Distributed Validator: The Backbone of Blockchain Security
Decentralization, or the opposite of having a concentrated locus of control, is among Web3’s core values. It is an ideal state where decision-making power and control over a protocol, project, or network are distributed among its participants.
However, the decentralization of web3 is facing serious challenges.
According to the cryptocurrency analysis platform Messari, most of the active validator nodes for Ethereum (ETH) are dominated by centralized network providers such as AWS, where over 50% of validator nodes come from AWS, over 15% from Hetzner, and 4.1% from OVH. In addition, Ethernode’s data also shows that the geographical distribution of nodes is most concentrated in the United States (46.4%) and Germany (13.4%), where government intervention in these two countries could severely affect the decentralization of Ethereum nodes.
Centralized Validators Create New Threats for Blockchain Systems
Centralized Validators in blockchain face several challenges that can undermine the fundamental principles of decentralization and security that underpin the technology. Here are some of the key challenges:
Control: Centralized validators can control the validation of transactions on the blockchain. This means that they can censor transactions, manipulate the blockchain’s history, and potentially steal funds.
Security: Centralized validators are more vulnerable to hacking attacks, which can compromise the security of the blockchain. If a validator is compromised, it can lead to the loss of funds, the manipulation of the blockchain’s history, and other negative consequences.
Decentralization: Centralized validators undermine the decentralization of the blockchain. The more validators that are centralized, the fewer nodes there are in the network, which means that there are fewer entities validating transactions and securing the blockchain.
Trust: Centralized validators require users to trust them to act in the best interests of the network. This can be problematic, as users may not always be able to verify whether validators are acting honestly and fairly.
Governance: Centralized validators can become a central point of control for the governance of the blockchain. This can lead to conflicts of interest, as validators may prioritize their own interests over those of the network.
The Importance of Distributed Validators
A distributed validator is a validator that runs on more than one node/machine. Distributed validators can help address the challenges posed by centralized validators in several ways:
Control: Distributed validators distribute control over the validation of transactions across a large number of nodes in the network. This makes it more difficult for anyone node to exert undue control over the blockchain.
Security: Distributed validators are less vulnerable to hacking attacks, as compromising one node will not necessarily compromise the security of the entire network. This makes it more difficult for attackers to manipulate the blockchain’s history or steal funds.
Decentralization: Distributed validators promote the decentralization of the blockchain as they distribute the validation of transactions across a large number of nodes in the network. This makes it more difficult for any one entity to control the network.
Trust: Distributed validators promote trust in the network, as they allow users to verify transactions across a large number of nodes. This makes it more difficult for anyone node to act dishonestly or unfairly.
Governance: Distributed validators promote a more democratic form of governance, as they distribute control over the network across a large number of nodes. This makes it more difficult for any one entity to control the governance of the network.
Securing the Blockchain by Distributed Validators
Distributed validators promote the principles of decentralization, security, and trust that underpin blockchain technology. Exabits is a decentralized, community-driven platform that enables any computing device that meets the security standard to join the computational power network, contribute resources, and receive incentives. This provides any blockchain project with millions of physically distributed validators that push blockchain validators towards the ideal end game, trustlessness.
As blockchain technology continues to evolve and become more mainstream, the importance of distributed validators is only likely to increase. Exabits is committed to using distributed validators to revolutionize the security of the blockchain industry and usher in a new era.
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