> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.joinbase.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Validator network

> How validators participate: a submit-only on-chain process that fetches the master's final weight vector and posts it to Bittensor.

Validators on the subnet run one thing: a **submit-only on-chain submitter**. It
fetches the master's final, normalized weight vector over HTTP and submits it to
Bittensor with the validator hotkey. It runs no challenge orchestration — all
challenge services live on the master node.

*Source: `README.md:153-156`; `docs/architecture.md:53-55`.*

<Card title="Source repository" icon="github" href="https://github.com/BaseIntelligence/base">
  The submit-only submitter, the weights client, and the validator settings.
</Card>

## What the submitter does

The submitter is a minimal process on the validator node. Every
`weights_interval_seconds` it reads `/v1/weights/latest` from the master, submits the
fetched vector on-chain, and keeps retrying if the master is unavailable.

*Source: `docs/architecture.md:53-55`; `deploy/swarm/submitter/run_submitter.py:1-16`.*

It deliberately does **not** run the challenge reconcile loop or open the
control-plane database — those belong to the master, not the submitter.

*Source: `deploy/swarm/submitter/run_submitter.py:8-17`.*

## The submit loop

Each iteration inlines three operations: fetch the latest master vector, validate the
payload, then call `set_weights`.

```python theme={"dark"}
payload = await runner.weights_client.fetch_latest()
failure = runner._validate_weights_payload(payload)
if failure is not None:
    return
result = runner.weight_setter.set_weights(payload.uids, payload.weights)
```

*Source: `deploy/swarm/submitter/run_submitter.py:112-144`.*

The weights client is pointed at the resolved weights URL, with the configured
timeout and retry count.

*Source: `deploy/swarm/submitter/run_submitter.py:161-169`; `src/platform_network/config/settings.py:42-52`.*

## Configuration

| Setting                               | Default                          | Source                                       |
| ------------------------------------- | -------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| `netuid`                              | `100`                            | `src/platform_network/config/settings.py:12` |
| `validator.registry_url`              | `https://chain.platform.network` | `src/platform_network/config/settings.py:42` |
| `validator.weights_interval_seconds`  | `360`                            | `src/platform_network/config/settings.py:45` |
| `validator.weights_timeout_seconds`   | `15.0`                           | `src/platform_network/config/settings.py:46` |
| `validator.weights_retries`           | `3`                              | `src/platform_network/config/settings.py:47` |
| `validator.weights_freshness_seconds` | `720`                            | `src/platform_network/config/settings.py:48` |

The effective weights URL is `weights_url` when set, otherwise the `registry_url`.

*Source: `src/platform_network/config/settings.py:50-52`.*

The reference submitter config points `weights_url` at `https://chain.platform.network`,
the public master endpoint.

*Source: `deploy/swarm/submitter/submitter.yaml:42-43`.*

## Identity and safety

At startup the submitter logs its target and the **public** validator hotkey SS58
address so an operator can confirm the submitting identity. It never logs the private
key or any secret. A `SIGTERM`/`SIGINT` cancels at the next sleep point, so an
in-flight `set_weights` completes fully and the stop never leaves a half-submitted
state.

*Source: `deploy/swarm/submitter/run_submitter.py:30-33`, `deploy/swarm/submitter/run_submitter.py:65-86`, `deploy/swarm/submitter/run_submitter.py:192-203`.*

## Installation

The submitter is a single systemd-managed service on the validator node. It needs
only the validator hotkey.

*Source: `README.md:398-409`.*

<Tip>
  The vector the submitter posts is produced entirely by the master — see the
  [Weights pipeline](/architecture/weights-pipeline) for how it is computed, and the
  [Weights API](/reference/api-weights) for the response schema.
</Tip>

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Architecture overview" icon="sitemap" href="/architecture/overview">
    Where the validator sits in the subnet.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Master node" icon="server" href="/architecture/master">
    The node that computes and serves the vector.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Sources

Citations reference the `base` repository pinned at SHA
`e33109bfa4f5054928c3b4d429be9cf35d36b166` (see `SOURCES.md`).