> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.primev.xyz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Validator Guide

> Opt into mev-commit with ease. This guide covers everything you need to passively opt-in to mev-commit as an L1 validator.

## Why Participate?

Participation of L1 validators in the mev-commit protocol increases the credibility of preconfs made through mev-commit and consequently their value. Due to increased preconf values, providers have additional value to bid in the mev-boost auction, thus driving up the total revenue a proposer will get.

## Requirements

1. An operational L1 validator node.
2. An operational mev-boost or other sidecar.
3. 3 ETH worth of stake or restake per validator, or 1,000 ETH worth per operator entity.

<Note>
  As an opted-in validator, you can keep your existing mev-boost relay set unchanged. mev-commit no longer requires opted-in proposers to receive blocks only from registered providers — relays forward bids from any builder.
</Note>

By opting in to mev-commit as a validator **in one of the three forms described**, you participate in the mev-commit commitment market. Registered providers (block builders) are accountable for honoring the preconfirmations they issue and can be slashed for breaking them. Opted-in validators receive higher-value blocks whenever mev-commit bids are present in their slot, with no change required to their existing relay configuration.

<Note>
  **Forthcoming protocol fee.** A future protocol upgrade will introduce a small dynamic fee on the producer reward of opt-in blocks, taken at the rewards contract layer. The fee is bounded so it never exceeds the additional value an opted-in validator receives from mev-commit — opting in remains net-positive by design. No fee is taken today; details and activation timing will be published before the mechanism goes live.
</Note>

<Note>
  **Use any relay.** In preparation for ePBS, we've updated the mev-commit relay design. Opted-in validators can run any mev-boost relay set — there is no longer a curated list of "supporting relays" and no relay-side filtering of builder bids. Your existing mev-boost configuration works as-is.
</Note>

Proposers who fallback to local block production, from either a fault in the mev-boost software or a lack of economically viable block bids, **will not be slashed**. See [flashbots docs](https://docs.flashbots.net/flashbots-mev-boost/architecture-overview/risks#liveness-and-local-fallback) for more on this scenario. The protocol may in the future slash for abuse of this local fallback mechanism.

## Choose Your Opt-In Method

Note each validator pubkey should only opt-in using one of the three methods described below.

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Eigenlayer Restaking" icon="coins">
    [Click here](/v1.2.x/get-started/validators/eigenlayer) for more information on native restaking with mev-commit's AVS
  </Card>

  <Card title="Symbiotic Restaking" icon="coins">
    [Click here](/v1.2.x/get-started/validators/symbiotic) for more information on ERC20 restaking with mev-commit's middleware contract
  </Card>

  <Card title="Simple Staking" icon="layer-group">
    [Click here](/v1.2.x/get-started/validators/vanilla) for more information on "vanilla" staking with mev-commit
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Protocol Design

To learn more about the protocol design for any of the registries, see their respective READMEs:

* [MevCommitMiddleware](https://github.com/primev/mev-commit/tree/main/contracts/contracts/validator-registry/middleware#readme)
* [MevCommitAVS](https://github.com/primev/mev-commit/blob/main/contracts/contracts/validator-registry/avs/README.md)
* [VanillaRegistry](https://github.com/primev/mev-commit/tree/main/contracts/contracts/validator-registry#vanilla-registry---simple-staking-solution)

To query the on-chain parameters of any registry (on mainnet or Hoodi), run an example forge script like [this](https://github.com/primev/mev-commit/blob/main/contracts/scripts/validator-registry/GetParams.s.sol).

***

## Learn More

<Card title="Why Should Validators Opt In?" icon="circle-question" href="/v1.2.x/knowledge-base/why-should-validators-opt-in" horizontal>
  FAQ on the incentive model and what validators earn by opting in.
</Card>