TL;DR
Following the successful implementation of CIP-2, which increased the validator set from 21 to 31, this proposal recommends expanding the validator set further—from 31 to 41 validators—by Q2 2026.
The increase would occur gradually over a 12-month period. This change will not impact staking rewards for CORE stakers, BTC stakers, or miners. The goal is to strengthen decentralization, security, and resilience across the Core network by incorporating additional reputable infrastructure providers.
Background
CIP-2 was passed through community governance and executed successfully, resulting in enhanced network participation and greater decentralization.
Validators play a critical role in block production on the Core blockchain. Each cycle, 31 validators are selected based on a hybrid score composed of:
- Delegated hash power from miners
- Staked CORE
- Staked Bitcoin
The top 31 become the active set. For additional context, refer to the Core DAO White Paper.
Opportunity
The proposed expansion to 41 validators represents the next step in Core’s decentralization roadmap.
The ecosystem continues to show technical and operational maturity, with consistent interest from reputable validator operators. This proposal aims to further decentralize consensus and enhance validator diversity—without affecting protocol performance or rewards.
Proposal Details
Integration Plan
- Expand validator set from 31 to 41
- Gradual rollout across 12 months
- Completion target: Q2 2026
Rationale
- Enhanced Decentralization: Broader validator participation reduces centralization risk and increases network resilience.
- Infrastructure Demand: Strong interest from qualified validator candidates demonstrates the need for additional capacity.
- Ecosystem Maturity: Current infrastructure can support the expansion without compromising network performance.
Impact on On-Chain Experience
- Staking Rewards: No impact on staking rewards for CORE, BTC, or miners. Distribution mechanisms remain unchanged.
- User Experience: No expected degradation in performance. Expansion aims to improve decentralization and security.
- Institutional Participation: Welcoming more reputable validators increases uptime, credibility, and technical reliability.
Voting Process
Voting Duration: 3 days
Start: July 10, 2025 · 12 PM UTC
End: July 13, 2025 · 12 PM UTC
Options:
Yes – Approve expansion to 41 validators by Q2 2026
No – Retain current validator set size of 31
Abstain – Participate without preference
Deadline for Votes: July 13, 2025 – to allow time for community review and discussion.
Vote now 