Hello everyone,
I am Armagan, the Validator Comms Lead at Gnosis Chain. I’d like to share the recap of the past year, focusing on validator communication and experiences on the Gnosis Chain.
On December 8, 2022, the Gnosis Chain successfully merged. This was a pivotal moment, marking the most significant development since the inception of the Gnosis Beacon Chain .
Key Learnings: we observed %67 participation rates, which highlighted the need for improvement.
Validator coordination is critical - but why?
We achieved a 67% participation rate, just above the 66% minimum required for a successful hardfork, this can only be considered a barely success. A key factor in this outcome is the role of node operators. It’s important to understand that the number of validators managed by a node operator can vary greatly. Therefore, if a node wasn’t synced during the hardfork, it could lead to a lower participation rate, regardless of how many validators it controls. This underscores the need for better synchronization and communication with node operators to ensure more robust participation in future hardforks.
In response, we began our Shapella preparation, drawing from these insights. We intensified our communication efforts with validators, aiming to boost participation in the upcoming hard fork. Our strategy included increasing coordination between teams and community, sharing more content, organizing meetups & call on social media to raise awareness of the community.
The outcome was outstanding: the Shapella hard fork achieved over 90% participation.
Additionally, we launched a special ticket campaign for solo stakers to attend DappCon in September, and we’re grateful to everyone who participated.
We also initiated the Validator Meetup series last year, aiming to host these events monthly. Our 11th meetup is scheduled for December 21st. Recordings of previous meetups are available online here.
In terms of client diversity, we’re pleased to highlight the full integration of Erigon as an Execution Layer Client and the addition of Nimbus as a Consensus Layer Client on the Gnosis Chain. Our current focus is incorporating these clients into the Dappnode UI.
This year’s key initiatives include:
- Validator Recap: We regularly share monthly updates for validators via our Substack account.
- Validator Survey: Conducted biannually, this survey is tailored to validators and stakers, allowing us to understand and meet their needs effectively.
- Validators Feedback & Resources Requests Form: While Discord and Twitter remain primary communication channels, we’ve introduced a Feedback & Resources Request form for alternative communication methods.
- Validator FAQs: We’ve updated and compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions for easy reference.
- Discord Mods: We have included two amazing discord moderators to our team. Many thanks to mrtdlgc and Chim9 for sharing their knowledge with us!
Looking Ahead:
- Gnosis VIP: We’ve taken charge of the GnosisVIP program from the Builders team and are currently redesigning it post-handover. Stay updated through the Gnosis Chain Discord #gnosis-vip channel.
- Health Dashboards: We’re updating these in response to requests from the Gnosis Chain Validator channel and our validators. We’re also on the lookout for a Blockchain Analyst to standardize these tasks. Recommendations are welcome.
- Deposit UI: Deposit UI has been prepared. It needs to be implemented. We’ll get this done very soon.
- Dencun: We plan to apply the lessons learned from the Shapella process to the Dencun process, ensuring high participation levels. Updates and information are available in the weekly core devs call notes and records.
- Shutterize Beacon Chain: This ongoing project involves collaboration between the Nethermind, Shutter, and Gnosis Core dev teams. For more details, refer to Martin’s presentation at the Staking Summit.
Thank you for your ongoing support and being a wise owl!
See you onchain!