7.9 KiB
Roles & Responsibilities
The Zenith network defines specific roles and responsibilities for different types of Azimuth point owners. Each participant type has distinct technical requirements and economic incentives.
Galaxies (Validators)
Only galaxies can be validators on Zenith. Galaxy owners must also own an "associated star" (a star sponsored by and owned by the same account as their galaxy) to participate as validators. This dual ownership model ensures both governance authority through the galaxy and operational transaction bundling through the associated star.
Ownership Requirements
Validators must own a galaxy (1 of 256 total) in the Azimuth registry along with an associated star sponsored by that galaxy and owned by the same account. Both points must be deposited in the Ethereum L1 lockdrop contract, and validators must provide cryptographic proof of ownership for both points.
Operational Role
Galaxies are the only validators on Zenith - they build blocks and participate in consensus. The associated star's Janus server runs in-process within zenithd and bundles transactions from sponsored planets, submitting those bundles directly to the galaxy validator which puts them into blocks. Independent stars (not associated with a galaxy) bundle transactions from planets and send those bundles to galaxy validators over HTTP.
Stage 1 Responsibilities
Validators must operate a full zenithd validator node with consensus participation, which includes the associated star's Janus server running in-process. They must maintain self-hosted Urbit ships for both their galaxy and associated star points. They actively sign blocks to earn $Z accrual and meet technical requirements for reliable validator operations.
$Z Token Accrual
Validators must actively sign blocks to earn token accrual. Accrual is performance-based and tied to successful block production and network participation. Jailing and slashing serve as penalties—jailing stops new token accrual until the issue is resolved, while slashing causes loss of existing tokens. Validators must maintain control of both their galaxy and associated star points to continue earning.
Stars (Bundlers)
Star owners who are not also galaxy validators participate as independent bundlers, aggregating transactions from planets and submitting them to galaxy validators. These are distinct from the "associated stars" that galaxy validators must own, whose Janus servers run in-process with zenithd in validator mode.
Ownership Requirements
Independent star operators must own a star point in the Azimuth registry and deposit it in the lockdrop contract. They must provide cryptographic proof of star ownership. Stars have a sponsorship relationship with a galaxy.
Operational Role
Independent star operators run zenithd in star mode which includes the Janus bundling service to collect transactions from planets they sponsor. They bundle these transactions and submit the bundles to galaxy validators over HTTP. Stars typically submit bundles to their sponsoring galaxy, maintaining the Urbit sponsorship relationship. They contribute to network efficiency through transaction bundling and can optionally run additional services for extra $Z rewards.
Stage 1 Responsibilities
Independent star operators must run zenithd in star mode (which includes the Janus bundling service) to aggregate transactions and maintain a self-hosted Urbit ship for their star point. They collect transactions from planets they sponsor and submit bundles to galaxy validators over HTTP. Optionally, they can run additional services to earn extra $Z, including indexer services, application hosting, data aggregation services, and network monitoring.
$Z Token Accrual
Star operators must actively bundle and submit transactions to their sponsoring galaxy to earn rewards. They earn rewards from bundling transaction fees and receive additional bonuses for running optional network services.
Planets (Transaction Submitters)
Planets are critical participants in the Zenith network starting from Stage 1. They are the only entities that can submit transactions to the network, making them essential for network activity and usage.
Ownership Requirements
Planet owners must own a planet point in the Azimuth registry. Planets are sponsored by a star, which provides their connection to the network infrastructure.
Operational Role
Planets are the exclusive transaction submitters on Zenith. Only planets can submit transactions to the network. They submit transactions to their sponsoring star's Janus service, which bundles them and forwards them to galaxy validators. Planets use the network for applications, services, and all transaction activity.
Lockdrop Participation
Planet holders cannot participate in the Stage 0 lockdrop process and will not receive initial $Z allocations at TGE. However, during Stage 0, planets can participate in a parallel testnet by signing up to the Tlon App where they receive fake $Z tokens for testing purposes.
Onboarding and $Z Acquisition
When onboarding to Zenith, planets receive $Z from a faucet operated by their sponsoring star. This provides them with the tokens needed to pay transaction fees and participate in network activity. Planets acquire $Z through:
- Initial faucet distribution from their sponsoring star during onboarding
- Purchasing $Z from market makers or other participants
- Earning through application usage and network participation
Stage 1 Participation
Planets are active network participants starting from Stage 1 launch. They submit all network transactions, interact with Zenith-enabled applications and services, pay transaction fees in $Z, and participate in the network economy through their sponsoring star.
Moons & Comets
Currently, moons and comets have no specific enshrined role in the Zenith system.
Future Opportunities
Moons and comets may have potential future roles in economic participation pending community and developer interest. They may participate in the ecosystem through application usage and could have possible future inclusion in governance mechanisms.
!!! note "Evolving Roles" The roles of moons and comets may expand as the Zenith ecosystem develops and the community expresses interest in broader participation models.
Economic Incentives
Galaxy Rewards
Galaxies earn validator rewards from block production, transaction fees from network activity, and block rewards from consensus participation.
Star Rewards
Stars earn transaction bundling fees, optional service revenue from activities like indexing and hosting, and rewards for aggregation services.
Planet Benefits
Planets are the exclusive transaction submitters on the network, providing essential network activity. They receive initial $Z from their sponsoring star's faucet during onboarding, gain access to Zenith applications and services, participate in Urbit-native decentralized applications, and benefit from lower transaction costs through star bundling and aggregation.
Technical Requirements
Infrastructure Requirements
Galaxies require zenithd running in validator mode with high availability and substantial bandwidth. The associated star's Janus server runs in-process within zenithd validator mode. Independent stars run zenithd in star mode (which includes the Janus bundling service) with moderate infrastructure requirements. Planets require only a basic Urbit ship with minimal technical requirements.
Connectivity Requirements
Galaxies maintain direct connections to the consensus network and receive bundles from independent stars. Associated stars' Janus servers run in-process and don't require external connectivity. Independent stars connect to galaxy validators to submit bundles and to planets via the Urbit network. Planets connect to their sponsoring star via the Urbit network to submit transactions.
Next Steps
Ready to participate? Learn about the Lockdrop Onboarding process to join the Zenith network.