Run a 7aychain Validator
Earn $7AY rewards by securing the network. Validators form witness circles, verify physical presence, and keep the protocol honest.
What validators do
On 7aychain, validators do more than produce blocks. They actively verify that people are where they claim to be — forming witness circles that confirm each person's location through network timing measurement.
Each validator in a witness circle measures round-trip timing to the declaring participant and to other validators. These measurements feed into position algorithms that determine physical location — without GPS or external hardware.
When enough validators agree on a position, the presence is confirmed and permanently sealed on-chain. Honest validators earn $7AY rewards. Dishonest ones get slashed.
The validator set rotates each round, preventing any single group from colluding to falsify presence verifications.
System requirements
| Spec | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU Cores | 4 cores | 8+ cores |
| RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Storage | 50 GB SSD | 100 GB NVMe |
| Network | 10 Mbps | 100+ Mbps |
Install dependencies
7aychain requires Rust (stable), the WASM compilation target, Clang/LLVM, and protobuf. Choose your operating system below.
brew install cmake pkg-config openssl git llvm protobuf
rustup default stable
rustup target add wasm32-unknown-unknownsudo apt update && sudo apt install -y \
cmake pkg-config libssl-dev git clang \
libclang-dev protobuf-compiler
rustup default stable
rustup target add wasm32-unknown-unknownsudo dnf install -y cmake openssl-devel git clang \
clang-devel protobuf-compiler
rustup default stable
rustup target add wasm32-unknown-unknown# Install WSL2 with Ubuntu, then follow Ubuntu steps
wsl --install -d Ubuntu
# Inside WSL2:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y \
cmake pkg-config libssl-dev git clang \
libclang-dev protobuf-compilerBuild and run your validator
git clone https://github.com/7ayLabs/7aychain.git
cd 7aychain
cargo build --release# Start node first, then rotate keys via RPC
curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d {"id":1, "jsonrpc":"2.0", "method":"author_rotateKeys"} \
http://localhost:9944./target/release/seveny-node \
--chain local \
--validator \
--name "my-validator" \
--base-path /data/7aychain \
--rpc-port 9944 \
--rpc-cors allNode CLI flags
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
| --dev | Run in development mode with temporary storage |
| --chain <spec> | Specify chain spec (local, dev, or path to JSON) |
| --validator | Enable validator mode for block production |
| --base-path <path> | Set the data directory for the node |
| --rpc-port <port> | Set the JSON-RPC port (default: 9944) |
| --port <port> | Set the p2p networking port (default: 30333) |
| --name <name> | Human-readable name for the node |
| --telemetry-url <url> | Telemetry server endpoint |
| --bootnodes <addr> | Specify boot node multiaddress(es) |
| --rpc-cors all | Allow all CORS origins for RPC |
Staking and rewards
Validators stake $7AY to participate. Honest verification earns rewards. Dishonest behavior triggers slashing.
Register
Submit a validator registration with your session keys. Registration enters a pending queue until the next round.
Activate
Once accepted, your node enters the active validator set and begins participating in consensus and presence verification.
Stake
Bond $7AY tokens as collateral. Higher stake increases your chance of being selected for witness circles and earning rewards.
Earn
Earn $7AY rewards for honest verification, presence confirmation, and block production. Rewards distribute each round.
Slash
False verifications, extended downtime, or double-signing trigger slashing. A portion of your staked $7AY is burned.
Witness circle participation
When someone declares presence, the protocol selects a group of active validators to form a witness circle. Selection is random, weighted by stake and shaped by network topology.
Each validator in the circle independently measures round-trip timing to the declaring participant and to other circle members. These measurements are submitted as signed verifications.
The timing measurements feed into position algorithms that estimate physical location from network data across multiple reference points.
If the position estimate from enough validators converges within threshold, the presence is finalized. Outlier measurements trigger dispute resolution, and validators providing false verifications face slashing.
Start validating on 7aychain
The devnet is live and accepting validators. Clone the repo, build the node, and join the network.
Join the Presence Economy
Protocol milestones, validator updates, and early access drops — delivered to those who show up first.
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