neurons that propose and confirm steps in the cyber protocol. validators stake coins as collateral, run the tru computation engine, and collectively produce the append-only sequence of finalized state transitions
a validator's duties: collect pending signals from the mempool, order them into a candidate step, execute all state transitions (including cyberank recomputation), produce a stark proof of valid transition, and broadcast the proposed step to peers. the step achieves finality when a supermajority of staked coins across the validator set signs the commit
the validator set is permissionless — any neuron that meets the minimum lock threshold can join. delegation allows neurons with smaller holdings to stake through an existing validator, sharing rewards proportionally. the total staked amount determines the validator's weight in consensus
validators earn rewards for honest participation: a share of newly minted coins and transaction fees collected from signals processed in each step. the reward rate scales with the fraction of total supply that is staked — higher participation yields lower per-unit rewards, balancing security against liquidity
dishonest behavior triggers slashing. a validator that signs conflicting steps at the same height (equivocation), goes offline for extended periods (downtime), or produces invalid state transitions loses a fraction of staked coins through forced burn. slashing makes attacks economically destructive for the attacker
the validator set collectively maintains the cybergraph's integrity. every cyberlink, every pay transfer, every token operation passes through validator consensus before achieving finality
discover all concepts