QoreChain Validator Program
Run a validator on a post-quantum Layer 1. Association delegation and a QOR stipend for independent operators who meet the service levels.
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As of 7 October 2026, every active validator is operated by the QoreChain Association. This programme exists to change that.
Where the network is today
Cohort 1 opens 15 seats to operators outside the Association. The count above is read from the chain, so it moves as the set changes.
What the programme provides
An on-chain operator grant
Admission to the active set requires an on-chain operator grant issued by the Association. Selected operators receive one once they have paid the $1,000 programme fee.
Delegation
Delegation from stake controlled by the Association, so a seat does not depend on raising delegation before you have a track record.
A QOR stipend
10,000 QOR per month, paid from Validator Incentives, quarterly in arrears.
Infrastructure bonuses
Additional QOR for running public infrastructure, up to 10,000 QOR per month in total.
Upgrade support
Direct support through chain upgrades, with notice and a point of contact rather than a changelog to watch.
A place in the public registry
Every operator and every grant appears in the public operator registry.
| Infrastructure | Bonus |
|---|---|
| Public RPC endpoint | 5,000 QOR per month |
| Public snapshots | 3,000 QOR per month |
| Archive node | 5,000 QOR per month |
Infrastructure bonuses are additional to the stipend and capped at 10,000 QOR in total.
What we ask in return
- Service levels: at least 98% signed blocks per month, upgrades applied within 24 hours, a reply within 24 hours, votes on at least 80% of proposals, and a validator on the diana testnet at all times.
- A self-stake of 100,000 QOR. This is a programme rule, not a protocol minimum.
- Commission kept within 5% - 20%, 1% max daily change. Also a programme rule.
- One seat per entity.
- Infrastructure diversity: not on AWS, and at most three operators on any single provider.
- No exchanges and no custodians.
The term is 12 months, reviewed at 6.
How to join
- 1ApplySubmit an application with your infrastructure plan and operating history.
- 2Run on the testnet14 days operating a validator on the diana testnet.
- 3Identity verificationVerification of the operating entity behind the application.
- 4SelectionScored against the published criteria below. The scores and the reasoning are published.
- 5Operator grantThe Association issues the on-chain operator grant.
- 6Self-stakePost 100,000 QOR of self-stake.
- 7DelegationDelegation from Association-controlled stake follows, and the seat is live.
How applications are scored
| Criterion | Weight |
|---|---|
| Track record | 30 |
| Infrastructure independence | 25 |
| Geography | 20 |
| Contribution plan | 15 |
| Standing in the community | 10 |
Global track
5 of the seats are reserved for regions with no validator today, at a reduced self-stake of 10,000 QOR. Geography is scored, so an operator in an unrepresented region is not competing on capital alone.
Voting power, in stages
The point of the programme is to move voting power out of the Association. These are the thresholds, and what each one actually changes.
| Stage | Independent operators | Association | What it changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1 | 40% | below 66% | The Association can no longer finalise a proposal on its own. |
| Stage 2 | 55% | below 50% | Independent operators hold the majority of voting power. |
| Stage 3 | above 67% | below 33% | The Association can no longer halt the chain on its own. |
The economics, plainly
Network fees and emission are split 37% / 30% / 20% / 10% / 3% between validators, the burn, the treasury, stakers and light nodes. Validators take the 37%.
Protocol rewards are small at today's network activity. That is why the programme pays a stipend.
Cross-network attestation and bridge operation are designed, not active. They are not a source of operator income today and this page does not present them as one. The topology is 38 designed direct routes (17 QCB plus IBC), activated in waves by governance.
Network parameters
Protocol parameters are enforced by the chain and were read from it. Programme rules are applied by the Association at admission and are not chain constraints.
| Parameter | Value | Enforced by |
|---|---|---|
| Validator unbonding period | 21 days | protocol |
| Maximum active validators | 100 | protocol |
| Signed blocks window | 10,000 blocks | protocol |
| Minimum signed per window | 5% | protocol |
| Downtime slashing | 1% of stake | protocol |
| Double signing | 5% of stake, plus permanent removal | protocol |
| Jail duration after downtime | 10 minutes | protocol |
| Minimum validator self-stake | 100,000 QOR | programme |
| Validator commission | 5% - 20%, 1% max daily change | programme |
| Minimum delegation | 10 QOR | programme |
Protocol values read from api.qore.host on 7 October 2026
Hardware
| Component | Requirement |
|---|---|
| CPU | Modern multi-core server, 8+ cores recommended |
| RAM | 16GB+ for validator operations |
| Storage | SSD, 200GB+ initial capacity with room for chain growth |
| Network | 100+ Mbps dedicated connection, low latency preferred |
Light nodes
Light nodes verify data and relay transactions. They receive 3% of network fees, are not subject to slashing, and run on modest hardware. Registration costs $50. The full requirements are in the docs.
Questions operators ask
Is there a fee?
Yes. Applying costs nothing. Selected operators pay a programme fee of $1,000 before their on-chain operator grant is issued.
Do I need permission?
Yes, today. Admission requires an on-chain operator grant, issued after selection and payment of the programme fee. The criteria are published above and every grant is public. Delegation, by contrast, is open to anyone.
What happens after {months} months?
The term is reviewed at 6 and renewed by agreement. The intent is a standing set of independent operators, not a rotating one.
Can I lose my place?
Yes, by missing the service levels or by breaking the diversity or custody rules. The protocol enforces its own penalties separately, and those apply regardless.
Do the Association's own validators get the stipend?
No. The stipend exists to fund operators who are not us.
Disclaimers
Operator admission is at the discretion of the QoreChain Association. Nothing on this page constitutes an offer of securities, and nothing here is investment advice. The programme is not offered where it would be unlawful. QoreChain Association, CHE-484.963.998, Rolle, Switzerland.