---
description: >-
  To join flow.lease as a validator, operators must complete an on-chain
  registration and provide required metadata.
---

# Validator onboarding

### Overview

Validators participate in the flow.lease protocol by receiving WAVES leasing allocations based on DAO voting. Validators generate block rewards and distribute them according to the declared reward policy. The system is fully decentralized and governed by smart contract logic.

Validators do not control user deposits. They are responsible for accurately distributing the collected rewards to the liquidity pool according to their public declarations. Failure to comply may result in slashing and permanent deactivation.

***

### Prerequisites for Participation

To become a validator in flow.lease, you must fulfill all of the following requirements:

* Host publicly accessible metadata that defines your reward policy.
* Lock 100 FLOW tokens as collateral in the smart contract.
* Use a payment script, which calculates payouts correctly.
* Accept the DAO leasing allocation mechanism.
* Comply fully with the Terms and Conditions of participation.
* Acknowledge the existence of slashing and deactivation in case of policy violations.

**Minimum validator policy requirements:**

* Minimum **90% rewards distribution** to liquidity providers.
* Rewards must be distributed **at least weekly**.
* Validator node must operate as a **Unit Zero node**.

Failure to comply with these minimum requirements may result in deregistration and slashing via DAO governance.

***

### Metadata Specification

Each validator is required to host a JSON metadata file that clearly defines the validator’s reward policy and identification. This metadata is critical for DAO participants, liquidity providers, and the protocol itself.

#### Metadata JSON Schema

```json
{
  "name": "ValidatorName",
  "logoUrl": "https://your-server.com/logo.png",
  "rewardPercentageToDistribute": 90,
  "plannedPaymentPeriodInDays": 7,
  "description": "Public description of your validator"
}
```

#### Field Descriptions

| Field                          | Description                                                                  |
| ------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `name`                         | Public display name of the validator                                         |
| `logoUrl`                      | HTTPS URL to the validator’s logo (PNG or SVG recommended)                   |
| `rewardPercentageToDistribute` | Percentage of total rewards to be distributed to the liquidity pool (90–100) |
| `plannedPaymentPeriodInDays`   | Number of days between reward payouts                                        |
| `description`                  | Short description of the validator                                           |

#### Example

```json
{
  "name": "flow.lease",
  "logoUrl": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/flow.lease/fWaves.png",
  "rewardPercentageToDistribute": 90,
  "plannedPaymentPeriodInDays": 7,
  "description": "We are the core validator behind flow.lease protocol."
}
```

#### Hosting Requirements

* The metadata file must be hosted on a publicly available HTTPS endpoint.
* The link must be provided during registration.
* The URL must remain valid and accessible at all times.

***

### Reward Distribution Logic

Validators are responsible for accurately distributing rewards to the liquidity pool according to their declared policy.

#### Payout Script

A reference open-source script is available to ensure correct reward calculations:

* Repository: [flow-lease/wards](https://github.com/flow-lease/wards)

The script:

* Calculates validator revenue and reward distribution based on declared metadata.
* Supports multicycle payout accounting, considering leasing cycles.
* Handles both WAVES and additional token rewards where applicable.

Using this reference script is strongly recommended to prevent calculation errors and ensure full protocol compatibility.

***

### Terms and Conditions

#### 1. FLOW Collateral

* 100 FLOW tokens must be locked during registration.
* Collateral remains locked for the full duration of validator participation.
* Collateral serves as security and is subject to slashing.

#### 2. Slashing Mechanism

* In case of policy violations or missing payouts:
  * Liquidity providers may initiate an emergency vote.
  * Upon reaching the defined quorum, the validator is automatically deactivated.
  * 100 FLOW collateral is permanently burned.

#### 3. Reward Policy Enforcement

* The validator must strictly follow:
  * Declared payout intervals (`plannedPaymentPeriodInDays`), which cannot exceed 7 days.
  * Declared distribution percentage (`rewardPercentageToDistribute`), which cannot be below 90%.
  * Validator must operate as a Unit Zero node.
  * Any deviation may trigger emergency votes.

#### 4. Leasing Allocation

* Leasing distribution is fully automated and based on DAO voting results.
* Leasing weights are recalculated every cycle.
* Greater support equals greater leasing allocation.

***

### Registration Workflow

#### Step 1: Prepare Metadata

* Create the validator metadata JSON file.
* Host it on a public HTTPS endpoint.

#### Step 2: Prepare FLOW Collateral

* Ensure you control 100 FLOW tokens to stake as collateral.

#### Step 3: Execute On-Chain Registration

* You can register via:
  * Official flow.lease frontend interface.
  * Direct smart contract call to `register()`.
* Provide:
  * HTTPS URL to your metadata file.
  * Attached payment of 100 FLOW tokens.

#### Step 4: Accept Terms

* Registration confirms your full acceptance of the Terms and Conditions.

Once registration completes successfully, your validator will immediately participate in the DAO leasing process.

***

### Deregistration

If you wish to voluntarily leave the protocol:

* Submit a `deregister()` transaction.
* Wait for all outstanding leasing assignments to be removed.
* Once leasing is fully detached, your locked 100 FLOW tokens become withdrawable.

***

### Key Risks and Responsibilities

* Validators operate fully on-chain; all actions and violations are publicly visible.
* All leasing allocations and governance decisions are fully transparent on the blockchain.
* You are fully responsible for maintaining payout accuracy and availability of hosted metadata.
* Flow.lease applies strictly enforced decentralized governance with no manual overrides.
