performance metrics, including reliability, commission rates, and reputation.
Avoid delegating to validators with high commission rates or poor uptime records to minimize risks.

2. Participate in Governance

Use your delegated tokens to vote on governance proposals, playing an active role in shaping the Qubetics ecosystem.
Stay informed about governance discussions and upcoming proposals.

3. Monitor Staking Activity

Regularly review validator performance and reward rates to ensure your tokens are aligned with the best options.
Stay proactive in re-delegating or withdrawing tokens if your current validator’s performance declines.

Dashboard

After successfully logging in, users will be redirected to the dashboard, where they can view their stats, wallet address (associated with the mnemonics used for login), and their account balance. First-time users won’t see the latest delegations on the validator's node. To proceed, they need to click on the "Become a Delegator" button, which will take them to a list of available validators on the Qubetics Network. Once a user stakes a minimum of 50 TICS Testnet and 1000 TICS Mainnet on a specific validator, the updated delegation view will appear.

Header Overview

The top panel of the application displays the following blockchain statistics

Market Cap Displays the total value of all circulating TICS tokens, reflecting the overall valuation of the Qubetics ecosystem.
Qubetics Price Shows the real-time market price of TICS tokens. This is essential for understanding the value of your staked and unbonded tokens.
Inflation The annual rate at which new tokens are created and distributed within the network. Inflation impacts staking rewards and token supply.
APR (Annual Percentage Rate)

Dashboard Statistics

This section provides a snapshot of the delegator's staking activity:

Total Rewards Displays the cumulative rewards you’ve earned through staking. Rewards are distributed periodically based on validator performance and network participation.
Total Stake Amount Reflects the total number of TICS tokens you’ve delegated to validators. This includes active stakes across all validators in the network.

Validator Table

This is the central feature of the dashboard, enabling you to manage your interactions with validators effectively:

Name Displays the name of the validator node, helping you identify their roles and reputations.
Validator Address The blockchain address of the validator node ensures transparency and verifiability.
Bond Amount Reflects the number of TICS tokens you’ve staked with each validator.
Rewards Earned Shows the total rewards generated from staking with a specific validator.

Recent Wallet Activities

This section provides a detailed log of your wallet’s interactions within the network. It ensures transparency and allows you to review past transactions.

Transaction Hash A unique identifier for each transaction. You can click the hash to view detailed information about the transaction.
Type Categorizes the transaction (e.g., staking, voting, unbonding, or redelegating), providing insights into your recent activities.
Amount Displays the number of TICS tokens involved in the transaction.

How to Delegate or Manage Tokens

Delegating More Tokens
- Click on the “Delegate More” button to view a list of available validators.
- Review each validator’s performance metrics, including uptime, commission rates, and voting power.
- Select a validator and specify the amount of TICS tokens you wish to delegate.

When a delegator performs a redelegation, all previously accumulated staking rewards are automatically claimed at the time of the redelegation. Future rewards will be calculated based on the new validator to whom the tokens have been redelegated. Additionally, after redelegating, the same tokens cannot be redelegated again until a 14-day redelegation cooldown period has passed. Similarly, when a delegator increases their stake (adds more tokens) to an existing delegation, any pending rewards are automatically claimed, and reward accumulation restarts based on the updated stake.

Viewing More Transaction Details

Click on “View More” in the Recent Wallet Activities section to see a comprehensive transaction history. This includes all staking, unbonding, and governance participation activities.

Transactions Summary

The Transaction Summary in TICSScan provides an overview of all transactions on the blockchain, offering insights into network activity, performance, and engagement. It displays key metrics such as total transactions, recent activity, and transaction trends over various timeframes. Users can filter, sort, and navigate through transaction records while accessing real-time updates. With features like transaction hash linking for detailed views and filtering by parameters like status or type, it ensures transparency and ease of use for developers, investors, and general users.

Transaction Summary

The transaction metrics display the total number of transactions since the network's launch, the transactions completed in the last 30 days, and the number of unique active accounts today. These insights reflect the network's overall scale, recent activity trends, and daily user engagement.

Total Transactions Displays the total number of transactions recorded on the blockchain since its inception (e.g., 68,321,458). This metric reflects the overall scale and usage of the network.
Transaction (Last 30 Days) Shows the total number of transactions completed in the past month (e.g., 34,32,323). It provides insights into recent network activity and usage trends.
Active Accounts (Today) Indicates the number of unique accounts that have performed at least one transaction within the current day (e.g., 12,577). This highlights daily user engagement and participation levels.

Transactions List

This table provides detailed insights into individual transactions on the network. The following columns are included:

Txn Hash A unique identifier for each transaction (e.g., 0x47865...46845). Clicking on the hash provides a detailed breakdown, including gas fees, status (e.g., success or failure), and associated events like contract executions.
Type Specifies the type of transaction (e.g., transfer, staking, or smart contract interaction). This helps users quickly understand the purpose and nature of the transaction.
Block The block number where the transaction was included (e.g., 4675635). It provides context about when the transaction was confirmed on the blockchain.

Pagination

The pagination and sorting features make it easy to navigate and analyze transaction data. Pagination controls, located below the table, let users move through multiple pages of transactions by clicking on specific page numbers. Additionally, sorting options allow users to organize transactions by columns such as newest, value, or age, making it easier to find and analyze specific information.

Validators

The TICS Scan validator page provides detailed information about validators on the Qubetics blockchain. It displays key metrics like validator names, addresses, total stake, commission rates, and uptime percentages. Users can see how many blocks each validator has validated and their overall performance. This page helps users choose reliable validators for staking and ensures transparency in the network’s decentralization and security.

Validator Summary

The Validator Summary provides a comprehensive overview of validator activity and network participation on the Qubetics blockchain. It includes key metrics that reflect the health and efficiency of the validator ecosystem:

Onchain APY Shows the current annual percentage yield (APY) offered by validators for staking rewards (e.g., 31.58%). This metric is essential for delegators looking to maximize their returns by staking tokens.
Total Validators Displays the total number of validators participating in the network (e.g., 45). This indicates the overall capacity and decentralization of the blockchain.
Bonded Rate Represents the percentage of the total token supply that is staked or bonded to validators (e.g., 19.947%). A higher bonded rate reflects strong participation in securing the network.
FR 8.001d: Active Validators Shows the number of validators currently active and producing blocks (e.g., 42). This metric highlights the validators contributing to the blockchain's stability and operation.

FR 8.002: Validators Table

The Validators Table provides detailed information about each validator on the Qubetics blockchain, helping users understand their role, performance, and contribution to the network. The table is organized into the following columns:

FR 8.002a: Validator Name The name or identifier of the validator (e.g., Shidoguardian, Xshrimp.com). This makes it easy to identify individual validators.
FR 8.002b: Voting Power Represents the validator's influence in the network, determined by the total tokens delegated to it (e.g., 3025). If no tokens are delegated, this field may be empty, indicating no active voting power.
FR 8.002c: Delegators Shows the number of accounts delegating tokens to the validator (e.g., 1). This reflects the level of trust and participation from the community.

FR 8.003: Pagination

Pagination controls at the bottom of the validator summary allow users to navigate through multiple pages of token data efficiently (e.g., 1, 2, 3 ... 12).

Read Contract Tab

The Read Contract Tab enables users to access and query the contract's read-only functions to fetch data directly from the blockchain. These functions are used to retrieve information without making any changes to the blockchain, meaning no tokens or gas fees are required.

Wallet Connection

Allows users to securely connect their wallet to the interface. Although read-only functions don’t require gas or tokens, wallet integration ensures secure and authenticated interactions with the contract.

Contract Information

Public Functions: Displays a list of all publicly accessible read functions within the contract. These functions provide data such as balances, token details, or contract status.
Expandable Functions: Each function is listed with its name (e.g., _verifyTransfer). Users can expand any function to view input fields or directly execute a query to retrieve outputs.
Inputs and Outputs: Some functions may require input parameters (e.g., wallet addresses) to fetch specific data. The output provides the requested information in real time.

Token Icon

Step 1: Enter the Contract Address

Locate the Enter Contract Address field.
Paste the unique contract address associated with your token.
- Example format: 0xAdAC17F958D2ee523a2206206994597C13D831ec7
Ensure that the address is accurate and corresponds to the contract you own.

Step 2: Enter the Image URL

Locate the Enter URL field.
- This is where you provide the URL for the token icon image.
Paste the direct image URL for the token icon. Requirements:
- The URL must link to a valid image (e.g., PNG or JPG)

Step 3: Submit the Information

Click the Submit button located below the fields.
Once submitted:
- The platform will verify the ownership of the provided contract address.
- The submitted token icon will undergo validation.

Ownership Verification: Ensure the provided contract address belongs to you. Ownership is typically verified through signature or wallet validation.
Image Guidelines:

Validator FAQ

Check the FAQ for running a validator on Qubetics.

General Concepts

What is a validator?

What is "staking"?

Any user in the system can declare its intention to become a validator by sending a create-validator transaction. From there, they become validators.

What is a full node?

Of course, it is possible and encouraged for any user to run full nodes even if they do not plan to be validators.

What is a delegator?

Becoming a Validator

How to become a validator?

Validator's PubKey: Validator operators can have different accounts for validating and holding liquid funds. The PubKey submitted must be associated with the private key with which the validator intends to sign prevotes and precommits.

How to Display Your Validator Image on Qubetics Native Explorer?

Follow these steps to set up and display your validator identity on the Qubetics explorer:

1. Create a Keybase Account

Validator keys and states

What are the different types of keys?

In short, there are two types of keys:

Tendermint Key: This is a unique key used to sign block hashes. It is associated with a public key qubeticsvalconspub.
- Generated when the node is created with qubeticsd init

What are the different states a validator can be in?

After a validator is created with a create-validator transaction, it can be in three states:

bonded: Validator is in the active set and participates in consensus. Validator is earning rewards and can be slashed for misbehaviour.

What is "self-bond"? How can I increase my "self-bond"?

The validator operator's "self-bond" refers to the amount of TICS stake delegated to itself. You can increase your self-bond by delegating more TICS to your validator account.

Is there a testnet faucet?

If you want to obtain coins for the testnet, you can do so by using the .

Is there a minimum amount of TICS that must be staked to be an active (bonded) validator?

There is 25000TICS token minimum. The top 100 validators with the highest total stake (where total stake = self-bonded stake + delegators stake) are the active validators.

How will delegators choose their validators?

Delegators are free to choose validators according to their own subjective criteria. That said, criteria anticipated to be important include:

Amount of self-bonded TICS: Number of TICS a validator self-bonded to its staking pool. A validator with higher amount of self-bonded TICS has more skin in the game, making it more liable for its actions.
Amount of delegated TICS: Total number of TICS delegated to a validator. A high stake shows that the community trusts this validator, but it also means that this validator is a bigger target for hackers. Validators are expected to become less and less attractive as their amount of delegated TICS grows. Bigger validators also increase the centralization of the network.

Responsibilities

Do validators need to be publicly identified?

What are the responsibilities of a validator?

Validators have three main responsibilities:

Be able to constantly run a correct version of the software: validators need to make sure that their servers are always online and their private keys are not compromised.
Provide oversight and feedback on correct deployment of community pool funds: the Qubetics protocol includes the a governance system for proposals to the facilitate adoption of its currencies. Validators are expected to hold budget executors to account to provide transparency and efficient use of funds.

What does staking imply?

Can a validator run away with its delegators' TICS?

How often will a validator be chosen to propose the next block? Does it go up with the quantity of TICS staked?

To understand more about the proposer selection process in Tendermint BFT consensus, read more .

Incentives

What is the incentive to stake?

What is the incentive to run a validator?

Validators earn proportionally more revenue than their delegators because of commissions.

Validators also play a major role in governance. If a delegator does not vote, they inherit the vote from their validator. This gives validators a major responsibility in the ecosystem.

What is a validator's commission?

How are block provisions distributed?

Commission: 100*80%*1% = 0.8 TICS

How are fees distributed?

Fees are not distributed 20% of transaction fees are burned (making TICS more scarce), and 80% goes into the community pool to grow the ecosystem.

What are the slashing conditions?

Double-signing: If someone reports on chain A that a validator signed two blocks at the same height on chain A and chain B, and if chain A and chain B share a common ancestor, then this validator will get slashed on chain A. The penalty for double signing is 5% of total stake.

Do validators need to self-bond TICS?

A validator’s total stake comes from two parts:

their own self-bonded stake (what they personally lock up), and
the delegated stake (what delegators delegate to them).

Even if a validator doesn’t put much of their own tokens, they can still attract delegators. That’s why reputation matters a lot

Technical Requirements

What are hardware requirements?

Validators should expect to provision one or more data center locations with redundant power, networking, firewalls, HSMs and servers.

We expect that a modest level of hardware specifications will be needed initially and that they might rise as network use increases.

What are software requirements?

In addition to running an Qubetics node, validators should develop monitoring, alerting and management solutions.

What are bandwidth requirements?

Qubetics has the capacity for very high throughput compared to chains like Ethereum or Bitcoin.

Ultimately, as the network becomes more used, one can realistically expect daily bandwidth on the order of several gigabytes.

What does running a validator imply in terms of logistics?

What can validators expect in terms of operations?

What are the maintenance requirements?

How can validators protect themselves from Denial-of-Service attacks?

Denial-of-service attacks occur when an attacker sends a flood of internet traffic to an IP address to prevent the server at the IP address from connecting to the internet.

An attacker scans the network, tries to learn the IP address of various validator nodes and disconnect them from communication by flooding them with traffic.

One recommended way to mitigate these risks is for validators to carefully structure their network topology in a so-called sentry node architecture.