Validators

Your laptop is a validator.

Most chains say "decentralized" and then require a datacenter to participate. Valdium runs on consumer hardware — a Raspberry Pi 4 is the supported floor. If you have a laptop, you can secure the chain.

Start validating VPS one-liner →
The problem

Validation today is gatekept by hardware.

Ethereum
Server-class hardware, 32 ETH minimum.
Running an Ethereum validator requires a dedicated machine with 16+ GB RAM, a fast SSD, and a 32 ETH stake (~$75K). The result: 90% of validators are hosted in AWS, GCP, or Hetzner. "Decentralized" across three cloud providers.
Ethereum
$5,000+ hardware, gigabit required.
Ethereum validators need 128 GB RAM, 12-core CPUs, and a 1 Gbps uplink. The hardware floor prices out anyone without datacenter-grade infrastructure. Fewer than 2,000 validators run the entire network.
Valdium
Raspberry Pi 4, 1K VLD to bond.
A 4-core consumer laptop with 4 GB RAM and a standard broadband connection. Minimum self-bond is 1,000 VLD. No hard cap — the 10% per-block reward cap prevents stake concentration without locking out larger stakes.
The solution

A chain designed for home validators.

Every architectural choice on Valdium — the ~100-validator BFT committee, the bounded signature overhead, the HTTP fan-out networking, the 2-second blocks — is tuned so a consumer PC can keep up. The Pi 4 floor is not marketing. It is the load-bearing constraint that drives the protocol.

Hardware minimums
01CPU — 4 cores (any modern chip)
02RAM — 4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended
03Disk — 40 GB SSD (no HDD)
04Network — 50 Mbps, ≤ 50 GB/month
05OS — Ubuntu 22.04+, macOS 14+, or Windows via WSL2
Full hardware requirements →
· Dev note
"A chain that claims 'anybody can validate' can't halt when a laptop closes. So we made the committee a function of who actually showed up."
— On the liveness-aware committee
Benefits

Why run a validator?

Earn rewards
Block subsidies + priority fees.
150M VLD (15% of supply) is pre-allocated as validator rewards, decaying over ~5-7 years. Early validators earn the most. On top of that, every transaction includes a priority tip that goes directly to the block proposer.
Staking rewards →
Secure the chain
Your stake is the security guarantee.
Every block is finalized by a rotating BFT committee. Your bonded VLD is the economic collateral that makes attacks expensive. More validators in more locations = a harder chain to compromise.
Consensus & Validators →
Shape the protocol
Governance voting with real weight.
Bonded stake is voting power. Validators vote on protocol upgrades, parameter changes, and ecosystem grants. The chain is governed by the people who run it — not by a foundation with a multisig.
Protocol governance →
Get started

Four ways to start validating.

Pick the path that matches your setup. Desktop app for non-technical users, CLI for developers, VPS one-liner for operators, or the full manual setup for anyone who wants to understand every moving part.

Desktop app (Valdium Operator)
Q2 2026
GUI onboarding. Download, create wallet, sync, stake — zero terminal. Runs in the system tray.
Read the docs →
CLI install
Shipped
Single-binary install for macOS, Linux, Windows. Pre-configured for the testnet. For devs who live in the terminal.
Read the docs →
VPS one-liner
Shipped
curl -fsSL testnet.valdium.xyz/install | sh — deps, key gen, sync, bond, systemd, done.
Read the docs →
Manual setup (DEPLOY.md)
Shipped
Clone the repo, build from source, configure env vars, write the systemd unit yourself. Full control.
Read the docs →
Min bond
1,000
VLD
Block time
2s
Finality
Unbonding
14d
Window
Rewards pool
15%
Of supply
Supported floor
Pi 4
Raspberry Pi 4
The everybody chain

A chain secured by the people
who actually use it.

No datacenter. No enterprise hardware. No five-figure minimum stake. Just a laptop, a broadband connection, and the desire to secure something that matters. Start on the testnet today.

Start validating Read the thesis →
© 2026 Valdium. Nothing on this site is an offer to sell securities.
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