Overview

The Root Network is gearing up for open beta, expanding validator slots for new participants and developers!

As part of this work, network fees have been reduced by 67%, empowering devs to build scalable applications with confidence. Our Bootstrap rewards remain in place to ensure strong incentives for validators as network traffic grows.

The number of validation seats will increase to 42 on February 20 UTC, with new validators being elected within the 48 hours following.

Validators are node operators and an essential part of the Proof-of-Stake consensus mechanism. On The Root Network, validator nodes are responsible for authoring new blocks and participating in the finalization protocol.

If you’re interested in becoming a validator we recommend you read our documentation for requirements, instructions, and the election process.

Become a Validator

Validators are node operators, each storing a copy of the blockchain and performing certain functions to keep the system secure. On The Root Network, validator nodes are responsible for authoring new blocks and participating in the finalization protocol.

Running a validator on a live network is a high-risk, high-reward opportunity. You will be accountable for not only your own stake, but also the stake of your current nominators. If a mistake occurs and your node gets slashed, your tokens and your reputation will be at risk. However, running a validator can also be very rewarding, knowing that you contribute to the security of a decentralized network while growing your rewards.

It is highly recommended that you have significant system administration experience before attempting to run your own validator. You must be able to handle technical issues and anomalies with your node which you must be able to tackle yourself. Being a validator involves more than just executing the The Root Network binary; it requires a comprehensive understanding of system administration to effectively navigate and troubleshoot various challenges.

See our documentation for requirements, instructions, and the election process.

Validator Rewards

The Root Network has unique features that differentiate its tokenomics from other blockchains. Specifically: The Root Network is an any-token gas blockchain to simplify user onboarding. Currently, users can transact in XRP, ROOT, A, and. As a result, no single token is used for gas and network fees.

Validators or delegators who stake ROOT will earn fees from various network activities to ensure there is sufficient incentive to operate a node and stake. The block rewards for staking can come in several forms.

• Gas spent in the network is distributed to block producers—the default Gas token.
• XRP provides validators with instant real value for producing blocks.
• Initial bootstrap pool: 10% of the ROOT tokens will be distributed to block validators and stakers over the first 260 weeks.
• Fees generated by the various network runtime activities. Including:
  • NFT trading fees from the Non-fungible Asset runtime
  • Token minting fees in the Fungible Asset runtime
  • Trading fees for the DEX and the Gas Fee Exchange

A high-level overview

• Gas and network fees accumulate during the reward cycle (90 days).
• These fees are transferred into The Vortex at the end of the cycle, and Vortex tokens are minted to reward participants based on their participation level.
• Participation level is based on two things:
  1. The amount and duration of ROOT staked, and
  2. The work done as a validator, measured in Work points
• Vortex tokens can be redeemed anytime, releasing the underlying tokens in The Vortex to the holder.

How are rewards distributed?

All rewards on The Root Network are distributed as Vortex tokens. Vortex tokens are tokens that can be redeemed to release a corresponding percentage of tokens that are in The Vortex.

Two types of rewards contribute to The Vortex each reward cycle: Bootstrap Rewards and Gas and network fees.

Bootstrap rewards

• Bootstrap rewards account for 10% of the total supply of ROOT tokens over 260 weeks to early backers and supporters.
• This is distributed based on staked ROOT tokens by duration in the reward cycle.
• At the end of the reward cycle, The Root Network calculates the Bootstrap Reward for each participant type, transfers it into the Vortex, mints Vortex tokens, and distributes them to participants.

Rewards from gas and network fees

• This reward pool is based on gas and network fees collected. At the end of the reward cycle, these fees are used to mint Vortex tokens to reward participants.
• 30% of these Vortex tokens are distributed to stakers, nominators and validators. The distribution is based on the amount and duration of their staked ROOT relative to the total ROOT staked and its duration by all participants.
• The remaining 70% are distributed to validators and nominators based on their proportional Work points earned throughout the reward cycle.

How are the Vortex token mints calculated?

At the end of each reward cycle, the protocol determines the value of the tokens added to the Vortex. It also divides the value of The Vortex itself by the number of Vortex tokens in circulation. These numbers are used to calculate the amount of new Vortex tokens to mint and distribute as rewards to participants.

What are Work points? And how do they work?

• Work points are earned by validators for doing work to complete blocks and transactions on the network.
• As a nominator, you earn a percentage commission of Work points your selected validators earn.
• At the end of each Era (24 hours), you will see an estimate of your Work points on the staking dashboard.
• Work points do not directly translate to Vortex tokens.

If you’re interested in becoming a validator we recommend you read our documentation for requirements, instructions, and the election process.