Polkadot Shifts Slashing Risk to Validators with New Self-Stake Rule

Polkadot is making significant changes to its staking mechanism through an on-chain vote. The proposal, known as Referendum 1890, requires every validator to lock at least 10,000 DOT of their own funds as a self-stake by May 31. This change aims to shift the slashing risk away from ordinary stakers and onto the validators themselves.

The new rule will make nominators unslashable, and the unbonding period will drop from 28 days to 24-48 hours. This is part of a broader rewrite of Polkadot's economics, which has been unfolding throughout this year.

By mid-June, the network plans to introduce rewards for validators in unlocked DOT tied to their self-stake, with those rewards carrying a one-year vesting period. The commission model will also be phased out as it loses its purpose.