Validator Reputation System
Vextaris uses a deterministic, on-chain reputation scoring system for validators. Reputation affects leader selection weight, reward multipliers, and delegator visibility.
Overview
- 7 scoring factors, 100 points maximum
- Computed on-chain during epoch transitions -- deterministic, verifiable
- Starting score: 50 (neutral, "unproven")
- Growth rate: Reaches 80+ in ~7 days, 90+ in ~30 days if doing everything right
Scoring Factors
| Factor | Max Points | What It Measures |
|---|---|---|
| Uptime | 25 | Block production consistency. Measured as ratio of expected vs actual blocks proposed. |
| Commission Fairness | 15 | Reasonable commission rates and stability. Frequent changes penalized. |
| Self-Stake | 15 | Skin in the game. Higher self-stake relative to delegations scores better. |
| Governance Participation | 15 | Voting activity on upgrade proposals (VexVisor). Active voters score higher. |
| Tenure | 10 | Time active on the network. Longer tenure = more points (capped). |
| Delegator Trust | 10 | Total stake attracted from delegators. More delegators = higher trust signal. |
| Reliability | 10 | Historical jail count and total missed blocks. Fewer jails and misses = better. |
Grades
| Grade | Score Range | Description |
|---|---|---|
| A+ | 95-100 | Exemplary validator -- top tier |
| A | 90-94 | Excellent -- consistent, reliable |
| B | 75-89 | Good -- minor issues |
| C | 55-74 | Average -- room for improvement |
| D | 35-54 | Below average -- at risk |
| F | 0-34 | Failing -- likely jailed or inactive |
How Reputation Affects Validators
Leader Selection Weight
Reputation directly multiplies the validator's leader selection weight:
effective_weight = stake * performance_score
Where performance_score ranges from 0.5 to 1.0. A validator with 5,000 VXS staked and a performance score of 0.9 has an effective weight of 4,500, while a validator with 5,000 VXS and 0.5 score has only 2,500. This means higher-reputation validators propose more blocks and earn more rewards.
Future: Reward Multipliers
Planned for post-beta:
| Grade | Reward Multiplier |
|---|---|
| F | 25% of base reward |
| D | 60% of base reward |
| C | 70% of base reward |
| B | 100% of base reward |
| A/A+ | 100% of base reward |
No Slashing
Vextaris deliberately avoids slashing. Validators who miss blocks are jailed (temporarily removed from rotation), not economically punished. This:
- Protects delegators from losing funds
- Removes "slashing insurance" overhead
- Still incentivizes uptime via opportunity cost (missed rewards) and reputation impact
Anti-Manipulation
- Commission change penalty: Frequent commission changes reduce the Commission Fairness score
- Jail penalty: Each jail event permanently reduces the Reliability score
- Minimum tenure: New validators start at 50, preventing instant high-reputation gaming
Querying Reputation
Via RPC
# Get validator details including reputation
curl -s https://testnet.vextaris.io \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"vex_getValidator","params":["VALIDATOR_ADDRESS"],"id":1}' | jq .
Look for the performance_score field (0.5 to 1.0) and reputation field in the response.
Via CLI
vexidus validator info --address VALIDATOR_ADDRESS
Integration with IntentVM
IntentVM supports smart delegation via reputation:
"stake with best validator"
This intent resolves to the validator with the highest reputation score, enabling automatic optimal delegation without users needing to research validators manually.