🚪Acceptance Criteria

What is required of a validator to join Aero Pool?

To ensure fairness and align with our mission of supporting decentralization and meaningful contributions to the Solana ecosystem, Aero Pool will follow these guidelines when delegating stake:

1. Validators Must Be Real Humans

• The operator must be reachable, and demonstrate an active presence in the Solana community. This ensures accountability and aligns with our goal of empowering genuine contributors.

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2. Validators Should Have Defined Goals

Validators must outline a specific objective or purpose for the stake they receive. Examples include:

• Gaining entry into performance-focused pools like Jito or JPool.

• Providing extra liquidity to bootstrap a startup.

• Supporting an artist, community initiative, or grassroots project.

• Build or improve libraries, SDKs, or monitoring solutions that benefit other node operators.

• Contribute to shared infrastructure that accelerates Solana’s technical growth.

These goals help demonstrate how the stake benefits both the validator and the broader ecosystem.

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3. Validators Must Align with the Solana Foundation Delegation Program (SFDP)

Operators should follow the SFDP guidelines and either already be accepted into the program or demonstrate a clear path toward eligibility. This alignment ensures long-term compatibility with the ecosystem’s staking standards.

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4. Validators Must Contribute to the Solana Ecosystem

Contributions can take many forms, such as:

• Running educational initiatives.

• Developing or maintaining open-source tools.

• Supporting the onboarding of new validators.

• Contributing liquidity, technical expertise, or mentorship.

Contributions don’t need to be public, but Aero Pool must be made aware of them to assess their impact.

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5. Focus on Supporting Smaller, Community-Driven Validators

Priority will be given to validators who lack significant institutional backing but demonstrate clear potential and commitment to the Solana network.

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6. Geographic and Demographic Representation

Aero Pool seeks to support validators from underrepresented regions or communities, promoting a more inclusive and diverse validator network.

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7. Transparent Selection Process

While Aero Pool retains flexibility in its decision-making, all delegations will follow a transparent process with clear communication about expectations and reasons for selection.

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You can apply for delegation here.