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Approved validator setup

Team approval required

The testnet validator set is team-managed. This reference does not open validator applications. Continue only after the team has approved the node, assigned the required staking funds, and provided the release-specific transaction parameters.

A full node does not need to become a validator to serve RPC or verify consensus. A consensus validator is also not automatically a bridge signer.

Prepare the account​

Use an encrypted keyring on the approved operator host:

zel-cored keys add validator_key --keyring-backend file --home="$ZEL_HOME"

Back up the account recovery material securely. Share only the public address with the team; never share the mnemonic or consensus private key.

Create the validator​

The team must supply the approved stake amount in ustake, gas price in uzel, and target RPC. Do not use native gas tokens as the staking denomination or assume zero fees are accepted.

After the node is synchronized, set ZEL_STAKE_AMOUNT, ZEL_GAS_PRICES, and ZEL_NODE to those reviewed values:

: "${ZEL_STAKE_AMOUNT:?Set the approved amount including ustake}"
: "${ZEL_GAS_PRICES:?Set the approved gas price including uzel}"
: "${ZEL_NODE:?Set the approved consensus RPC}"
zel-cored tx staking create-validator \
  --amount "$ZEL_STAKE_AMOUNT" \
  --commission-max-change-rate "0.01" \
  --commission-max-rate "0.2" \
  --commission-rate "0.1" \
  --min-self-delegation "1" \
  --pubkey "$(zel-cored tendermint show-validator --home="$ZEL_HOME")" \
  --moniker "$MONIKER_NAME" \
  --chain-id zel_9350-1 \
  --from validator_key \
  --keyring-backend file \
  --home "$ZEL_HOME" \
  --node "$ZEL_NODE" \
  --gas auto --gas-adjustment 1.3 --gas-prices "$ZEL_GAS_PRICES"

The commission settings above are examples and must also be approved for the operator. Review the transaction before confirming it. Verify successful inclusion and validator status afterward; broadcasting alone does not prove admission to the active set.

Preserve consensus state​

Keep the consensus key and its latest signing state together in the approved recovery process. Never reset data/priv_validator_state.json, restore an older signing state, or start another node with the same consensus key.