Run the network.
Validators propose and sign every block on Cockroach Chain. Join the genesis set, earn rewards on your stake and commission on every delegation, and help steer the protocol from day one.
Earn, secure, decide.
Monthly on your own stake
The full launch rate on self-bonded COCKROACH, plus your share of gas fees.
Commission on delegations
Fixed for every validator, so delegators choose on reliability, not price.
Active set seats
The top 100 by stake sign blocks. The next 100 still earn as standby validators while their node is online.
100,000 COCKROACH self-stake and 1,000,000 delegated, before gas-fee rewards.
Not in the top 100? Still earn.
Validators outside the active set earn the same staking rate for every hour their node proves it is online. Their delegators earn too, with the same 10% commission.
Example: heartbeats in 18 of 24 hours. Illustrative only, not a guaranteed income.
Year-1 rate: 50,000 × 24% ÷ 365 × 75% = 24.66 COCKROACH that day, before commission.
What you need.
A dedicated server with fast disks and a reliable connection. Run a sentry setup and keep your signing key on hardware you control.
| Resource | Recommended |
|---|---|
| CPU | 8 cores |
| Memory | 32 GB |
| Storage | 2 TB NVMe SSD |
| Network | 1 Gbps, static IP |
| OS | Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 LTS |
| Uptime target | 99.9%+ |
Protocol parameters.
Validators that double-sign or stay offline are penalized, and so are their delegators. Every value here can be changed only by governance.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Commission | 10% (rate and max rate) |
| Unbonding period | 7 days |
| Double-sign slash | 5%, permanent jail |
| Downtime slash | 0.01% |
| Downtime window | Below 50% of 10,000 blocks |
| Jail duration | 10 minutes |
| Block time | ~5 s |
| Standby reward | Same rate, per online hour |
| Standby min. self-stake | 5,000 COCKROACH |
| Standby set | Next 100 by stake |
1,000,000 COCKROACH to bootstrap the set.
10% of genesis supply is delegated across the founding validators, so a new network starts decentralized and secure.
Apply
Tell us about your team, infrastructure and track record.
Run testnet
Operate a testnet node and take part in upgrades and votes.
Submit gentx
Selected validators submit a genesis transaction with 10% / 10% commission.
Launch
Sign the first mainnet block and receive your bootstrap delegation.
Selection criteria and delegation size per validator: Coming soon
Join the founding validator set.
Applications open with the public testnet.