> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.x1.xyz/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.x1.xyz/validating/validator-rewards/bootstrap-bonus.md). # Bootstrap Bonus Bootstrap Bonus v1 rewards early, performant validators on X1 mainnet. It runs from epoch 37 until 1 November 2026 and is paid in a one-time airdrop to each validator's withdrawer. {% hint style="info" %} **In short** * **What:** a bonus on top of normal validator rewards, at about **16% a year** on up to **10,000 XNT** of eligible stake. * **When:** from mainnet epoch 37 until **1 November 2026, 00:00 UTC**. * **Who:** a validator earns the bonus for every epoch in which it meets all the [criteria](#eligibility-criteria). * **Paid:** in a one-time airdrop in November 2026 to the withdrawer of each validator's vote account. Nothing to claim. * **Check your bonus:** [validators.x1.xyz](https://validators.x1.xyz/) {% endhint %} **Bootstrap Bonus** rewards early, performant, and decentralized validators who actively strengthen the X1 network.\ The purpose of the Bootstrap Bonus is to **accelerate the growth of the validator network** and **enhance decentralization** across the consensus layer. It is separate from the [Incentivized Testnet Rewards](/validating/validator-rewards/incentivized-testnet-rewards.md), which pay testnet validators for testnet credits. *** ## How the bonus is calculated The bonus is calculated every epoch, over the validators that meet all the criteria in that epoch: ``` eligible stake = min(stake, 10,000 XNT) epoch pool = 16% × total eligible stake × (slots in the epoch ÷ slots in a year) your bonus = epoch pool × (your eligible stake × your vote credits) ÷ sum of (eligible stake × vote credits) over all eligible validators ``` An epoch is 216,000 slots and a year is 78,892,314 slots. So 16% is the annual rate of the pool as a whole. A validator with average vote credits earns about 16% a year on its eligible stake; more credits earn slightly more, and fewer earn slightly less. The bonus is paid in addition to voting rewards, commission and block rewards (see [Validator rewards](/validating/validator-rewards.md)). *** ## Which stake counts **All stake delegated to your vote account counts, except stake held by stake pools.** * Your own stake and stake delegated directly from other wallets both count. * Stake held by a stake pool does not count. This includes the X1 Foundation's [Delegation Program](https://delegation.mainnet.x1.xyz). A stake account is held by a pool when its withdraw authority is the pool's. * **Minimum:** 1,000 XNT of eligible stake. * **Maximum counted:** 10,000 XNT. Validators may have more, but **only the first 10,000 XNT** earns the bonus. > **Example:**\ > A validator with **1,000 XNT** of eligible stake qualifies fully.\ > A validator with **12,000 XNT** earns the bonus **only on the first 10,000 XNT**.\ > A validator with **4,000 XNT** of its own stake, **3,000 XNT** delegated directly by others and **50,000 XNT** from a stake pool has **7,000 XNT** of eligible stake. *** ## Eligibility criteria The criteria are checked every epoch. A validator earns that epoch's bonus only if it meets all of them: | Criterion | Requirement | | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Active validator** | In the active validator set and not delinquent. | | **Stake** | At least 1,000 XNT of [eligible stake](#which-stake-counts). | | **Commission** | At most 10%. This is the highest commission set at any point during the epoch. | | **Vote credits** | At least 97% of the network average for the epoch. | | **Skip rate** | At most 10% above the network average for the epoch: 110% of it, not 10 percentage points more (see [below](#skip-rate-in-practice)). | | **Tachyon version** | The [majority version](#majority-version), any newer version, or up to two patch releases older. | | **Validators per withdrawer** | At most 10 (see [below](#validators-per-withdrawer)). | **Network averages** are taken over all active, non-delinquent validators, excluding X1 Labs validators. A validator with no leader slots in the epoch counts as a 0% skip rate. X1 Labs validators do not take part in the program. ### Skip rate in practice The skip-rate limit is relative to the network, and the network skips very few slots. Over epochs 385 to 395 (late September to early October 2026) the average was between 0.08% and 0.38%, so the limit was between about 0.08% and 0.41%. A validator with about 250 leader slots in an epoch skips 0.4% of them by missing a single one. > **Example (epoch 395):**\ > Network average skip rate: **0.124%**. Limit: 0.124% × 1.1 = **0.137%**.\ > A validator that skipped **1 of its 264** leader slots had a skip rate of **0.379%**, above the limit, so it earned no bonus for that epoch. So in practice **a single skipped leader slot can cost that epoch's bonus**. The next epoch is judged afresh. ### Majority version The majority version is the newest version that, together with all newer versions, runs at least 50% of active stake in the epoch. A validator qualifies on that version, any newer one, or up to two patch releases older. > **Example:**\ > If the majority version is **2.2.20**, validators on **2.2.18** or later qualify. ### Validators per withdrawer Validators are grouped by the authorized withdrawer of their vote account. If more than 10 validators with the same withdrawer qualify in an epoch, only the **10 with the most eligible stake** earn the bonus for that epoch. The limit is meant to cap each individual or entity at **10 validators**. Validators must adhere to the **spirit of decentralization** and act in good faith: splitting validators across withdrawers to get around the limit goes against the program. *** ## Program dates * **Start:** mainnet epoch 37. * **End:** 1 November 2026 at 00:00 UTC. An epoch earns a bonus only if it ends before that time. The epoch that is running at the cutoff earns nothing. * **Final amounts:** fixed 15 minutes after the cutoff. *** ## Payout * The total bonus each validator has earned is paid in a **one-time airdrop in November 2026**. * It is sent to the **authorized withdrawer of the validator's vote account at the time of the payout**. Validators with the same withdrawer are paid together. * Validators that have since stopped validating are still paid what they earned. * There is nothing to claim. Make sure your vote account's withdrawer is an address you control. *** ## Check your bonus * **Validator dashboard:** on [validators.x1.xyz](https://validators.x1.xyz/), search by name, or paste your vote account or node identity key. A validator that has stopped voting is not in the list, but pasting its full key still opens its page. The page shows the bonus earned, the epochs that earned it and the address it will be paid to. * **API:** `https://api.x1.xyz/v1/validators/` returns `cumulativeBootstrapRewards`, in lamports (1 XNT = 1,000,000,000 lamports). Until the cutoff it includes a provisional amount for the current epoch. * **Network total:** `cumulativeBootstrapRewards` at `https://api.x1.xyz/v1/cluster`. *** ## Program Purpose Bootstrap Bonus v1 is designed to: * **Accelerate the growth** of the validator network * **Encourage self-commitment** and fair participation * **Enhance decentralization** of the consensus layer * Reward **high-performing, independent operators** * Strengthen the **resilience and quality** of the validator set *** ## DeFi Origin of X1 The first DeFi protocol of X1 is **not** a DEX or a lending market — it is the **Bootstrap Bonus**.\ By making **validation itself** the first **yield-bearing activity**, X1 aligns incentives directly with the **security** and **decentralization** of the chain. This is what truly sets X1 apart from most other blockchains — the ambition to let **everyone participate at the core of the network**, not just at the edge.\ Validators on X1 can **participate in consensus with minimal barriers** and also **participate in block production** itself. In alignment with this vision, X1 introduces the **democratization of block production**, where **randomness and validator performance** define eligibility — not stake dominance.\ Learn more: [Stake, Performance, and Randomness-Based Leader Selection](https://docs.x1.xyz/technicals/technical-roadmap/stake-performance-and-randomness-based-leader-selection) In short:\ **Validating becomes the first DeFi of X1.**