According to CoinDesk, Fantom (FTM) has reduced validator requirements for running a self-staking node on its network by 90%. The developers announced the move on Monday, stating that it will help enhance network security. The staking requirement has been cut from 500,000 FTM to 50,000 FTM, which is currently worth just under $20,000 at current prices. Validators are entities that lock a certain amount of tokens to process network transactions and maintain network security.
On Fantom, validators confirm transactions on their own and bundle them to share with other validators, unlike on Ethereum, where all validators confirm the same transactions. A relatively lower cost of running a validator node can make the network more distributed, thus improving network security. Developers explained that having more validators makes it increasingly challenging for malicious actors to launch an attack. FTM prices remain unchanged as of early European trading hours, according to CoinGecko data.