Validator Guide¶

This guide covers everything you need to know about becoming a validator on the Herald Network's Reputation-Linked Micropayment (RLM) system.

Overview¶

Validators are essential to the Herald Network's quality assurance system. As a validator, you:
- Stake USDC to participate in the network
- Vote on the quality of tool outputs
- Earn a share of the 10% validator pool from every tool payment
- Build reputation through accurate voting

Why Validate?¶

Economics Overview¶

Revenue Distribution¶

When a tool is invoked with payment:

How Validator Pool is Split¶

The 10% validator pool is distributed based on:
1. Stake amount - More stake = larger share
2. Lock multiplier - Longer locks = higher weight
3. Reputation score - Better reputation = priority selection
4. Consensus participation - Active validators earn more

Staking Requirements¶

Minimum Stake¶

Lock Period Multipliers¶

Lock your stake for higher earning potential:

Example: 100 USDC with 1-year lock = 500 USDC effective stake weight.

Withdrawal Rules¶

Reputation System¶

Your reputation determines task priority and trust level.

Reputation Scale¶

How Reputation Changes¶

Starting Score: All new validators begin at 500 (Standard).

Recovery Strategies¶

If your reputation drops:

1. Vote conservatively - Align with consensus
2. Focus on clear cases - Avoid ambiguous validations
3. Stay active - Consistent participation helps
4. Study patterns - Learn what consensus considers valid

Validation Process¶

How Validation Works¶

1. Tool receives invocation request
    ↓
2. Herald selects 3 validators (weighted by stake × reputation)
    ↓
3. Validators independently assess output quality
    ↓
4. 2/3 majority determines consensus
    ↓
5. Rewards distributed, reputation updated

Validation Criteria¶

When assessing tool output, consider:

Voting Options¶

Note: Abstention costs -5 reputation but avoids potential -25 for incorrect vote.

Slashing Mechanism¶

Slashing protects network quality by penalizing bad behavior.

Slashing Conditions¶

Slashing Example¶

Initial State:
- Stake: 100 USDC
- Lock: 3 months (2x multiplier)
- Effective weight: 200

After Incorrect Vote:
- Slashed: 5 USDC (5% of stake)
- New stake: 95 USDC
- Effective weight: 190
- Cooldown: 24 hours (no new tasks)

Appeal Process¶

If you believe you were incorrectly slashed:

1. Submit appeal via Herald dashboard
2. Provide reasoning and evidence
3. Community review (48 hours)
4. Decision finalized by governance

Getting Started¶

Step 1: Prerequisites¶

• Base L2 wallet - MetaMask, Coinbase Wallet, or similar
• USDC on Base - Bridge from Ethereum or buy directly
• Herald account - Register at f3l1x.tech

Step 2: Connect Wallet¶

# Register your validator wallet
curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8014/api/validators/register \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $HERALD_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "wallet_address": "0x742d35Cc6634C0532925a3b844Bc8e7595f42263",
    "network": "eip155:8453"
  }'

Step 3: Stake USDC¶

# Initiate staking (returns transaction to sign)
curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8014/api/validators/stake \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $HERALD_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "amount": "100",
    "lock_period": "3mo"
  }'

Response:

{
  "transaction": {
    "to": "0x...",
    "data": "0x...",
    "value": "0"
  },
  "stake_details": {
    "amount": "100",
    "lock_period": "3mo",
    "multiplier": 2.0,
    "effective_weight": 200,
    "unlock_date": "2026-05-12T00:00:00Z"
  }
}

Sign the transaction with your wallet to complete staking.

Step 4: Start Validating¶

Once staked, you'll automatically receive validation tasks based on your weight. Monitor your dashboard for incoming tasks.

Validation Interface¶

Receiving Tasks¶

Tasks arrive via WebSocket:

const ws = new WebSocket('wss://herald.f3l1x.tech/ws/validator/');

ws.onmessage = (event) => {
  const task = JSON.parse(event.data);

  if (task.type === 'VALIDATION_REQUEST') {
    console.log('New task:', task.invocation_id);
    console.log('Tool:', task.tool_name);
    console.log('Input:', task.input_data);
    console.log('Output:', task.output_data);
    console.log('Deadline:', task.vote_deadline);
  }
};

Submitting Votes¶

curl -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8014/api/validators/vote \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $HERALD_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "invocation_id": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
    "vote": "VALID",
    "confidence": 0.95,
    "notes": "Output accurately answers the query"
  }'

Vote Deadline¶

• Standard tasks: 60 seconds
• Priority tasks: 30 seconds
• Extended tasks: 5 minutes

Missing the deadline counts as abstention (-5 reputation).

Monitoring Performance¶

View Your Stats¶

curl http://127.0.0.1:8014/api/validators/me/stats \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $HERALD_TOKEN"

Response:

{
  "validator_id": "val_abc123",
  "reputation": 685,
  "stake": {
    "amount": "100",
    "locked_until": "2026-05-12T00:00:00Z",
    "multiplier": 2.0,
    "effective_weight": 200
  },
  "performance": {
    "total_votes": 542,
    "correct_votes": 498,
    "accuracy": 0.919,
    "avg_response_time_ms": 4200,
    "current_streak": 15
  },
  "earnings": {
    "total": "12.45",
    "this_month": "3.21",
    "pending": "0.15"
  }
}

View Earnings History¶

curl http://127.0.0.1:8014/api/validators/me/earnings \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $HERALD_TOKEN"

Earnings Calculator¶

Estimated Monthly Earnings¶

Formula:

Monthly Earnings = (Your Weight / Total Network Weight) × Monthly Validator Pool

Note: Actual earnings depend on network volume and your reputation-based task assignment rate.

Best Practices¶

1. Stake Strategy¶

• Start small - Learn the system with minimum stake
• Lock strategically - Higher multipliers compound earnings
• Diversify timing - Don't lock everything at once

2. Voting Strategy¶

• Be consistent - Align with consensus over time
• Vote quickly - Response time affects reputation
• Abstain wisely - Better than incorrect votes
• Study patterns - Learn what validators consider valid

3. Risk Management¶

• Monitor reputation - Drop below 200 suspends tasks
• Maintain stake - Keep buffer above minimum
• Review slashing - Understand what triggers penalties
• Stay active - Inactivity causes gradual decay

4. Technical Setup¶

• Reliable internet - Don't miss vote deadlines
• Notifications - Enable alerts for new tasks
• Backup wallet - Have recovery phrase secured
• Monitor gas - Keep ETH for Base transactions

Troubleshooting¶

Common Issues¶

Support¶

• Email: hello@f3l1x.tech

Glossary¶