1. Update to Minimum Staking Requirement
We are updating the minimum staking requirement to better align with current market conditions and the evolving needs of the network.
Current Requirement:
- 1,000 XX coins
New Requirement (Effective January 1, 2025):
- 15,000 XX coins
To ensure a steady and sustainable progression, the minimum staking requirement will increase by 5,000 XX coins monthly, starting February 2025, subject to monthly reviews for adjustments in case of excessive coin price fluctuations. This approach allows flexibility to adapt based on network performance, market conditions, and community feedback.
2. Technical Details: What the Minimum Bond Increase Means for Validators
The minimum staking requirement increase affects validators in different ways depending on their current status. Here’s a detailed breakdown:
- Active Validators Below the New Minimum (15,000 XX):
- Continue Validating: If you’re already validating with less than 15,000 XX, you can continue without interruption.
- Unbonding Restriction: The chain enforces that your active stake remains at or above the minimum bond required as a validator.
- Example: A validator with 14,000 XX trying to unbond 5,000 XX will fail because the remaining stake (9,000 XX) is below the new minimum bond of 15,000 XX.
- Validators Who Get Chilled:
- If you go offline and are chilled, you cannot re-enter the validator set until your stake meets or exceeds the new minimum bond.
- Example: A validator with 10,000 XX who is chilled must increase their stake to 15,000 XX before they can rejoin the validator set.
- How Unbonding Works:
- Whenever you attempt to unbond, the network checks your remaining stake to ensure it meets the minimum bond required as a validator.
- If the remaining amount is below the required minimum, the unbonding transaction will fail.
- Example: A validator with 12,000 XX attempting to unbond 4,000 XX will fail because the remaining 8,000 XX is below the new minimum of 15,000 XX.
- Challenges for New Validators:
- The increased minimum bond means new validators must lock up a larger amount of stake to join the waiting list.
- Example: A new validator must bond 15,000 XX to join the waiting list. If they are not elected, they can switch to nominating for rewards instead.
3. Example Scenarios for Clarity
Scenario 1: Active Validator Below 15,000 XX
- Current Stake: 1,000 XX
- Action: Continue validating normally. Cannot unbond funds unless the bond is topped up to 15,000 XX.
Scenario 2: Validator Gets Chilled
- Current Stake: 12,000 XX
- Action: Cannot re-enter the validator set until the bond is increased to 15,000 XX.
Scenario 3: Unbonding Attempt
- Current Stake: 14,000 XX
- Unbonding 5,000 XX: Fails because the remaining stake (9,000 XX) is below the 15,000 XX minimum.
Scenario 4: New Validator
- Required Bond: 15,000 XX
- Risk: Must lock up funds to join the waiting list. If not elected, can switch to nominating instead.
Scenario 5: Validator with Split Stake Between Stash and Controller Accounts
- Stake Setup: A validator has 2,500 XX in their stash account and 12,500 XX in their controller account, bringing their total to 15,000 XX.
- Meets Requirements: The combined stake of 15,000 XX satisfies the minimum bond requirement, and the validator can continue validating or unbond funds within this limit.
- Does Not Meet Requirements: If the validator has 2,500 XX in their stash account and 10,000 XX in their controller account, the total of 12,500 XX falls short of the minimum requirement. The validator must increase their stake in either account to meet the 15,000 XX threshold before they can unbond or resume validating if chilled.