Validator Nodes
Validator nodes are the core of Helix, securing the network using CometBFT consensus while processing transactions and maintaining the network
Helix Validators
In Helix validators are specialized nodes that:
- Propose new blocks in a round-robin fashion based on your voting power
- Validate and sign blocks proposed by other validators
- Participate in consensus to achieve BFT
- Earn rewards from transaction fees and block rewards
Validators stake `NAI`` tokens as collateral, putting their assets at risk (slashing) in exchange for the right to earn rewards for participation within the network.
Consensus
Helix uses CometBFT, offering:
- Instant finality - Transactions are final once included in a block
- High throughput - Processing thousands of transactions per second
- Byzantine Fault Tolerance - Secure against up to 1/3 malicious nodes
The protocol works in rounds where a proposer is selected to create a block, followed by a voting process requiring >2/3 validator signatures to commit.
Economics of Validation
Validators receive two types of rewards:
- Block rewards - Generated through inflation
- Transaction fees - Collected from users submitting transactions
Rewards are always going to be proportional to the validator staked amount, but slashing penalties apply for:
- Downtime (being offline)
- Double-signing
The current minimum gas price is 0.025nai per unit of gas.
Validator Set
Nuklai's active validator set is determined by:
- Total amount of NAI staked to each validator
Validators outside the active set are placed in a waiting queue based on stake weight.