A node that proposes and attests to blocks on a proof-of-stake network, backed by staked capital.
Last verified 13 September 2026 · written by the DexLadder team
What it means
A node that proposes and attests to blocks on a proof-of-stake network, backed by staked capital.
Why it matters when you trade
Validators are paid for correct participation and penalised for failure — downtime costs small amounts, and provable double-signing can cost a large slice of the stake. Delegating avoids running hardware but not the consequences: a delegator shares in their operator's penalties, which makes operator selection a real risk decision.
Worked example
A slashing event for equivocation removes a portion of the staked balance and ejects the validator from the set.
See it on live markets
DexLadder runs validator against live market and pool data, with simulated capital, so you can watch it act on an order instead of reading about it — no account, no wallet, nothing installed.