TL;DR
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ICON governance will soon vote for a new economic policy through a decisive network vote (Revision 25). This update introduces changes that aim to enhance decentralization, adjust rewards and penalties, and overall, fortify the network's resilience. To discourage harmful actions and maintain network integrity, the new economic policy introduces a range of penalties. The introduction of 'jailing' for validators who fail to comply with the rules is one important step towards maintaining a secure and decentralized environment.
How Jailing Affects You as a Voter
When validators on the ICON network are jailed for failing to meet the required standards, the direct consequence for ICX stakers who voted for them is immediate: these validators cease to generate staking rewards as long as they are jailed. The discontinuation of rewards is a big part of the jailing mechanism, serving not only as a punitive measure but also as a tool for maintaining the network's overall health and security.
By removing underperforming or malicious validators from the rotation, the ICON network enhances its security and integrity, ensuring that only those who contribute positively remain active participants. This dynamic highlights the importance of due diligence by voters before casting their votes for validators. Stakers are encouraged to research and evaluate validators' past performance, commitment to network values, and overall reliability to ensure their votes support the strengthening of the ICON ecosystem.
Choosing the Right Validators
Selecting the right validators is a crucial decision for ICX stakers, as it directly influences both the security of the network and the potential for earning staking rewards. When researching and choosing validators, stakers should consider a variety of factors to ensure they're aligning with reliable and efficient participants. Productivity and bond are significant metrics to assess; productivity indicates the validator's effectiveness in block validation, while bond demonstrates their investment in the network's stability. Another critical factor is the commission rate set by validators, as this determines the proportion of rewards allocated to the validator, affecting the earnings passed on to voters.
To aid in making informed decisions, several resources and tools are available to the ICON community:
The ICON Tracker provides comprehensive data on validators, including performance statistics and governance participation.
Community-developed tools like the Eye on ICON Votechecker offer insights into validators' jail status, accessible by linking your wallet.
The ICON Discord server is a great place to meet with other community members and ask questions
These resources help voters to conduct thorough research, ensuring their votes contribute to a secure, efficient, and rewarding ICON network.
FAQ
What happens to old votes for inactive validators who get jailed?
Both the jailed validators and their voters’ votes will no longer receive ICX staking rewards
Can a validator be un-jailed?
Yes, they can unjail themselves.
Do I risk losing any of my staked ICX if the validator I am voting for is jailed?
No, you will not lose your staked ICX
If I am voting for two validators and one of them gets jailed, do I miss all my staking rewards that day?
You only miss the staking rewards from votes allocated to the jailed validator
Is there a tool for alerting me if a validator is jailed?
There is currently no tool live. A CPS proposal for this type of tooling has recently been submitted
When is jailing going live?
Jailing will go live when Revision 25 is applied. Check out the revision status of all network proposals here.