What is a Validator?
The short answer
A participant on a proof-of-stake network responsible for checking and confirming transactions.
Validators stake coins as a financial commitment to behave honestly; dishonest behaviour can result in a penalty called “slashing.” Ordinary holders often delegate their stake to a validator rather than running one themselves.
Related terms
Full glossaryAltcoin
Informal shorthand for any cryptocurrency that isn't Bitcoin.
Whale
Slang for an individual or entity holding a very large amount of a given cryptocurrency.
Proof of Stake
A consensus method (used by Ethereum) where network security comes from participants locking up coins as collateral.
DCA (Dollar-Cost Averaging)
Buying a fixed amount on a regular schedule, regardless of price, instead of trying to time the market.
Blockchain
A shared, tamper-evident record of transactions, copied across many independent computers instead of one company's private database.
Volatility
How much and how quickly a price moves, in either direction.
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