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Prerequisites

Running a BlockZero validator has higher requirements than running a miner. Validators must be online continuously, hold the full model, and score every miner submission in each cycle.

Stake Requirement​

Validators must have sufficient TAO staked to be considered active on the subnet. Check the current minimum stake:

btcli subnet info --netuid <BlockZero_UID>
# Look for: min_allowed_weights or similar stake requirements

Validators with more stake have more influence in inter-validator merging and earn a higher share of validator emissions.

Server Requirements​

Unlike miners, validators should run on a dedicated server (not a consumer desktop). Validators need:

  • 24/7 uptime — missing evaluation windows reduces your influence in consensus and can result in deregistration
  • Reliable network — validators serve model files to miners; high uptime and bandwidth are essential
  • Open port for miner connections (default: 8080 or 443)

Hardware Requirements​

ComponentMinimumRecommended
GPU VRAM48GB (A6000)48GB (A6000)
System RAM64GB128GB
Storage500GB NVMe2TB NVMe
Network1Gbps10Gbps

GPU compatibility: NVIDIA A6000 (48GB) is the reference hardware for validators. Other GPUs with 48GB+ VRAM will also work.

Storage requirement explanation: The full model plus per-miner checkpoints can add up quickly. Size your storage accordingly.

Software Requirements​

Same as miners:

  • Python 3.10+
  • CUDA 12.x
  • Git and pip
  • Bittensor installed

Additionally:

  • fastapi and uvicorn — for the model distribution server (installed via pip install -e .)

Networking​

The validator runs an HTTP server that miners connect to for model downloads and checkpoint submissions.

  • Open port 8080 (or your configured server_port) to inbound connections
  • If behind NAT, configure port forwarding
  • TLS termination is recommended for production deployments (use a reverse proxy like nginx)

Bittensor Validator Registration​

Register your hotkey as a validator on the BlockZero subnet:

btcli subnet register --wallet.name my-wallet --wallet.hotkey my-validator-hotkey --netuid <BlockZero_UID>

For validator-level stake influence, you may also need to call become_delegate and have TAO delegated to your hotkey — see Bittensor documentation.

Checklist​

  • Sufficient TAO stake for validator status
  • Dedicated server with 24/7 uptime
  • GPU with ≥48GB VRAM (A6000 or equivalent)
  • 64GB+ system RAM
  • 500GB+ storage for model + checkpoint cache
  • Port 8080 open inbound
  • Python 3.10+, CUDA 12.x installed
  • Validator hotkey registered on BlockZero subnet