Polygon network is transitioning from MATIC to POL, which will serve as the gas and staking token on Polygon PoS. Use the links below to learn more:
The network supports a maximum of 105 active validators at any time. New validators can join the active set only when an existing validator unbonds or is removed for poor performance.To apply for a validator slot, submit an application at the Polygon validators hub. Submitting an application does not guarantee a slot.
What validators run
To participate as a validator, you must operate two types of nodes:- Sentry node: a Heimdall node and a Bor node, open to all peers on the network. Acts as a public-facing entry point.
- Validator node: a Heimdall node and a Bor node, accessible only through its sentry node and closed to the rest of the network.
What each layer does
Heimdall (consensus layer):- Monitors staking contracts on Ethereum mainnet.
- Verifies all state transitions on the Bor chain.
- Submits Bor chain state checkpoints to Ethereum mainnet.
- Produces blocks on Polygon PoS.
- Block producers are selected from the validator set by Heimdall based on stake.
Validator responsibilities
Node operations
Node operations that happen automatically:- Block producer selection for each span.
- Block validation on Bor.
- Checkpoint proposal and signing.
- State sync from Ethereum to Bor via the
ack/no-ackcheckpoint mechanism.
Daily manual operations
- Maintain high uptime. Approximately every 34 minutes, a checkpoint transaction must be signed by every validator. Missed signatures reduce your performance score.
- Check Heimdall and Bor services and processes daily. Prune nodes regularly to reduce disk usage.
- Monitor node health using Grafana dashboards (for example, Matic-Jagar) or your own tooling.
- Keep an ETH balance of 0.5 to 1 ETH on your signer address. You need ETH to sign and submit checkpoint transactions on Ethereum mainnet. Running low causes delays in checkpoint submission and downstream finality.
Delegation
- Accept delegation from the community. Each validator sets their own commission rate. There is no upper limit.
- Communicate commission rates and any rate changes via Discord or the Forum.
Communication
- Report issues early via Discord, Forum, or GitHub.
- Monitor Polygon forum announcements for node and validator updates.