As I look at this, there isn’t much to like. Today these are:
- With on-chain ID
- With < 25% commission
- Sorted in descending ROI
Name Return (%) Commission (7d avg) SS58
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LEE-WOO-SEOK 22.31 5.5 https://wallet.xx.network/#/staking/query/6abksNA5dp8Gkz86EVC9BVYFWNRgpzT4bMNb3rAYosoL53W4
KIM-JE-DEOK 22.1 5.5 https://wallet.xx.network/#/staking/query/6ZL9NXqophtrvFxDYf1k4ToJvPMp67sVZWFqTHTetiX1pqrG
SONG-GWANG-SA 22.1 5.5 https://wallet.xx.network/#/staking/query/6a22YrSXwheE1zdgrVeVYJdXubYpj2CfBA28zgm6yVn3jTso
KIM-WOO-JIN 22.06 5.5 https://wallet.xx.network/#/staking/query/6YCuzDwkymNHTUFJ2AB6MjuDPF7HubdrLcjDmzbhrXPLMuuu
HAE-IN-SA 21.9 5.5 https://wallet.xx.network/#/staking/query/6WnydqSSi7aJMZd99aW4yHjcduZsxMV7xnJ9v2tWfvcJosSC
CHAMYUVA 20.0 11.0 https://wallet.xx.network/#/staking/query/6aChc8idv5YKuWrsWWz62qfp5kvTALK83FXB6GVikfDDwX2F
CERES 19.71 9.99 https://wallet.xx.network/#/staking/query/6YC2oieX73fPiwShGgsPJ1SU5bpGCPFrp4uh9jWuCYwD9Ni6
BLOCKSHARD 19.69 16.0 https://wallet.xx.network/#/staking/query/6Y58dmMN9H3FqvBzutdRTDA83q6uDFwBtQXpcpqzdh7hnm26
RADIANCE NODE 19.69 18.0 https://wallet.xx.network/#/staking/query/6ZUXNuVhDJqBuMtjyzzexR53SYRoAHRE8Yr1zWMycGTMVZuU
PETIT FOUR 19.32 2.0 https://wallet.xx.network/#/staking/query/6WEaEfBWYKGYtT8MU1M9JQnopNXxNVDi8BTvjUuY9Rn5S8kV
SHELDON 19.07 17.5 https://wallet.xx.network/#/staking/query/6aX9njNNh2MvWjLofPBiSUMoUsyqg5K7WFv7WeytTts9yq8x
CUPCAKE 19.05 2.0 https://wallet.xx.network/#/staking/query/6YA7iZLpRfoMsRD8zuZwyTFZS5VbKzxnFTHbwNwqy4UBQNj9
NEWAY 18.97 12.0 https://wallet.xx.network/#/staking/query/6aVwUBe8RTnN1UtsjBKr3gyWMqUGyDqDC8FoumMTe2HqNjHj
EXCALIBUR 18.85 16.0 https://wallet.xx.network/#/staking/query/6VfsB3UxXfnz3EqJk12s5aiffeB8ePEqDXzc6MPBfwPTNcFh
VERTEX 18.85 13.0 https://wallet.xx.network/#/staking/query/6XfZWcMorKzCFVXAvxzhUY5V5UGjucLuPCmdokBKAjGRAYQd
SPECTRUM 18.83 15.0 https://wallet.xx.network/#/staking/query/6YA9CzuJ7FL9Wd3iuRwfcYdyZCTkgtL9eMtuh4RJTtzMCLpr
BLOCKBARD 18.82 14.0 https://wallet.xx.network/#/staking/query/6XceRx74wAmaK4sXeTr5kPVwjASLhutMVxEP6aWxBGPHbMLo
EYEZ 18.72 17.0 https://wallet.xx.network/#/staking/query/6YHzR5k7y6b5vnX2VuByeWzJnLaaye2LDGArpw3yWoZvSTiD
NODE0311 18.72 14.0 https://wallet.xx.network/#/staking/query/6WfVqSzGvcmSzYuWPBywqvKwzUvEJtzBbyQ66qiTCN4LxQa4
What’s not to like?
Well, for starters, ALL top 5 are likely the same validator (see blockchain transactions in here).
I’ve nothing against individuals running multiple nodes, but not more than 4. This guy appears to have 5, so … Afuera!
Next, CHAMYUVA. It doesn’t take long to see he’s connected to CERES (incidentally, right after him on the list). Who knows how many nodes… Afuera!
BLOCKSHARD and RADIANCE NODE seem okay.
PETIT FOUR seems related to CHIAMERA (another validator, not in the list), CUPCAKE (in the list), etc. All of them: afuera!
Go down the list, nothing changes. Some 80% may be running multiple nodes (again, fine) but not disclosing that on-chain (NOT fine). And they may have 5 or more, which I haven’t tried to find out because there’s nothing I can do about it in any case.
Nodes without an on-chain ID (which I eliminated up-front) are generally even worse, because while those with IDs aren’t disclosing, many aren’t trying to hide, whereas some of those without on-chain IDs are actively trying to avoid those simple checks.
So, to sum it up, after few hours of work I disqualified almost 100% of nodes:
- first I removed those without on-chain ID (most of those are similarly fishy, obviously centrally managed)
- then I removed all with > 25% commission
- At this point 84 out of 370 left. Then I sorted (descending) according to the ROI and looked at first 20-30
- Approximately ~80% of those got rated
Afuera
(84/370) - 80% is less than 5%.
I also looked at those in Waiting, thinking there are some deserving, hard-working validators there. Mostly very poor quality, some scammers, and 2-3 bottom feeders (some never did any cMixx-ing, just the blockchain part).
In conclusion, if you care just about your ROI as a nominator, there’s value in easy filtering and some DIY “analytics”.
If you care about the ROI as well as the network, it’s probably better to run 1 to 4 nodes on your own, make that transparent in on-chain identity, run them at a reasonable commission, and help kick out some of those undisclosed validators, centralized pools and crooks from active validation pool. You’ll also make more than nominating these groups I just mentioned.
The network has to improve this situation before it gets out of hand, so there’s some work to be done by the Council here…