# Polkadot Relay Chain Number of validators Methodology

## 1. Overview

Number of validators measures the number of active nodes that produce blocks and secure the network. It reflects the degree of decentralization and resilience of the blockchain. For Polkadot Relay Chain, this metric represents the set of validators selected through the Nominated Proof-of-Stake (NPoS) consensus mechanism to validate parachain state transitions and maintain the security of the entire ecosystem.

## 2. Data sources

- **Blockchain events**: `validatorCount` state records from the `staking` pallet, covering Polkadot Relay Chain
- **External data**: Block headers and timestamps from Polkadot Relay Chain

## 3. Step-by-step calculation

### Component A: Validator count extraction

- **Purpose**: Retrieve the raw count of active validators for each block
- **Logic**: Data is extracted from the `validatorCount` records within the `staking` pallet. These records are joined with block metadata to associate each validator count with a specific block number and its corresponding timestamp.
- **Key fields**: `block_number` (sequencing), `validator_count` (node quantity), `block_timestamp` (timing)

### Component B: Daily aggregation and normalization

- **Purpose**: Calculate the average number of active validators on a daily basis
- **Logic**: Block timestamps are truncated to UTC day boundaries. The average validator count is calculated for each day to account for potential variations during session or era changes. For any dates where specific data points are missing, a fill-forward strategy is applied to maintain a continuous time series based on the most recent known validator count.
- **Key fields**: `number_of_validators` (daily average), `timestamp` (daily grain)

### Component C: Final product mapping

- **Purpose**: Assign the calculated metrics to the correct product and chain dimensions
- **Logic**: The aggregated data is mapped to Polkadot Relay Chain. Final validation is performed to ensure the data aligns with established chain availability filters and freshness requirements. The metric is normalized to a consistent format for cross-platform comparison.

*This methodology was automatically generated by Token Terminal's methodology analyzer.*

Number of active validators securing the network.

Number of validators

Blockchains (L1)

Network participants process transactions and receive fees from users (supply-side fees).

Polkadot is a security & interoperability platform for blockchains and applications. Polkadot was founded by Gavin Wood and launched in 2020.

DOT holders own and govern the protocol. They currently take a cut of the total transaction fees paid by users (revenue). Polkadot’s investors include Polychain, IOSG Ventures, Hashkey, etc.

Polkadot Relay Chain

Number of validators

Number of validators

Chain breakdown