> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://primev-24-update-validator-slashing.mintlify.site/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.

## Supported Networks

Both Holesky and Mainnet L1 validators are able to opt-in to mev-commit. The opt-in process is initiated from the chain the validator is staked on.

See [mainnet](/v0.8.0/developers/mainnet#l1-validator-registries) and [testnet](/v0.8.0/developers/testnet#validator-registry-contract-addresses-holesky) for relevant contract addresses.

## Requirements

1. An operational L1 validator node for either mainnet or Holesky.
2. An operational mev-boost sidecar.
3. Capital requirements as described further below.

<Warning>
  As a validator opting into the mev-commit protocol, ensure your mev-boost client only connects to mev-commit opted-in relays to avoid slashing for proposing blocks without delivering commitments.
</Warning>

By opting-in to the mev-commit protocol as a validator **in one of the three forms described**, you agree to only use **opted-in relays**. These opted-in relays will only forward mev-boost bids from addresses that have registered with the mev-commit provider registry, such that any provider can be slashed in case of a protocol violation. This allows validators to passively opt-in to mev-commit, letting block builders and relays do the work.

### Supporting Relays

| Relay          | Docs                                                |
| -------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| Titan          | [docs.titanrelay.xyz](https://docs.titanrelay.xyz/) |
| Aestus Mainnet | [mainnet.aestus.live](https://mainnet.aestus.live/) |
| Aestus Holesky | [holesky.aestus.live](https://holesky.aestus.live/) |

We expect all known relays to support opting-in to mev-commit within a few months of being live on mainnet. If you are a relay looking to join the mev-commit network please visit our [Relays page](/v0.8.0/get-started/relays) to get more information.

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](/v0.8.0/get-started/validators/eigenlayer) for more information on native restaking with mev-commit's AVS
  </Card>

  <Card title="Symbiotic Restaking" icon="coins">
    [Click here](/v0.8.0/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](/v0.8.0/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 Holesky), run an example forge script like [this](https://github.com/primev/mev-commit/blob/main/contracts/scripts/validator-registry/GetParams.s.sol).