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Aztec’s validator model breaks the norm
Aztec is building a new kind of blockchain: one that protects user privacy, settles to Ethereum, and distributes sequencing across a decentralized network of staked participants. But if you're coming from Ethereum or Cosmos, the validator role on Aztec may look a little unfamiliar.
On Aztec, validator nodes are also sequencer nodes. There’s no separate validator client. Once you’re running a sequencer, you can join the validator set by staking tokens and calling a function on the L1 contract. That action makes your node eligible for inclusion in a randomized committee that proposes and signs blocks before they are finalized on Ethereum.
For Finoa Consensus Services (FCS), this model isn’t just interesting: it’s a signal. The real unlock here is that on Aztec, validator nodes are also sequencer nodes. On most L2s, you can run validators but you cannot propose blocks. This unified role may look lightweight, but behind it lies a serious infrastructure challenge. And that’s exactly where we operate.
How Block Production Works on Aztec
Aztec collapses the usual separation between validator and proposer. Anyone can join the validator set permissionlessly by calling a function on the L1 rollup contract.
Aztec's block production system, which is currently unnamed, picks a random subset of the validator set, called a committee, every L2 epoch (which spans 96 Ethereum slots). From this committee, the system samples (with replacement) a random subset of 32 sequencers, also known as proposers. Each of these is assigned to one of the 32 L2 slots within that epoch.
For each slot, the assigned sequencer proposes a block, while the rest of the committee is responsible for attesting to its validity. Each block must garner signatures from more than two-thirds of the committee members to be accepted by the L1 rollup contract.
What makes this setup unique is that sequencing and validation are done by the same binary. This simplicity makes it easy to onboard validators, but it also places greater performance and uptime demands on each node.
Why FCS is validating on Aztec's testnet now and not waiting for mainnet
That’s why Finoa Consensus Services is already running validator infrastructure on Aztec's testnet. We're not just experimenting; we’re preparing.
By joining now, we're gaining operational knowledge of how Aztec’s validator committee behaves under real network conditions:
- How often our node is selected to propose a block
- How attestation latency impacts block finality
- How validator keys can be securely managed across geographies
FCS specializes in helping institutions stake securely and reliably. We see protocols like Aztec playing a key role in the future of privacy-preserving applications.
Early network stress tests show what’s at stake
Shortly after the testnet went live, Aztec’s mempool became congested as hundreds of sequencers came online. The result: block throughput dropped to ~20% of normal levels. But within an hour, the team deployed a fix that increased p2p mempool capacity, and stability was restored.
These moments matter. For institutional infrastructure providers like FCS, testnets aren’t just sandboxes: they’re proving grounds. The ability to monitor, respond, and recover from unpredictable behavior is what separates experimental setups from operational ones.
The economics of network participation
Aztec validators (i.e., registered sequencers) will eventually earn protocol rewards. The current design includes:
- A share of L2 transaction fees
- Future protocol emissions (once the AZTEC token launches)
- Potential MEV rewards from proposer auctions
Because the same node proposes and attests, incentives are aligned by default, minimizing attack vectors like equivocation or lazy validation. Slashing mechanics for downtime or double-signing are still being finalized.
It's also important to highlight the role of provers in the network. Distinct from validators, the prover role is both permissionless and non-staking. Provers generate the zero-knowledge proofs required for transactions but do not need to pre-register or post any stake, creating an open and accessible layer for participation.
Institutional-grade setup, tuned for Aztec
FCS brings its infrastructure expertise to every network we support, and Aztec is no exception. Our validator setup includes:
- Bare-metal servers optimized for throughput and failover
- 24/7 monitoring with attestation latency, election tracking, and error alerts
- Redundant sequencers, enabling active-active high availability
We're not just validating Aztec; we're tuning our operational stack to match its emerging needs.
What makes Aztec worth validating early?
Aztec’s long-term value isn’t just in zero-knowledge proofs but in how those proofs are deployed in real applications. The network’s design lets independent ledgers settle with each other without revealing sensitive trade details, all while maintaining Ethereum compatibility.
This combination of privacy, interoperability, and decentralization is rare. And it’s precisely the kind of infrastructure we believe institutions will want secure access to in the near future.
If you want to learn more about zero-knowledge proofs, read our dedicated research blog:
https://finoa-fcs.io/blog/what-are-zero-knowledge-proofs-zkp
Simple to enter. Serious to operate.
While joining the validator set is a straightforward on-chain transaction, validating in a way that’s secure, consistent, and scalable, especially for institutions, requires more than configuration.
By running infrastructure on Aztec today, Finoa Consensus Services is preparing for a future where privacy-preserving blockchains are production-grade networks. And when that future arrives, our infrastructure and our clients will be ready.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice or an offer to stake or validate on any network.