TL;DR

Following the successful implementation of CIP-2 and the expansion of the validator set on the Core blockchain from 21 to 31 validators, the Core Foundation proposes a strategic initiative to further expand the validator set from 31 to 41 validators by Q2 2026. The expansion will be gradual over the next 12 months and will not affect staking rewards for CORE stakers, Bitcoin stakers, or miners. This initiative builds on our commitment to enhancing decentralization, resilience, and security across the Core network by incorporating more reputable infrastructure providers.

Background

CIP-2 was introduced and passed via community governance to increase the validator set from 21 to 31. This expansion was successfully executed, improving network participation and further decentralizing consensus. Building on this momentum, the Foundation believes that now is the right time to plan for the next phase of validator set growth.

As a reminder, validators are responsible for block production on the Core blockchain. Currently, 31 validators are elected per cycle based on a hybrid score that considers delegated hash power from miners, staked CORE tokens, and staked Bitcoin. The 31 highest-scoring validators form the active set for each cycle. For more details, refer to the Core DAO White Paper.

Opportunity

Expanding the validator set from 31 to 41 is the next strategic step in Core’s long-term decentralization roadmap. The Core ecosystem has shown significant maturity and growth, with consistent interest from reputable infrastructure providers looking to contribute to the validator set. Building on the success of CIP-2, this proposal aims to further strengthen Core’s validator layer without compromising performance or reward dynamics.

Proposal Details

Integration

• Expand the validator set from 31 to 41 validators by Q2 2026
• Roll out the increase gradually over the next 12 months to ensure a seamless transition

Rationale

• Enhanced Decentralization: A larger validator set leads to more distributed decision-making, thereby increasing network resilience and reducing centralization risk.
• Infrastructure Demand: Core continues to receive strong interest from established infrastructure providers, signaling the need to grow beyond the current validator capacity.
• Ecosystem Maturity: The network has achieved a level of technical and operational maturity that enables it to support a wider validator set without performance concerns.

Impact on On-Chain Experience

• Staking Rewards: This expansion will not impact staking rewards for CORE stakers, Bitcoin stakers, or miners. The reward mechanisms and token distribution remain unchanged.
• User Experience: Network performance and end-user experience will remain stable. The expansion will bring security and decentralization benefits without degrading the user experience.
• Institutional Participation: Onboarding additional reputable institutional validators will further improve the credibility, uptime, and technical reliability of the Core validator set.

Voting Process

Voting Duration: 3 days

Voting Options:

• Yes: Approve expansion to 41 validators by Q2 2026.
• No: Reject the proposal and retain the current validator set size of 31.
• Abstain: Participate in the vote without a preference.

Deadline for Votes

07-13, 2025 — Ensuring ample time for thorough consideration and discussion.

CIP-7：将验证者数量从31扩展至41，目标时间为2026年第二季度

摘要

在CIP-2成功实施，并将Core验证者数量从21名扩大至31名之后，Core基金会提议开展下一阶段的战略扩展计划——于2026年第二季度前，将验证者数量从31名进一步增加至41名。此次扩展将在未来12个月内逐步进行，不会影响CORE质押者、比特币质押者或矿工的奖励机制。该计划延续了我们致力于增强Core网络去中心化、韧性和安全性的承诺，并引入更多信誉良好的基础设施提供方参与共识。

背景

CIP-2提案通过社区治理机制提出并获得通过，旨在将验证者数量从21名增加至31名。该提案已成功执行，提升了网络参与度，并进一步增强了共识机制的去中心化程度。在这一成果的基础上，基金会认为现在是规划下一阶段验证者扩展的合适时机。

提醒：验证者负责Core区块链上的区块生产。目前，每个周期会根据一个混合评分机制选出31名验证者，该评分机制综合考虑来自矿工的委托算力、CORE质押数量以及比特币质押数量。得分最高的31名验证者将组成该周期的活跃验证者集。更多详情请参考《Core DAO白皮书》。

发展机遇

将验证者数量从31名扩展至41名，是Core长期去中心化发展路线图中的下一项战略步骤。Core生态系统已经展现出显著的成熟度与增长趋势，并持续吸引信誉良好的基础设施提供商有意加入验证者集。基于CIP-2的成功经验，本提案旨在进一步加强Core的验证者层，同时确保网络性能与激励机制保持不变。

提案详情

执行方式

• 将验证者数量从31名扩大至41名，目标时间为2026年第二季度

• 在接下来的12个月内逐步实施，确保平稳过渡

提案理由

• 增强去中心化：更大的验证者集意味着更加分散的决策机制，从而提高网络韧性，降低中心化风险
• 基础设施需求：Core持续收到来自成熟基础设施提供商的积极意向，显示当前验证者容量已趋紧张
• 生态成熟度：网络已经具备足够的技术与运营成熟度，支持更广泛的验证者集而不影响性能

链上体验的影响

• 质押奖励：此次扩展不会影响CORE质押者、比特币质押者或矿工的奖励机制。奖励方式及代币分配保持不变
• 用户体验：网络性能与终端用户体验将维持稳定。验证者扩展将带来安全性与去中心化的提升，而不会降低用户体验
• 机构参与：新增更多信誉良好的机构级验证者，将进一步提升验证者集的公信力、在线率与技术可靠性

投票流程

投票时长：3天

投票选项：

• 同意（Yes）：批准将验证者数量扩展至41名，目标时间为2026年第二季度
• 反对（No）：拒绝该提案，维持现有31名验证者的数量
• 弃权（Abstain）：参与投票，但不表达偏好意见

投票截止日期

2025年7月13日 — 为社区提供充足的讨论与审议时间