creating a validator

creating_a_validator.md

To make a node a validator in Akash do the following

1. Initialize a new node
2. Copy over the genesis file for the new network
3. Create a new key, name it myvalidator
4. Tranfser 100000uakt to the new key
5. Figure out your validator address by running

akash --home $AKASH_HOME tendermint show-validator

This will output a value like this

akashvalconspub1zcjduepq3wkvh6k0r36qrfprwqza7tkmd4u4rrvx2400m5zdhctt3auk4zls6g604m

Notice this address starts with 'akashvalconspub`.

Next we need to stake tokens onto that address

akash --home "$AKASH_HOME" tx staking create-validator --keyring-backend test --from myvalidator --moniker myvalidator --amount=1uakt --pubkey $PUBKEY --commission-rate=0.1 --commission-max-rate=0.2 --commission-max-change-rate=0.01 --min-self-delegation=1 --gas=auto --chain-id=$CHAIN_ID

where $PUB_KEY is the value from above.

At this point the transaction should automatically have the gas calculated and be executed.

Next, get your validator operator address

akash --home "$AKASH_HOME" keys --keyring-backend=test show myvalidator --bech val

The output has a line like this

address: akashvaloper17mhnhk2mly30gs2z7aj4qyky548z6ycrzrq53w

This part after the colon is the address. Now we can query to see what the status of the validator is

akash --home $AKASH_HOME query staking validator $OPER_ADDR

Replacing $OPER_ADDR with the value from above.

This shows output like this

commission:
  commission_rates:
    max_change_rate: "0.010000000000000000"
    max_rate: "0.200000000000000000"
    rate: "0.100000000000000000"
  update_time: "2020-12-08T19:04:03.348496087Z"
consensus_pubkey:
  '@type': /cosmos.crypto.ed25519.PubKey
  key: i6zL6s8cdAGkI3AF3y7bbXlRjYZVXv3QTb4WuPeWqL8=
delegator_shares: "1.000000000000000000"
description:
  details: ""
  identity: ""
  moniker: node1
  security_contact: ""
  website: ""
jailed: false
min_self_delegation: "1"
operator_address: akashvaloper17mhnhk2mly30gs2z7aj4qyky548z6ycrzrq53w
status: BOND_STATUS_UNBONDED
tokens: "1"
unbonding_height: "0"
unbonding_time: "1970-01-01T00:00:00Z"

The update_time listed should be when the validator is created and that tokens list the amount specified when the validator was created.