1 00:00:14,230 --> 00:00:19,057 [HOST] Solana validators pay about a hundred and ninety dollars a day just to vote. On X1, that 2 00:00:19,057 --> 00:00:23,830 bill is zero. Welcome to X1 Report. Today, we look at why X1 made voting free, and what 3 00:00:23,830 --> 00:00:26,134 that means for anyone running a validator. 4 00:00:26,384 --> 00:00:31,997 [ANALYST] On Solana, every vote is an ordinary transaction that pays the five-thousand-lamport base 5 00:00:31,997 --> 00:00:37,673 fee. That adds up to about 1.6 SOL a day, close to seventy thousand dollars a year. On X1, 6 00:00:37,673 --> 00:00:42,781 we sampled vote transactions from validators ranked first, two hundredth and five 7 00:00:42,781 --> 00:00:46,565 hundredth by stake, and every single one paid a fee of zero. 8 00:00:46,815 --> 00:00:51,748 [HOST] So why is it zero? X1's client, Tachyon, removes vote fees on purpose. X1's own 9 00:00:51,748 --> 00:00:57,304 documentation says validators on X1 don't pay for votes, and the only direct cost left is 10 00:00:57,304 --> 00:00:57,866 hardware. 11 00:00:58,116 --> 00:01:03,513 [ANALYST] X1's decision to remove vote fees is part of its broader strategy to reduce the barriers 12 00:01:03,513 --> 00:01:07,929 to entry for validators and encourage more participation in the network. 13 00:01:08,179 --> 00:01:13,712 [HOST] But what about the hardware costs? Running an X1 validator still requires a significant 14 00:01:13,712 --> 00:01:18,163 investment, with a server setup costing around $150 to $400 per month. 15 00:01:18,413 --> 00:01:24,403 [ANALYST] To address the issue of stake, X1 has implemented an automated delegation program run by 16 00:01:24,403 --> 00:01:30,461 the X1 Foundation. This program spreads its own stake across validators that meet certain 17 00:01:30,461 --> 00:01:35,565 criteria, including a 10% or lower commission and at least 92% vote credit. 18 00:01:35,815 --> 00:01:41,604 [HOST] The X1 Foundation's delegation program has a minimum self-stake requirement of 5,000 XNT, 19 00:01:41,604 --> 00:01:47,393 which is currently worth about $1,450 at today's price. This helps ensure that validators 20 00:01:47,393 --> 00:01:49,149 have some skin in the game. 21 00:01:49,399 --> 00:01:56,495 [ANALYST] In terms of rewards, X1 offers a higher inflation rate of 6.78% compared to Solana's 22 00:01:56,495 --> 00:02:03,591 3.64%. These rewards are paid out in XNT, which means their value is tied to the XNT 23 00:02:03,591 --> 00:02:04,097 price. 24 00:02:04,347 --> 00:02:09,791 [HOST] The X1 network is currently underutilized, with 99.8% of transactions being votes, and the 25 00:02:09,791 --> 00:02:14,690 rest being other types of transactions. This leaves plenty of room for growth and 26 00:02:14,690 --> 00:02:15,355 innovation. 27 00:02:15,605 --> 00:02:20,957 [ANALYST] For developers looking to build on X1, the opportunity is clear. The ground is ready, and 28 00:02:20,957 --> 00:02:26,309 many categories in the ecosystem are still unclaimed. Validators who join now can be part 29 00:02:26,309 --> 00:02:27,872 of this early development. 30 00:02:28,122 --> 00:02:33,013 [HOST] However, Solana is not standing still. It's planning to replace its consensus mechanism 31 00:02:33,013 --> 00:02:37,679 with Alpenglow, which will introduce a flat fee of 1.6 SOL per epoch per validator. 32 00:02:37,929 --> 00:02:43,436 [ANALYST] So X1 faces a choice. It can follow Solana into Alpenglow and set its own admission 33 00:02:43,436 --> 00:02:49,341 ticket, even a very low one, or it can stay on TowerBFT, which keeps votes free but keeps 34 00:02:49,341 --> 00:02:55,047 finality at around eleven seconds, and X1 would maintain that consensus alone. X1 Labs 35 00:02:55,047 --> 00:02:57,833 hasn't said publicly which way it will go. 36 00:02:58,083 --> 00:03:03,146 [HOST] For now, X1 remains an attractive option for Solana validators looking to reduce costs and 37 00:03:03,146 --> 00:03:06,297 participate in a network that is still largely untapped. 38 00:03:06,547 --> 00:03:12,402 [ANALYST] If you're interested in setting up an X1 validator, the official build from source or the 39 00:03:12,402 --> 00:03:17,468 X1 Console fast track are both viable options. You can check your standing on 40 00:03:17,468 --> 00:03:18,323 x1val.online.