Validators
Run a validator node to secure the Realm network and earn rewards. Validators participate in Mysticeti BFT consensus with 25ms finality.
21
Active Validators
100K RLM
Stake Required
12-15%
APY (estimated)
25ms
Block Time
Overview
Realm uses Mysticeti BFT consensus, a DAG-based protocol that achieves sub-25ms finality with deterministic ordering. Validators process transactions, verify signatures using GPU-accelerated Dilithium-3, and participate in consensus rounds.
Quick Links
Hardware Requirements
GPU, CPU, memory, and storage specs
Setup Guide
Step-by-step installation
Staking
Stake RLM and earn rewards
Security
Best practices and slashing
Validator Rewards
Validators earn rewards from:
- Block rewards — New RLM minted each block, distributed proportionally to stake.
- Transaction fees — Fees from all transactions in the block.
- MEV — Block proposers can capture value from transaction ordering (fair ordering rules apply).
Estimated APY
Current estimated APY is 12-15% based on network activity and total stake. Actual returns vary based on uptime, stake amount, and network conditions.
Requirements Summary
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| GPU | NVIDIA RTX 3080 (10GB) | NVIDIA RTX 4090 (24GB) |
| CPU | 8 cores @ 3.0GHz | 16+ cores @ 3.5GHz |
| RAM | 32GB DDR4 | 64GB DDR5 |
| Storage | 1TB NVMe SSD | 2TB NVMe SSD |
| Network | 1 Gbps | 10 Gbps |
| Stake | 100,000 RLM minimum | |
Slashing
Validators can be slashed (lose stake) for:
- Double signing — Signing conflicting blocks (5% slash)
- Extended downtime — Offline for >24 hours (1% slash)
- Invalid state root — Computing wrong state (10% slash)
See the Security Guide for prevention strategies.