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Operator V3 Overview

This section contains documentation for the StakeWise V3 Operator. The V3 operator is actively maintained and includes both legacy features and modern V4 capabilities. For the latest features and V4 upgrade information, see the current Operator documentation →.

What is StakeWise V3 Operator?​

The StakeWise V3 operator ↗ is a service that StakeWise Vault → operators must run. It performs the following core tasks:

  • Validator Registration: Periodically checks whether Vault has accumulated enough assets (32 ETH/1 GNO) for registering new validator(s) and sends registration transaction to the Vault
  • Exit Signature Rotation: Rotates exit signatures when Oracles set change and submits a signature update transaction to the Vault
  • Vault State Updates (Harvesting): Optionally distributes Vault fees and updates staker positions every 12 hours to simplify contract calls and reduce gas fees

V3 Operator Implementation​

The V3 operator provides comprehensive validator management capabilities with the following key areas:

Setup and Configuration Process​

The V3 operator follows a structured 4-step setup process:

  1. Mnemonic Creation: init command to generate seed phrase for validator key derivation
  2. Validator Key Generation: create-keys command to generate keystores and deposit data file
  3. Hot Wallet Creation: create-wallet command to create hot wallet for validator registration transactions
  4. Deposit Data Upload: Upload deposit data file to Vault via StakeWise UI or direct contract interaction using get-validators-root

The legacy implementation required manual deposit data file management, including merging files from multiple operators using merge-deposit-data.

Ethereum Client Integration​

The V3 operator supports comprehensive client compatibility:

Execution Clients: Nethermind ↗ (Ethereum/Gnosis), Besu ↗ (Ethereum), Erigon ↗ (Ethereum/Gnosis), Geth ↗ (Ethereum), Reth ↗ (Ethereum)

Consensus Clients: Lighthouse ↗ (Ethereum/Gnosis), Nimbus ↗ (Ethereum/Gnosis), Prysm ↗ (Ethereum), Teku ↗ (Ethereum/Gnosis), Lodestar ↗ (Ethereum/Gnosis)

Validator Lifecycle Management​

The V3 operator handles comprehensive validator operations:

  • Automated Registration: Monitors vault deposits and automatically registers validators when 32 ETH/1 GNO accumulated
  • Exit Signature Management: Automatically monitors active validators and rotates exit signatures when oracle sets change to maintain security
  • Voluntary Exits: validators-exit command for forcing specific validator exits by validator index
  • Oracle Communication: Handles complex communication with oracle network for validator registration approval and exit signature updates
  • Vault State Updates: Optional --harvest-vault flag for automated fee distribution and position updates every 12 hours
  • Key Recovery: recover command to regenerate keystores from mnemonic for active validators (with slashing safety warnings)
  • Deposit Data Management: Commands for adding new validator keys and merge-deposit-data for multi-operator setups

Deployment Options and Configuration​

The V3 operator supports multiple deployment methods:

  • Installation Methods: Binary download, install script (Linux/macOS), Docker containers (v3.1.5), Kubernetes (up to 10,000 validators), source builds with Python 3.10+
  • Key Management Options: Local keystores, remote signer integration, HashiCorp Vault support
  • Network Support: Ethereum mainnet, Hoodi testnet, Gnosis Chain, Chiado testnet

Migration to Current Operator Service​

If you're currently using the legacy V3 operator, consider migrating to the current Operator Service → which provides significant improvements.

Key Improvements in Current Operator Service​

  • Multi-Vault Support: Single operator instance can manage multiple Vaults simultaneously with shared keystores
  • Pectra Upgrade Features: 0x02 compound validators by default, validator consolidation tools, automated partial withdrawals
  • Automatic Deposit Data Generation: No longer requires pre-uploaded deposit data files - generated automatically during registration
  • Enhanced Withdrawal Processing: Automated partial withdrawals every 24 hours, prioritizing higher validator balances
  • Automated Reward Splitting: Periodic reward distribution for Vault fee shareholders with configurable thresholds
  • Improved Exit Management: Validator exits via withdrawal queue with execution request support
  • Advanced Consolidation: Convert legacy 0x01 validators to 0x02 compound validators with oracle signature automation
  • Flexible Configuration: Enhanced environment variable support, withdrawal intervals, and gas optimization settings

Content​

This section includes legacy documentation for:

  • Installation and setup procedures
  • Configuration options
  • Troubleshooting guides
  • Migration considerations
IconLegacy Documentation

This documentation is maintained for reference purposes. For new operator deployments, please refer to the current Operator Service documentation.

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