The validator committee is the set of active validators participating in Sui consensus. This guide covers committee structure, selection, and management.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/mystenlabs/sui/llms.txt
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Committee Overview
The Sui validator committee:- Active validators: Currently participating in consensus
- Candidate validators: Registered but not in active set
- Pending validators: Will join in next epoch
- Leaving validators: Will exit in next epoch
Committee Size
Committee size varies based on network:- Mainnet: ~100-150 validators
- Testnet: ~50-100 validators
- Dynamic: Size can change through governance
Epoch System
Epoch Duration
- Mainnet: 24 hours
- Testnet: Typically 24 hours (may vary)
- Devnet: Often shorter for testing
Epoch Boundaries
At each epoch boundary:- Reward distribution occurs
- Committee membership updates
- Metadata changes take effect
- Staking changes activate
- New epoch begins
Checking Current Epoch
Committee Selection
Selection Criteria
Validators are selected for the active committee based on:- Minimum stake: Must meet or exceed minimum requirement
- Stake ranking: Higher stake increases probability of selection
- Committee size limit: Only top validators by stake are selected
- Active status: Must not be in leaving or slashed state
Stake-Weighted Selection
Validators with more total stake (self-stake + delegated) have:- Higher chance of inclusion in active set
- Greater voting power in consensus
- Larger share of rewards
Checking Committee Membership
Joining the Committee
Prerequisites
Before joining:- ✅ Complete validator setup
- ✅ Register as candidate
- ✅ Accumulate minimum stake
- ✅ Fully sync node with network
- ✅ Verify all ports accessible
- ✅ Test node performance
Registration Process
Activation Timeline
Leaving the Committee
Voluntary Exit
To leave the active validator set:- Remain active until next epoch
- Removed at epoch boundary
- Staking pool becomes inactive
- Stop earning rewards
- Delegators can unstake
Exit Timeline
Involuntary Removal
Validators can be removed for:- Insufficient stake: Falling below minimum
- Slashing: Byzantine behavior reported by 2f+1 validators
- Inactivity: Extended downtime or non-participation
Validator States
State Transitions
Candidate
- Registered validator
- Not in active set
- Can accept stake
- Can join committee if sufficient stake
Active Validator
- In current committee
- Participating in consensus
- Earning rewards
- Can be delegated to
- Maintain node uptime
- Participate in consensus
- Process transactions
- Submit gas price quotes
Pending Validator
- Requested to join committee
- Will activate next epoch
- Should ensure node is ready
- Verify node fully synced
- Confirm all ports accessible
- Monitor for epoch boundary
- Ready to start consensus
Leaving Validator
- Requested to leave committee
- Still active current epoch
- Will deactivate next epoch
- Complete current epoch normally
- Communicate with delegators
- Prepare for deactivation
Inactive/Slashed
- Removed from committee
- Not earning rewards
- May have reduced stake (if slashed)
- Address removal cause
- Restore stake if needed
- Rejoin as candidate
- Request committee membership
Committee Operations
Voting Power
Voting power in consensus:- More influence in consensus
- Higher rewards potential
- Greater responsibility
Consensus Participation
Active validators must:- Propose blocks: When elected as leader
- Vote on proposals: Participate in each round
- Sign certificates: Validate transactions
- Maintain state: Keep synced with network
Quorum Requirements
Consensus requires:- 2f+1 stake: For quorum (f = faulty validators)
- Byzantine fault tolerance: Tolerates up to f failures
- Liveness: Requires >2f+1 honest validators
- f = 33M stake can be faulty
- Quorum = 67M stake needed
- Safety maintained if less than 33M stake byzantine
Stake Management
Monitoring Total Stake
Stake Changes
Stake changes at epoch boundaries:- Delegations: New delegations activate
- Unstaking: Withdrawal requests complete
- Rewards: Automatically added to stake
- Slashing: Penalty applied if reported
Self-Stake Management
Validators can adjust self-stake:Validator Ranking
Ranking Factors
Validators are ranked by:- Total stake: Primary ranking factor
- Performance: Uptime and participation
- Commission rate: Lower can attract more delegation
- Reputation: Track record and reliability
Checking Rankings
View validator rankings: Via RPC:Delegation Dynamics
Attracting Delegations
Factors delegators consider:- Performance history: Uptime and participation
- Commission rate: Competitive pricing
- Stake size: Indicator of trust/success
- Reputation: Community standing
- Communication: Transparency and updates
Managing Delegations
As a validator:- Monitor delegation changes
- Communicate with delegators
- Maintain transparency
- Provide regular updates
- Announce changes in advance
Delegation Limits
No hard limit on delegations, but:- Very high stake may centralize network
- Voting power caps may apply through governance
- Consider network health
Governance Participation
Proposal Voting
Validators vote on:- Protocol upgrades
- Parameter changes
- Network policies
- Economic parameters
Voting Weight
Based on stake:Best Practices
- Stay informed: Follow governance discussions
- Review proposals: Understand implications
- Vote actively: Participate in governance
- Communicate: Share voting rationale with delegators
- Consider delegators: Votes affect their stake too
Committee Health
Monitoring Committee
Check overall committee health:Decentralization Metrics
- Nakamoto coefficient: Minimum validators for 33% stake
- Geographic distribution: Validator locations
- Client diversity: Node software variations
- Stake distribution: Concentration vs. distribution
Emergency Procedures
Committee Disruption
If committee is disrupted:- Check validator health
- Monitor Discord announcements
- Review logs for errors
- Contact other validators
- Follow emergency procedures
Fork Scenarios
In case of network fork:- Follow official guidance
- Do not modify configuration without instruction
- Coordinate with other validators
- Wait for resolution from Mysten Labs
Best Practices
Committee Participation
- Maintain readiness: Keep node healthy and updated
- Monitor actively: Watch for epoch transitions
- Communicate clearly: Inform delegators of changes
- Plan ahead: Coordinate maintenance with epochs
- Stay informed: Follow network updates
Operational Standards
- High availability: >99.5% uptime
- Fast updates: Apply within 24-48 hours
- Active monitoring: 24/7 alerting
- Backup systems: Redundancy for critical components
- Documentation: Maintain operational procedures