Skip to main content

Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/axelarnetwork/axelar-core/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

The Snapshot module bridges Axelar’s validator set with the operational demands of cross-chain work. Because validators must submit many transactions per block — event confirmations, vote submissions, signature shares — they register a proxy account through this module. The proxy acts on the validator’s behalf, allowing automated vald processes to broadcast transactions without exposing the validator’s main key. The module also tracks which proxies are active, enabling the rest of the system to identify the operator behind any proxy address.

Proxy Registration

Validators register a separate proxy address that the vald daemon uses to broadcast operational transactions.

Operator Lookup

Other modules (e.g., nexus, multisig) look up the validator operator behind a proxy address to attribute votes and signatures.

Proxy Status

Proxies can be marked active or inactive. Only active proxies can submit transactions that require operator authorization.

Balance Enforcement

The MinProxyBalance parameter ensures proxy accounts hold enough funds to cover transaction fees, preventing operational failures.

​
Key Concepts

​
ProxiedValidator

A ProxiedValidator links a validator address to a proxy account: 
func NewProxiedValidator(validator sdk.ValAddress, proxy sdk.AccAddress, active bool) ProxiedValidator {
    return ProxiedValidator{
        Validator: validator,
        Proxy:     proxy,
        Active:    active,
    }
}

func (m ProxiedValidator) Validate() error {
    if err := sdk.VerifyAddressFormat(m.Validator); err != nil {
        return errorsmod.Wrap(err, "invalid validator")
    }
    if err := sdk.VerifyAddressFormat(m.Proxy); err != nil {
        return errorsmod.Wrap(err, "invalid proxy")
    }
    if m.Validator.Equals(m.Proxy) {
        return errors.New("validator cannot be the same as proxy")
    }
    return nil
}
The Active field is true immediately after registration. Calling deactivate-proxy sets it to false, preventing the proxy from submitting further authorized transactions.

​
Snapshot

A snapshot is a point-in-time capture of the active validator set and their voting powers, used by the Multisig module to determine keygen and signing participants. Snapshots are created on-demand (e.g., at the start of a keygen session) and stored by the Snapshot keeper.

​
Participant

Within a snapshot, a Participant represents one validator with their associated voting weight at the time the snapshot was taken.

​
Proxy Registration

Validators must register a proxy before they can participate in any chain-maintenance or signing duties. The proxy address is typically a hot wallet controlled by the vald process: 
# Register a proxy account for the validator sending this transaction
axelard tx snapshot register-proxy [proxy-address] \
  --from <validator-operator-key> \
  --chain-id axelar-dojo-1
The proxy address must be different from the validator’s operator address. Attempting to register the same address as both operator and proxy will fail validation.

​
Deactivating a Proxy

When rotating proxy keys or temporarily suspending vald operations, deactivate the current proxy: 
axelard tx snapshot deactivate-proxy \
  --from <validator-operator-key> \
  --chain-id axelar-dojo-1
After calling deactivate-proxy, the validator will not be able to participate in cross-chain duties until a new proxy is registered and activated. Ensure continuity before deactivating in production.

​
Sending Tokens to Proxies

For operational convenience, send tokens to multiple proxy addresses in a single transaction: 
axelard tx snapshot send-tokens \
  --from <funder-key> \
  --recipients axelar1proxy1...,axelar1proxy2... \
  --amounts 1000000uaxl,1000000uaxl \
  --chain-id axelar-dojo-1

​
Module Parameters

​
MinProxyBalance
int64
required
Minimum token balance (in uaxl) that a proxy account must maintain to be considered operational. Default: 5,000,000 uaxl (5 AXL). If a proxy’s balance falls below this threshold, it may be treated as inactive by the broader system.

​
CLI Reference

​
Query Commands

# Look up the operator (validator) address for a given proxy address
axelard query snapshot operator [proxy-address]

# Look up the proxy address and its status for a given operator address
axelard query snapshot proxy [operator-address]

# Show snapshot module parameters
axelard query snapshot params

​
Transaction Commands

# Register a proxy address
axelard tx snapshot register-proxy [proxy-address] \
  --from <validator-operator-key>

# Deactivate the current proxy
axelard tx snapshot deactivate-proxy \
  --from <validator-operator-key>

# Send tokens to proxy accounts
axelard tx snapshot send-tokens \
  --recipients axelar1abc...,axelar1def... \
  --amounts 1000000uaxl,1000000uaxl \
  --from <funder-key>
After registering a proxy, verify the linkage with axelard query snapshot proxy [operator-address] and confirm the status shows active: true before starting vald.

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us