Berachain Node Architecture Overview 📓

Berachain's network relies on validator nodes and RPC nodes. Each can be configured as a full node or archive node.

Each of these types of nodes is a pair of both an execution client and a consensus client. Berachain is a Layer 1 EVM Identical chain, which means that for the execution layer, it supports any EVM execution client paired with a consensus client and framework built by Berachain called BeaconKit.

RPC vs Validator Nodes 📡

The main difference between an RPC node and a validator node is that a validator can propose blocks and receive block rewards.

An RPC node can become a validator node by joining the Active Set through interaction with the BeaconDeposit contract by meeting the $BERA stake requirements.

Active Set ✅

The active set is the set of validators that are currently participating in the consensus layer of the network.

The current limit of validators in the active set is 69.

There is currently only one way a validator may be removed from the active set: if the active set is completely full, and the validator is the least staked validator in the active set, and a new node entering the active set stakes more than the validator in question.

Validator Stake Requirements 🔑

The minimum stake requirement depends on whether the active set is completely full.

If the active set is not full, the minimum stake requirement is 2500000 $BERA.

If the active set is full, the minimum stake requirement is 1 $BERA more than the amount staked by the last validator in the active set.

It can take up to 3 epochs (192 blocks per epoch) for deposits to be processed and for a validator to be included in the active set.

Direct Staking

Berachain follows Proof-of-Stake (PoS) direct staking, which allows $BERA holders to directly stake their $BERA to a validator. However, note that if funds are withdrawn from a validator, currently all funds are returned to a single address: the validator's Withdrawal Credentials Address.

This means that validators will have to communicate how they handle funds when a validator is removed from the active set.

WARNING

Avoid staking to validators without knowing how they handle funds when a validator is removed from the active set.

Removed From Active Set ❌

If a validator is removed from the active set, all $BERA staked to that validator will be returned to the validator's Withdrawal Credentials Address, which is set when the validator makes their first deposit.

A validator can decide to become a validator again but will need to generate new CometBFT validator keys and start the deposit process again as if they were a new validator.

WARNING

Staking with a past validator's CometBFT keys and PubKey (a validator that was removed from the active set), without creating new validator keys, can result in loss of funds.

Voluntary Withdrawals ⚠️

Voluntary withdrawals are not yet implemented on Berachain and will be coming in a future release.

Validator Block Rewards & Distribution 🪙

Block rewards are in the form of $BGT, with a base reward of 0.5 $BGT per block proposed.

Rewards are not distributed automatically and require that the block rewards be distributed via the Distributor contract. Distribution must occur before 8191 seconds have passed, or validators risk losing those rewards.