Messages

In this section we describe the processing of the staking messages and the corresponding updates to the state. All created/modified state objects specified by each message are defined within the state section.

MsgCreateValidator

A validator is created using the MsgCreateValidator message. The validator must be created with an initial delegation from the operator.

// CreateValidator defines a method for creating a new validator.
rpc CreateValidator(MsgCreateValidator) returns (MsgCreateValidatorResponse);

// MsgCreateValidator defines a SDK message for creating a new validator.
message MsgCreateValidator {
  // NOTE(fdymylja): this is a particular case in which
  // if validator_address == delegator_address then only one
  // is expected to sign, otherwise both are.
  option (cosmos.msg.v1.signer) = "delegator_address";
  option (cosmos.msg.v1.signer) = "validator_address";

  option (gogoproto.equal)           = false;
  option (gogoproto.goproto_getters) = false;

  Description     description         = 1 [(gogoproto.nullable) = false];
  CommissionRates commission          = 2 [(gogoproto.nullable) = false];
  string          min_self_delegation = 3 [
    (cosmos_proto.scalar)  = "cosmos.Int",
    (gogoproto.customtype) = "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types.Int",
    (gogoproto.nullable)   = false
  ];
  string                   delegator_address = 4 [(cosmos_proto.scalar) = "cosmos.AddressString"];
  string                   validator_address = 5 [(cosmos_proto.scalar) = "cosmos.AddressString"];
  google.protobuf.Any      pubkey            = 6 [(cosmos_proto.accepts_interface) = "cosmos.crypto.PubKey"];
  cosmos.base.v1beta1.Coin value             = 7 [(gogoproto.nullable) = false];
}

This message is expected to fail if:

another validator with this operator address is already registered
another validator with this pubkey is already registered
the initial self-delegation tokens are of a denom not specified as the bonding denom
the commission parameters are faulty, namely:
- MaxRate is either > 1 or < 0
- the initial Rate is either negative or > MaxRate
- the initial MaxChangeRate is either negative or > MaxRate
the description fields are too large

This message creates and stores the Validator object at appropriate indexes. Additionally a self-delegation is made with the initial tokens delegation tokens Delegation. The validator always starts as unbonded but may be bonded in the first end-block.

MsgEditValidator

The Description, CommissionRate of a validator can be updated using the MsgEditValidator message.

// EditValidator defines a method for editing an existing validator.
rpc EditValidator(MsgEditValidator) returns (MsgEditValidatorResponse);

// MsgEditValidator defines a SDK message for editing an existing validator.
message MsgEditValidator {
  option (cosmos.msg.v1.signer) = "validator_address";

  option (gogoproto.equal)           = false;
  option (gogoproto.goproto_getters) = false;

  Description description       = 1 [(gogoproto.nullable) = false];
  string      validator_address = 2 [(cosmos_proto.scalar) = "cosmos.AddressString"];

  // We pass a reference to the new commission rate and min self delegation as
  // it's not mandatory to update. If not updated, the deserialized rate will be
  // zero with no way to distinguish if an update was intended.
  // REF: #2373
  string commission_rate = 3
      [(cosmos_proto.scalar) = "cosmos.Dec", (gogoproto.customtype) = "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types.Dec"];
  string min_self_delegation = 4
      [(cosmos_proto.scalar) = "cosmos.Int", (gogoproto.customtype) = "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types.Int"];
}

This message is expected to fail if:

the initial CommissionRate is either negative or > MaxRate
the CommissionRate has already been updated within the previous 24 hours
the CommissionRate is > MaxChangeRate
the description fields are too large

This message stores the updated Validator object.

MsgDelegate

Within this message the delegator provides coins, and in return receives some amount of their validator's (newly created) delegator-shares that are assigned to Delegation.Shares.

// Delegate defines a method for performing a delegation of coins
// from a delegator to a validator.
rpc Delegate(MsgDelegate) returns (MsgDelegateResponse);

// MsgDelegate defines a SDK message for performing a delegation of coins
// from a delegator to a validator.
message MsgDelegate {
  option (cosmos.msg.v1.signer) = "delegator_address";

  option (gogoproto.equal)           = false;
  option (gogoproto.goproto_getters) = false;

  string                   delegator_address = 1 [(cosmos_proto.scalar) = "cosmos.AddressString"];
  string                   validator_address = 2 [(cosmos_proto.scalar) = "cosmos.AddressString"];
  cosmos.base.v1beta1.Coin amount            = 3 [(gogoproto.nullable) = false];
}

This message is expected to fail if:

the validator does not exist
the Amount Coin has a denomination different than one defined by params.BondDenom
the exchange rate is invalid, meaning the validator has no tokens (due to slashing) but there are outstanding shares
the amount delegated is less than the minimum allowed delegation

If an existing Delegation object for provided addresses does not already exist then it is created as part of this message otherwise the existing Delegation is updated to include the newly received shares.

The delegator receives newly minted shares at the current exchange rate. The exchange rate is the number of existing shares in the validator divided by the number of currently delegated tokens.

The validator is updated in the ValidatorByPower index, and the delegation is tracked in validator object in the Validators index.

It is possible to delegate to a jailed validator, the only difference being it will not be added to the power index until it is unjailed.

MsgUndelegate

The MsgUndelegate message allows delegators to undelegate their tokens from validator.

// Undelegate defines a method for performing an undelegation from a
// delegate and a validator.
rpc Undelegate(MsgUndelegate) returns (MsgUndelegateResponse);

// MsgUndelegate defines a SDK message for performing an undelegation from a
// delegate and a validator.
message MsgUndelegate {
  option (cosmos.msg.v1.signer) = "delegator_address";

  option (gogoproto.equal)           = false;
  option (gogoproto.goproto_getters) = false;

  string                   delegator_address = 1 [(cosmos_proto.scalar) = "cosmos.AddressString"];
  string                   validator_address = 2 [(cosmos_proto.scalar) = "cosmos.AddressString"];
  cosmos.base.v1beta1.Coin amount            = 3 [(gogoproto.nullable) = false];
}

This message returns a response containing the completion time of the undelegation:

// MsgUndelegate defines a SDK message for performing an undelegation from a
// delegate and a validator.
message MsgUndelegate {
  option (cosmos.msg.v1.signer) = "delegator_address";

  option (gogoproto.equal)           = false;
  option (gogoproto.goproto_getters) = false;

  string                   delegator_address = 1 [(cosmos_proto.scalar) = "cosmos.AddressString"];
  string                   validator_address = 2 [(cosmos_proto.scalar) = "cosmos.AddressString"];
  cosmos.base.v1beta1.Coin amount            = 3 [(gogoproto.nullable) = false];
}

// MsgUndelegateResponse defines the Msg/Undelegate response type.
message MsgUndelegateResponse {
  google.protobuf.Timestamp completion_time = 1 [(gogoproto.nullable) = false, (gogoproto.stdtime) = true];
}

This message is expected to fail if:

the delegation doesn't exist
the validator doesn't exist
the delegation has less shares than the ones worth of Amount
existing UnbondingDelegation has maximum entries as defined by params.MaxEntries
the Amount has a denomination different than one defined by params.BondDenom

When this message is processed the following actions occur:

validator's DelegatorShares and the delegation's Shares are both reduced by the message SharesAmount
calculate the token worth of the shares remove that amount tokens held within the validator
with those removed tokens, if the validator is:
- Bonded - add them to an entry in UnbondingDelegation (create UnbondingDelegation if it doesn't exist) with a completion time a full unbonding period from the current time. Update pool shares to reduce BondedTokens and increase NotBondedTokens by token worth of the shares.
- Unbonding - add them to an entry in UnbondingDelegation (create UnbondingDelegation if it doesn't exist) with the same completion time as the validator (UnbondingMinTime).
- Unbonded - then send the coins the message DelegatorAddr
if there are no more Shares in the delegation, then the delegation object is removed from the store
- under this situation if the delegation is the validator's self-delegation then also jail the validator.

MsgCancelUnbondingDelegation

The MsgCancelUnbondingDelegation message allows delegators to cancel the unbondingDelegation entry and deleagate back to a previous validator.

// MsgCancelUnbondingDelegation defines the SDK message for performing a cancel unbonding delegation for delegator
//
// Since: cosmos-sdk 0.46
message MsgCancelUnbondingDelegation{
  option (cosmos.msg.v1.signer) = "delegator_address";
  option (gogoproto.equal)           = false;
  option (gogoproto.goproto_getters) = false;

  string                   delegator_address = 1 [(cosmos_proto.scalar) = "cosmos.AddressString"];
  string                   validator_address = 2 [(cosmos_proto.scalar) = "cosmos.AddressString"];
  // amount is always less than or equal to unbonding delegation entry balance 
  cosmos.base.v1beta1.Coin amount            = 3 [(gogoproto.nullable) = false];
  // creation_height is the height which the unbonding took place.
  int64 creation_height = 4;
}

// MsgCancelUnbondingDelegationResponse
//
// Since: cosmos-sdk 0.46
message MsgCancelUnbondingDelegationResponse{}

This message is expected to fail if:

the unbondingDelegation entry is already processed.
the cancel unbonding delegation amount is greater than the unbondingDelegation entry balance.
the cancel unbonding delegation height doesn't exists in the unbondingDelegationQueue of the delegator.

When this message is processed the following actions occur:

if the unbondingDelegation Entry balance is zero
- in this condition unbondingDelegation entry will be removed from unbondingDelegationQueue.
- otherwise unbondingDelegationQueue will be updated with new unbondingDelegation entry balance and initial balance
the validator's DelegatorShares and the delegation's Shares are both increased by the message Amount.

MsgBeginRedelegate

The redelegation command allows delegators to instantly switch validators. Once the unbonding period has passed, the redelegation is automatically completed in the EndBlocker.

// BeginRedelegate defines a method for performing a redelegation
// of coins from a delegator and source validator to a destination validator.
rpc BeginRedelegate(MsgBeginRedelegate) returns (MsgBeginRedelegateResponse);

// MsgBeginRedelegate defines a SDK message for performing a redelegation
// of coins from a delegator and source validator to a destination validator.
message MsgBeginRedelegate {
  option (cosmos.msg.v1.signer) = "delegator_address";

  option (gogoproto.equal)           = false;
  option (gogoproto.goproto_getters) = false;

  string                   delegator_address     = 1 [(cosmos_proto.scalar) = "cosmos.AddressString"];
  string                   validator_src_address = 2 [(cosmos_proto.scalar) = "cosmos.AddressString"];
  string                   validator_dst_address = 3 [(cosmos_proto.scalar) = "cosmos.AddressString"];
  cosmos.base.v1beta1.Coin amount                = 4 [(gogoproto.nullable) = false];
}

This message returns a response containing the completion time of the redelegation:

// MsgBeginRedelegateResponse defines the Msg/BeginRedelegate response type.
message MsgBeginRedelegateResponse {
  google.protobuf.Timestamp completion_time = 1 [(gogoproto.nullable) = false, (gogoproto.stdtime) = true];
}

This message is expected to fail if:

the delegation doesn't exist
the source or destination validators don't exist
the delegation has less shares than the ones worth of Amount
the source validator has a receiving redelegation which is not matured (aka. the redelegation may be transitive)
existing Redelegation has maximum entries as defined by params.MaxEntries
the Amount Coin has a denomination different than one defined by params.BondDenom

When this message is processed the following actions occur:

the source validator's DelegatorShares and the delegations Shares are both reduced by the message SharesAmount
calculate the token worth of the shares remove that amount tokens held within the source validator.
if the source validator is:
- Bonded - add an entry to the Redelegation (create Redelegation if it doesn't exist) with a completion time a full unbonding period from the current time. Update pool shares to reduce BondedTokens and increase NotBondedTokens by token worth of the shares (this may be effectively reversed in the next step however).
- Unbonding - add an entry to the Redelegation (create Redelegation if it doesn't exist) with the same completion time as the validator (UnbondingMinTime).
- Unbonded - no action required in this step
Delegate the token worth to the destination validator, possibly moving tokens back to the bonded state.
if there are no more Shares in the source delegation, then the source delegation object is removed from the store
- under this situation if the delegation is the validator's self-delegation then also jail the validator.

MsgUpdateParams

The MsgUpdateParams update the staking module parameters. The params are updated through a governance proposal where the signer is the gov module account address.

// MsgUpdateParams is the Msg/UpdateParams request type.
//
// Since: cosmos-sdk 0.47
message MsgUpdateParams {
  option (cosmos.msg.v1.signer) = "authority";

  // authority is the address of the governance account.
  string authority = 1 [(cosmos_proto.scalar) = "cosmos.AddressString"];
  // params defines the x/staking parameters to update.
  //
  // NOTE: All parameters must be supplied.
  Params params = 2 [(gogoproto.nullable) = false];
};

// MsgUpdateParamsResponse defines the response structure for executing a
// MsgUpdateParams message.
//
// Since: cosmos-sdk 0.47
message MsgUpdateParamsResponse {};

The message handling can fail if:

signer is not the authority defined in the staking keeper (usually the gov module account).

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