Validators

Validators are network participants that run the VeChainThor client (Thor) to validate transactions, produce blocks, and take part in the consensus process. By maintaining the blockchain’s security and integrity, validators play a vital role in the network and earn block rewards for their contributions.

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Becoming a Validator

Anyone can apply to become a validator, provided they meet both the technical and economic requirements. A validator setup can be managed by a single individual or divided between two roles: a node operator, who runs the validator machine, and an asset owner, who locks the required VET and endorses the validator.

The process begins by setting up a validator machine and generating a signing key. Once the node is synced, the asset owner interacts with Stargate to input the signing key and optionally define a beneficiary wallet for rewards. At this stage, they also choose a validation period (7, 15, or 30 days) and stake a minimum of 25 million VET. By signing the endorsement transaction, the wallet becomes linked to the validator machine, and the validator enters the onboarding process by joining a queue.

The queue duration is fixed at 30 minutes before transitioning to active status, provided a slot is available. If the validator set is full, the new candidate enters a queue governed by a first-in, first-out (FIFO) logic.

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Validator Status

Validators move between different statuses depending on their lifecycle:

• Queued: waiting for a slot to become active, typically after applying or rejoining.

• Active: participating in block production and consensus.

• Exited: either voluntarily withdrawn or removed by the protocol.

• Unknown: a fallback status, triggered by incorrect configuration or protocol errors.

Once active, validators are eligible for block proposal and can start receiving delegations.

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Staking Periods and Validators Lifecycle

Validators must commit to a validation period—either 7, 15, or 30 days. This choice affects when they can adjust their stake, request to exit, or process configuration changes. By default, validators are set to auto-renew, meaning they automatically roll into a new period unless they actively request to exit.

When a validator requests to exit, the change takes effect at the end of the current period, followed by a mandatory 24-hour cooldown. During this time, the validator is no longer eligible for new delegations, and all active delegators are automatically exited. Exiting cannot be reversed once initiated.

Validators who fail to produce blocks for seven consecutive days due to technical failures or downtime are forcibly removed by the protocol. They cannot re-enter the validator set, but they are allowed to withdraw their staked VET after their exit is finalized, or join the queue again.

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Delegations and Selection Probability

Delegators play a crucial role in strengthening validators. The probability of a validator being selected to produce a block is tied not only to their own staked VET but also to the total VET delegated to them.

This probability is further enhanced by reward multipliers attached to delegators' NFTs. For example, X Node holders apply a 1.5x multiplier to their delegated stake, while other node types receive a 1x multiplier. As a result, validators who attract delegations from high-value NFTs gain a measurable competitive edge in block selection.

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Validator Rewards

Validators receive two forms of income: a share of block rewards and 100% of transaction priority fees from the blocks they produce. When operating without any delegations, a validator retains the full block reward. However, once they have at least one delegator, the protocol redistributes block rewards such that the validator keeps 30%, and 70% is allocated proportionally to the delegators.

This structure incentivizes validators to secure delegations while continuing to reward those running infrastructure independently.

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Validator Exit Process

A validator can initiate a voluntary exit at any point during their period. The exit takes effect at the end of the current staking period, after which a 24-hour cooldown period begins. During this time, the validator can no longer receive new delegations, and all existing delegators are also exited from the validator automatically. This ensures synchronization between validator and delegator periods.

Once a validator exits, their VET becomes available for withdrawal, and they are permanently removed from the active validator set unless they restart the onboarding process.

Validators may also be forcibly removed from the network if they fail to produce blocks for seven consecutive days. This ensures that underperforming or offline validators do not affect network reliability. Once ejected, they are ineligible to re-enter with the same identity and must withdraw their stake.