Imagine a digital world where transactions are verified without banks or middlemen, running smoothly on trust built by the network itself. That is how blockchain validation works. Validators ensure that every transaction is secure, every block is legitimate, and the network stays tamper-proof. Whether you’re curious about how validators work in Solana blockchain, thinking about staking your SOL or wondering why people do it, maybe this article will help you to understand. Let’s dive in!

Before we see, what are Validators?

What is a Blockchain?

What are Validators? (trust me , most simple explanation ever)

Imagine a group of friends keeping a shared notebook to record their expenses on a trip. Everyone trusts each other to write the right amount, but what if someone makes a mistake or cheats? Validators in a blockchain are like the responsible friend double-checking every entry to ensure it’s fair and accurate.

In blockchain systems, validators play a critical role in ensuring that every transaction is correct and secure. They don’t just "approve" transactions—they also help add them to a permanent record which is called the blockchain and keep the system running smoothly without needing banks or big tech companies to oversee it.

Why Do Blockchains Need Validators?

Blockchains are decentralized, meaning no one person or company controls them. This is great for transparency and fairness, but it also means the network needs reliable ways to verify transactions. Validators are the solution.

Here’s what they do:

Think of validators as the referees in a sports game—they make sure everything stays fair and follow the rules. But the referee has not to the same for all games

How Validators Work in Different Blockchains:

1. Solana

What It Is: Known as one of the fastest blockchains, Solana can handle thousands of transactions per second.

How Validators Work: Solana uses a system called Proof of History (PoH) combined with Proof of Stake (PoS). Validators process transactions incredibly quickly and ensure the network doesn’t slow down.

Example: If Solana were a busy coffee shop, validators are like baristas who keep the orders flowing while making sure everyone pays for their coffee.

Unique Challenge: Validators on Solana need powerful computers, which can make it expensive to participate.

2. Ethereum

What It Is: Ethereum is like the App Store of blockchain—it powers tons of applications, from games to finance tools. In 2022, it switched to a more eco-friendly system called Proof of Stake (PoS).

How Validators Work: Validators stake (lock up) at least 32 ETH to secure the network, propose new blocks, and vote on others’ proposals.

Example: If Ethereum were a classroom, validators are like the students who raise their hands to propose answers (blocks) and then vote on the best one.

Unique Challenge: The high cost to stake (32 ETH) can make it hard for smaller participants, though staking pools help solve this.

3. Cosmos

What It Is: Cosmos aims to connect different blockchains, like a bridge linking separate islands.

How Validators Work: Validators ensure the network stays secure by staking tokens and confirming transactions. The network encourages diversity by letting smaller validators thrive with support from delegators (people who lend them their tokens to stake).

Example: If Cosmos were a team project, validators are the team leads ensuring tasks get done correctly, and delegators are the teammates backing them up.

Unique Challenge: Validators must stay reliable—if they make mistakes or go offline, they could lose part of their staked tokens.

A small note to be read before we start diving deep down :

Proof of Stake and Proof of Work

Two dominant consensus mechanisms underscore the work of validators - Proof of Work (PoW) and Proof of Stake (PoS). in PoW, validators (referred to as miners) solve complex mathematical problems to confirm transactions, as seen in Bitcoin. This mechanism is energy-intensive, as it requires substantial computational power to validate each transaction, which in turn contributes to network security.

Proof of Stake, where validators are selected based on the cryptocurrency they hold (or “Stake”) in the network. This approach conserves energy while incentivizing validators to act ethically through staking rewards and slashing mechanisms (penalties for malicious behavior).

Why Would You Stake with a Validator?

Thinking why Staking is in between here, when we are looking about Validators…

Staking is a process of locking up your crypto holdings ( tokens ) to earn rewards. You are simply putting your holdings (money) to work which in return earns you interest and rewards. Thing of staking like putting your money in your bank account and earning interest.

A Validator is a participant of the network who locks up chain-specific tokens to help run the network. This stake amount which the validators use to lock up in the network acts a collateral to keep validators active and honest within the network. So validators are network node operators who has certain roles other than just locking up specific amount of tokens in the system. The role of validators is to operate a full node, validate transactions, produce blocks and participate in the network consensus.

Reasons to Stake:

• Earn Rewards: You get paid in cryptocurrency for supporting the network.

• Help the Network: Staking makes the blockchain stronger and more secure.

• Eco-Friendly: Proof of Stake is far less energy-intensive than traditional mining.

Reasons Not to Stake:

• Locked Funds: Your cryptocurrency is locked for a period, meaning you can’t use it immediately.

• Slashing Risk: If your validator misbehaves (e.g., goes offline), you could lose part of your staked funds.

• Volatility: The value of your cryptocurrency could drop while it’s locked.

Now let's go deeper into our Focus,

What is Solana?

How does it work?

Solana uses what’s called proof of stake to validate information — there’s no mining involved — and a special innovation called proof of history on top of that that allows it to validate even quicker. Every validator on the network has an opportunity to participate in consensus by casting votes for which blocks they believe should be added to the blockchain, thereby confirming any valid transactions contained in those particular blocks. However, not all validator’s votes are weighted equally.

Validator’s consensus votes are stake-weighted, meaning the more stake an individual validator has, the more influence that one validator has in determining the outcome of the consensus voting. Similarly, validators with less stake have less weight in determining the vote outcome, and validators with no stake cannot influence the outcome of a consensus vote. That makes it extremely efficient, using energy at the same scale as a few Google searches and significantly less energy than other regular household uses like running your refrigerator. Transaction fees, which are used to maintain blockchain networks and have ballooned elsewhere, are a fraction of a cent on Solana.

All of that translates into projects and tools built on Solana that can be as frictionless and easy to use as the rest of the internet, for both developers and users.

Role and Purpose of Validators in Solana Blockchain

Validators on Solana are the heroes behind its fast and efficient performance. Let’s break it down:

Role of Validators:

1. Transaction Checkers: Think of validators as toll booth operators. They check every transaction, making sure it's valid and fair before it goes through.

2. Block Makers: Validators group valid transactions into “blocks” and add them to Solana’s blockchain.

3. Network Protectors: They keep the blockchain safe from bad actors by ensuring everyone plays by the rules.

Purpose of Validators:

1. Speed Boosters: Solana is super fast, processing thousands of transactions per second. Validators make this possible by working quickly to approve and record data.

2. Team Players: Validators ensure no single person controls the blockchain, keeping it fair and decentralized.

3. Reward Earners: By doing their job, validators earn SOL tokens as a reward for keeping the network strong and reliable.

In simple terms, validators ensure everything runs smoothly, fairly, and at lightning speed.

Stats Onchain Solana

Next let's see Why & How we Stake in Solana

What is Staking in Solana?

Staking is the process by which a SOL token holder (such as someone who purchased SOL tokens on an exchange) assigns some or all of their tokens to a particular validator or validators, which helps increase those validators’ voting weight. Assigning your tokens to add to a validator’s stake-weight is known as “delegating” your tokens. Delegating your tokens to a validator does NOT give the validator ownership or control over your tokens. At all times, you still control all your staked tokens that you may have chosen to delegate.

By staking tokens with a validator or validators, the token holder indicates a degree of trust in the validator they chose to delegate to. As validators amass larger amounts of stake delegations from different token holders, this acts as “proof” to the network that the validator’s consensus votes are trustworthy, and their votes are therefore weighted proportionally to the amount of stake the validator has attracted. By weighing the collective votes from all validators against the proportion of stake that has been delegated to them, the network reaches consensus by this Proof of Stake.

Before we see the Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide for Staking SOL

Let’s Select OUR VALIDATOR to stake our SOL

How to Choose the Right Validator to Stake Your SOL

How to Pick a Validator

1. Reliability Is Key

   • Look for validators with high uptime—this means their servers are almost always online and processing transactions without interruptions.

   • A reliable validator ensures consistent rewards for you.

2. Check the Fees (Commission Rates)

   • Validators take a small cut of your rewards as a fee, called a commission. Lower commission rates mean you keep more of your earnings, but don’t just pick the cheapest option—make sure they’re trustworthy too!

3. Performance Metrics Matter

   • Tools like Solana Beach or Validators.app let you check how well a validator is performing. Look for:

     • Skip rate: Lower skip rates indicate the validator is successfully producing blocks.

     • Block production stats: Shows how well they’re contributing to the network.

4. Promote Decentralization

   • To keep the network strong and secure, avoid validators with too much stake delegated to them. Supporting smaller, well-performing validators helps maintain Solana’s decentralization.

5. Community Trust

   • Validators with good reputations, active community engagement, and clear communication are often safer choices.

How to Find Validators

• Platforms like Solana Beach and Validators.app provide detailed validator statistics.

• Check validator performance, commission rates, and how much SOL they already have staked.

MY PERSONAL TIPS FOR YOU :

• Spread your SOL across multiple validators to reduce risk.

• Regularly check your validator’s performance and switch if needed.

• Solana doesn’t penalize validators by slashing, but it’s good to stay informed about validator behavior in case this changes in the future

Step 1: Get a Compatible Wallet

First things first, you’ll need a wallet that supports staking. Popular choices include Phantom, Solflare, and Exodus. Here’s how to get started:

• Download and set up the wallet from the official website or app store.

• Create a new wallet and securely store your recovery phrase—it’s your key to accessing your funds if something goes wrong.

Step 2: Fund Your Wallet

Next, you’ll need to load your wallet with SOL, the native cryptocurrency of the Solana network:

• Purchase SOL from an exchange like Binance, Coinbase, or Kraken.

• Transfer the SOL to your wallet using its unique public address. Make sure to leave a little extra for transaction fees.

Step 3: Choose a Validator

This is where the magic of staking happens. Validators are responsible for maintaining the Solana blockchain, and you’ll be delegating your SOL to one of them. As dicussed above use tools like Validators.app or StakeView.app to compare validators based on various factors

Step 4: Stake Your SOL

Once you’ve chosen your validator, it’s time to stake:

• Open your wallet and navigate to the staking or delegation section.

• Select your validator from the list.

• Decide how much SOL to stake, leaving a small amount for transaction fees.

• Confirm the transaction, and voilà—you’re now staking SOL!

Step 5: Monitor Your Stake

Staking isn’t a “set it and forget it” activity. Check on your validator periodically to ensure they’re performing well. If you notice issues like high commission rates or poor reliability, you can redelegate to another validator without losing rewards.

Step 6: Unstake When Necessary

If you decide to stop staking or move your funds:

• Use the Unstake option in your wallet.

• Keep in mind that there’s usually an unbonding period (around 2–3 days) before your SOL becomes available again.

Let’s do it with Phantom Wallet 👇

How to Initially Setup Your Phantom Wallet :

Staking SOL Tokens

To delegate SOL, click on the Solana account in the first tab of the Phantom app.

Click Start Earning SOL.

Choose a validator. In the list of validators, you can see how many tokens are staked with each of them and the commission they charge

Choose how much SOL you'd like to stake with this validator.

Congo ! We have staked our SOL to Greed Academy

Check & Verify your staked SOL on explorer

Here’s some other guides for you to stake your SOL :

1. Solflare :

   How to Stake Solana (SOL) in the Solflare Web Wallet

2. Trust Wallet:

   How to Stake Solana via Trust Wallet (iOS, Android)

Wait , Doubt why did I stake my SOL to Greed Academy Validator?

Recently last week I came across them last week and Greed Academy Validator offers an excellent combination of reliability, transparency, and community engagement for Solana staking enthusiasts. Here's why it stands out:

1. Greed Academy focuses on maintaining high uptime and low skip rates, ensuring your SOL earns consistent and optimal staking rewards. Its technical setup guarantees smooth operations, making it a trusted option for staking enthusiasts.

2. All profits from the Greed Validator directly support educational initiatives, making your staking contribution meaningful beyond earning rewards. By participating, you’re directly funding crypto education programs, amplifying the mission of blockchain knowledge-sharing.

**3.**The Greed Validator offers innovative incentives for its stakers, such as educational rewards tied to staking periods and modules. Participants can earn bonuses depending on the amount staked, duration, and involvement in their educational platform.

4. Greed Academy actively participates in governance decisions and fosters decentralization, embodying the true spirit of blockchain. By choosing this validator, you’re supporting an organization that prioritizes network health and community growth.

5. The staking process with Greed Academy is user-friendly, with straightforward tools to connect your wallet and stake your SOL securely. Their platform ensures a smooth experience for both new and seasoned users.

• To learn more about staking with Greed Academy, visit their website :

Wait , But do you know the advantages and disadvantages of Staking SOL?

Conclusion :

Staking SOL is more than just a way to earn passive income—it’s an opportunity to actively participate in the Solana ecosystem, secure its network, and champion decentralization. From understanding validators to recognizing the risks and benefits, every decision you make has a ripple effect on the blockchain’s health. Your involvement helps shape the future of decentralized finance. Remember, staking isn’t just about the rewards; it’s about being part of something larger—a global movement toward trustless and transparent technology.

So, why wait? Dive in, do your research, and stake responsibly. The Solana network and its community are counting on you.

If any queries, feel free to reach out me @ch04niverse

Hope you found this article helpful in understanding validators, staking, or anything related to the Solana ecosystem. If it added value to your journey, don’t forget to show some love and share your thoughts on X.