Sudo

Validator network

A jury you can't see, can't bribe, and can't outrun.

Sudo's validator network is the impartial layer behind escrow disputes, attendance proofs and high-trust actions across the protocol.

412

Active validators

5,000

Min bonded SUDO

11h

Median verdict time

0

Successful collusion attempts

Dispute panel · case #4928
voting

5 validators selected from the active set. Identities hidden. Votes revealed only after the commit window closes.

V01
yes
rev
V02
yes
rev
V03
yes
rev
V04sealed
V05sealed

Tally

commit window 14:23

3 / 5

Majority threshold reached — funds will be released to seller on window close.

Inside a dispute

A live look at the panel.

When a dispute is filed, a 3-of-5 (or 5-of-7) panel is drawn at random. Each validator commits a hashed vote, then reveals it after the window closes. Majority wins — funds release immediately.

  • VRF-based selection — provably fair, can't be gamed
  • Identities hidden until after the reveal phase
  • Commit-reveal voting prevents copying or bandwagoning
  • All votes & reasons posted on-chain after settlement

Properties

Why this network is hard to attack

Randomly selected

Each dispute draws a fresh panel using on-chain VRF, weighted by stake.

Hidden until reveal

Identities are sealed via commit-reveal. No collusion, no targeted bribes.

Odd-numbered panels

Always 3, 5 or 7 validators. Majority rules. No ties.

Slashable stake

Vote against majority or miss the window — your stake is slashed.

Earn fees + emissions

60% of escrow fees and a slice of token emissions flow to active validators.

Open onboarding

Bond 5,000 SUDO + pass the validator onboarding quest. No allow-lists.

Lifecycle

The journey of a single dispute

  1. 01

    Dispute filed

    Either party hits 'Dispute' in the escrow card. The contract freezes funds and emits a DisputeOpened event.
  2. 02

    Panel selected (VRF)

    Chainlink VRF + on-chain entropy pick 3, 5 or 7 validators weighted by stake. Identities are encrypted to each chosen validator.
  3. 03

    Evidence shared

    Both parties post evidence encrypted to the panel. Validators have 24h to review.
  4. 04

    Commit phase

    Each validator submits a hash(vote, salt). Nobody knows anyone else's vote. 12-hour window.
  5. 05

    Reveal phase

    Validators reveal vote + salt. The contract verifies, tallies, and releases or refunds funds. 6-hour window.
  6. 06

    Reward & slash

    Majority validators earn the case fee. Minority validators are slashed proportionally — bigger stake, bigger slash.

Validator dashboard

412 active

Median bond: 28,400 SUDO · Average APY: 14.6%

  • v.helena.eth↑ 99.4%
  • arc.dao↑ 98.1%
  • 0x21a…b9c↑ 96.7%
  • node.shibuya↑ 99.0%
Becoming a validator

Anyone with skin in the game can apply.

Bond at least 5,000 SUDO, complete the validator onboarding quest, and you'll start receiving disputes within 24 hours. There are no allow-lists, no committees, no Sudo-team approvals.

  • Bond from 5,000 to 250,000 SUDO — bigger bonds = more dispute weight
  • Onboarding quest covers protocol rules, evidence weighting and red flags
  • Optional: anonymise your identity behind a Sudo-issued zk-credential
  • Withdraw your bond after a 14-day cool-down — no permission needed

Threat model

What we protect against

Sybil attack

Stake-weighted selection makes spinning up fake validators economically irrational.

Bribe attack

Hidden identities + commit-reveal voting means a briber doesn't know who to bribe.

Lazy quorum

Validators that miss the reveal window are slashed and rotated out automatically.

Sudo team coercion

Selection is on-chain VRF — Sudo Labs literally cannot influence the panel.

Fork-and-flip

Vote-tracking is recorded with timestamps; double-voting is provably slashable.

Censorship

Disputes can be filed from any wallet; the relay can be self-hosted via the open-source dispatcher.

FAQ

Validators, answered

How much can I earn?+
Validators earn a share of the 0.5% escrow fee plus token emissions. At current volumes the median validator nets 14–18% APY on their bonded SUDO.
Are validators KYC'd?+
No. Validators are pseudonymous wallets bonded with SUDO. Optional zk-credentials let you prove personhood without revealing identity.
What if I disagree with the rules?+
Validator policy is governed on-chain. Bonded validators can submit and vote on Sudo Improvement Proposals (SIPs).
Can I run multiple validator nodes?+
Yes — each requires its own bond. There's no benefit to splitting versus stacking, but it can spread risk if you have multiple machines.
What happens to slashed funds?+
50% goes to the wronged party in the dispute, 30% to the public goods treasury, 20% is burned.
Can validators see my chats?+
No. Validators only ever see dispute evidence the parties submit. Regular DMs and groups are E2E encrypted to participants only.
Keep exploring

Related pages on Sudo

Hand-picked next reads from across the Sudo stack — pick whichever surface you want to learn about next.

Become part of the network

Earn from securing the deals you already trust.

Download SudoValidator policy