validator-set Preference

Abstract

Validator-Set preference is a new module which gives users and contracts a better UX for staking to a set of validators. For example: a one click button that delegates to multiple validators. Then the user can set (or realistically a frontend provides) a list of recommended defaults (Ex: active governors, relayers, core stack contributors etc). Currently this can be done on-chain with frontends, but having a preference list stored locally eases frontend code burden.

Design

How does this module work?

• Allow a user to set a list of {val-addr, weight} in the state, called their validator-set preference.
• Allow a user to update a list of {val-addr, weight} in the state, then do the following;
  • Unstake the existing tokens (run the same unbond logic as cosmos-sdk staking).
  • Update the validator distribution weights.
  • Stake the tokens based on the new weights.
  • Redelegate their current delegation to the currently configured set.
• Give users a single message to delegate {X} tokens, according to their validator-set preference distribution.
• Give users a single message to undelegate {X} tokens, according to their validator-set preference distribution.
• Give users a single message to claim rewards from everyone on their preference list.
• If the delegator has not set a validator-set preference list then the validator set, then it defaults to their current validator set.
• If a user has no preference list and has not staked, then these messages / queries return errors.

Calculations

Staking Calculation

• The user provides an amount to delegate and our MsgDelegateToValidatorSet divides the amount based on validator weight distribution. For example: Stake 100osmo with validator-set {ValA -> 0.5, ValB -> 0.3, ValC -> 0.2} our delegate logic will attempt to delegate (100 0.5) 50osmo for ValA , (100 0.3) 30osmo from ValB and (100 * 0.2) 20osmo from ValC.

UnStaking Calculation

• The user provides an amount to undelegate and our MsgUnDelegateToValidatorSet divides the amount based on validator weight distribution.
• Here, the user can either undelegate the entire amount or partial amount
  • Entire amount unstaking: UnStake 100osmo from validator-set {ValA -> 0.5, ValB -> 0.3, ValC -> 0.2}, our undelegate logic will attempt to undelegate 50osmo from ValA , 30osmo from ValB, 20osmo from ValC
  • Partial amount unstaking: UnStake 27osmo from validator-set {ValA -> 0.5, ValB -> 0.3, ValC -> 0.2}, our undelegate logic will attempt to undelegate (27 0.5) 13.5osmos from ValA, (27 0.3), 8.1osmo from ValB, and (50 * 0.2) 5.4smo from ValC where 13.5osmo + 8.1osmo + 5.4osmo = 27osmo
  • The user will then have 73osmo remaining with unchanged weights {ValA -> 0.5, ValB -> 0.3, ValC -> 0.2},

Messages

SetValidatorSetPreference

Creates a validator-set of {valAddr, Weight} given the delegator address. and preferences. The weights are in decimal format from 0 to 1 and must add up to 1.

    string delegator = 1 [ (gogoproto.moretags) = "yaml:\"delegator\"" ];
    repeated ValidatorPreference preferences = 2 [
      (gogoproto.moretags) = "yaml:\"preferences\"",
      (gogoproto.nullable) = false
    ];

State Modifications:

• Safety Checks
  • check if the user already has a validator-set created.
  • check if the validator exist and is valid.
  • check if the validator-set add up to 1.
• Add owner address to the KVStore, where a state of validator-set is stored.

MsgDelegateToValidatorSet

Gets the existing validator-set of the delegator and delegates the given amount. The given amount will be divided based on the weights distributed to the validators. The weights will be unchanged. If the user does not have an existing validator set use delegators' current staking position.

    string delegator = 1 [ (gogoproto.moretags) = "yaml:\"delegator\"" ];
    // the amount of tokens the user is trying to delegate.
    // For ex: delegate 10osmo with validator-set {ValA -> 0.5, ValB -> 0.3, ValC
    // -> 0.2} our staking logic would attempt to delegate 5osmo to A , 3osmo to
    // B, 2osmo to C.
    cosmos.base.v1beta1.Coin coin = 2 [
      (gogoproto.nullable) = false,
      (gogoproto.castrepeated) = "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types.Coin"
    ];

State Modifications:

• Check if the user has a validator-set and if so, get the users validator-set from KVStore.
• Safety Checks
  • check if the user has enough funds to delegate.
  • check overflow/underflow since Delegate method takes sdk.Int as tokenAmount.
• use the Delegate method from the cosmos-sdk to handle delegation.

MsgUndelegateFromValidatorSet

Gets the existing validator-set of the delegator and undelegate the given amount. The amount to undelegate will will be divided based on the weights distributed to the validators. The weights will be unchanged! If the user does not have an existing validator set use delegators' current staking position. The given amount will be divided based on the weights distributed to the validators.

    string delegator = 1 [ (gogoproto.moretags) = "yaml:\"delegator\"" ];
    // the amount the user wants to undelegate
    // For ex: Undelegate 10osmo with validator-set {ValA -> 0.5, ValB -> 0.3,
    // ValC
    // -> 0.2} our undelegate logic would attempt to undelegate 5osmo from A ,
    // 3osmo from B, 2osmo from C
    cosmos.base.v1beta1.Coin coin = 3 [
      (gogoproto.nullable) = false,
      (gogoproto.castrepeated) = "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types.Coin"
    ];

State Modifications:

• Check if the user has a validator-set and if so, get the users validator-set from KVStore.
• The unbonding logic will be follow the UnDelegate logic from the cosmos-sdk.
• Safety Checks
  • check that the amount of funds to undelegate is <= to the funds the user has in the address.
  • UnDelegate method takes sdk.Dec as tokenAmount, so check if overflow/underflow case is relevant.
• use the UnDelegate method from the cosmos-sdk to handle delegation.

MsgWithdrawDelegationRewards

Allows the user to claim rewards based from the existing validator-set. The user can claim rewards from all the validators at once. If the user does not have an existing validator set use delegators' current staking position.

    string delegator = 1 [ (gogoproto.moretags) = "yaml:\"delegator\"" ];

MsgRedelegateValidatorSet

The redelegation command allows delegators to instantly switch validators. Once the unbonding period has passed, the redelegation is automatically completed in the EndBlocker. If the user does not have an existing validator set use delegators' current staking position.

  // delegator is the user who is trying to create a validator-set.
  string delegator = 1 [ (gogoproto.moretags) = "yaml:\"delegator\"" ];

  // list of {valAddr, weight} to delegate to
  repeated ValidatorPreference preferences = 2 [
    (gogoproto.moretags) = "yaml:\"preferences\"",
    (gogoproto.nullable) = false
  ];

Redelegate algorithm logic pseudocode

Existing ValSet 20osmos {ValA-> 0.5, ValB-> 0.3, ValC-> 0.2} [ValA-> 10osmo, ValB-> 6osmo, ValC-> 4osmo] New ValSet 20osmos {ValD-> 0.2, ValE-> 0.2, ValF-> 0.6} [ValD-> 4osmo, ValE-> 4osmo, ValF-> 12osmo]

• // Rearranging the existingValSet and newValSet to to add extra validator padding

  • existing_valset_updated = [ValA: 10, ValB: 6, ValC: 4, ValD: 0, ValE: 0, ValF: 0]
  • new_valset_updated = [ValD: 4, ValE: 4, ValF: 12, ValA: 0, ValB: 0, ValC: 0]

  // calculate the difference between two sets

  • diff_arr = [ValA: 10, ValB: 6, ValC: 4, ValD: -4, ValE: -4, ValF: -12]

  // Algorithm starts here

• for _, validator in diff_arr:

  • if validator.amount > 0:

    • for idx, targetDiffVal := range diff_arr // this will gives us target validator

      • if targetDiffVal.Amount < 0 && targetDiffVal.valAddr != validator.Address source_validator = validator.Address target_validator = targetDiffVal.valAddr

        // checks if there are any more redelegation possible if target_validator.amount.Equal(0) { break }

        // reDelegationAmt to is the amount to redelegate, which is the min of diffAmount and target_validator reDelegationAmt = FindMin(abs(target_validator.amount), validator.amount) sdk.BeginRedelegation(ctx, delegator, source_validator, target_validator, reDelegationAmt)

        // Update the current diffAmount by subtracting it with the reDelegationAmount validator.amount = validator.amount - reDelegationAmt // Find target_validator through idx in diffValSet and set that to (target_validatorAmount - reDelegationAmount) diff_arr[idx].amount = target_validator.amount + reDelegationAmt

• Result

  1. diff_arr = [ValA: 0, ValB: 0, ValC: 0, ValD: 0, ValE: 0, ValF: 0]
  2. [ValA: 0, ValB: 0, ValC: 0, ValD: 4, ValE: 4, ValF: 12] // final result

Redelegation Constraints

1. ValA -> ValB redelegate upto 7 times in 21 day period
2. ValA -> ValB (redelegate) ValB -> ValC (redelegate) CONSECUTIVE REDELEGATION DOES NOT WORK
3. Once you redelegate from ValA -> ValB, you will not be able to redelegate from ValB to another validator for the next 21 days.

• the validator on the receiving end of redelegation will be on a 21-day redelegation lock

4. Cannot redelegate to same validator

Code Layout

The Code Layout is very similar to TWAP module.

• client/* - Implementation of GRPC and CLI queries
• types/* - Implement ValidatorSetPreference, GenesisState. Define the interface and setup keys.
• valpref-module/module.go - SDK AppModule interface implementation.
• api.go - Public API, that other users / modules can/should depend on
• listeners.go - Defines hooks & calls to logic.go, for triggering actions on
• keeper.go - generic SDK boilerplate (defining a wrapper for store keys + params)
• msg_server.go - handle messages request from client and process responses.
• store.go - Managing logic for getting and setting things to underlying stores (KVStore)