Secure Node Full Deprecation Timeline & EON Forger Node Instructions
Introduction
The confirmed date for full secure node deprecation is Mar 11, 2024.
ZenIP 42206 was introduced and voted on in November 2023 and the community overwhelmingly voted in favor of deprecating secure nodes and repurposing the coinbase reward that secure nodes were receiving to EON forger nodes. However, secure nodes have not yet been fully deprecated. This blog post outlines the steps remaining, the timeline to full secure node deprecation, additional information on EON forger nodes and a link to instructions on setting up a forger node.
Details
This date listed above represents the date that the secure node tracking system is shut off, and that changes to both EON and Horizen are implemented (and sufficiently tested) to enable the movement of the coinbase reward from Horizen to EON, and then the subsequent distribution of the coinbase reward to forgers who have forged blocks.
Before the end of March the secure node tracking servers will no longer accept connections, most of the tracking servers will be shut down, and two servers will remain running for the foreseeable future but will be put into an ‘archive’ mode.
The remaining servers will be limited to content concerning payments and earnings for tax purposes. API connectivity will be limited to interacting with API keys and earnings.
The Horizen Team would like to thank everyone who staked ZEN and ran nodes over the last 6+ years, especially those who have been here since the initial deployment of Secure Nodes in December of 2017.
Timeline
- Jan 25, 2024 – changes to EON implemented
- Feb 7, 2024 – next mainchain hardfork
- Mar 10, 2024 – last secure node earning period ends
- Mar 11, 2024 – last secure node payment performed, secure nodes fully deprecated
- Mar 18, 2024 – first coinbase rewards deposited into Horizen EON
EON Forger Node Instructions
For step-by-step instructions on how to set up and run an EON forger node, please visit our GitHub repository below to learn more. If you intend to run a forger node, please select ‘forger’ when executing the ‘init.sh’ script for the first time. Keep in mind that both the Mainchain node and the Sidechain node will require some time to fully synchronize the entire chains.
Please let us know if you have any questions or if you need further support by reaching out to us on our Discord.
What are Horizen EON Forger Nodes and Why are they Important?
In a Proof-of-Stake chain, the nodes are called forger nodes. Forger nodes play a critical role in PoS consensus by creating blocks, validating transactions, enhancing security, and promoting efficiency and decentralization.
Forger nodes are critical to Proof of Stake (PoS) consensus for several reasons:
- Block production: They create new blocks in the blockchain, with their chance of being selected often based on the amount of cryptocurrency they hold as collateral.
- Transaction validation: Forger nodes validate and add transactions to the blockchain, ensuring that only valid transactions are recorded.
- Security: They’re financially motivated to act honestly because they’ve staked their own tokens as collateral, risking loss of rewards if they behave maliciously.
- Energy efficiency: PoS is more environmentally friendly than PoW because it doesn’t require the same amount of computing power.
- Sybil attack resistance: The larger the number of honest forger nodes, the harder a sybil attack becomes.
- Decentralization: Forging nodes contribute to network decentralization, allowing a wider range of participants to be involved.
Learn more about Horizen EON Forger Nodes and why they are important by reviewing our blog post on the subject.
