25th Nov 2016
6 min read

Building a Delegation — The Path to Becoming an ARK Delegate

Becoming a delegate for the ARK Ecosystem is a serious responsibility. In Delegated-Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) networks, only a select few are chosen to administer the network nodes that maintain the security and stability of the entire network. At launch, only 51 such delegates will exist. You are here because you are a prospective candidate to fill one of those delegate positions. While the path to nomination won’t be an easy one, we would like to lay out some details and relevant information that we think will be invaluable for you in your journey to joining the delegation.

Part 1: Why Become a Delegate?

The primary motivator for many will be the most simple; revenue. Ark delegates will earn a 2 ARK per block forging reward for securing the network and actively signing blocks. That means, if you want the ARK equivalent of Bitcoin mining, active delegation is it. If you are entrusted with one of the 51 delegate positions within ARK, you will earn approximately 400 ARK per day or around 12,000 ARK per month for one of the servers that powers the ARK network. Depending on the valuation of ARK, that could be a substantial revenue stream. Keep in mind, this won’t be an easy job and requires dedication and quite a bit of maintenance.

Outside of monetary considerations, another strong motivator is influence. Delegates are elected representatives of the ARK token holders. As such, they have a stronger voice when proposing ideas or changes to the underlying network. ARK is an open source, open community project that relies heavily on contributions from token holders and delegates alike. The ARK Crew, together with the active delegation, will pave the way forward for years to come.

There are countless other reasons to get involved in ARK as a delegate. From the sense of community and accomplishment that comes with being on the inside of a cutting edge team, to the lasting friendships that will be formed by the tightly knit group of delegates, ARK will provide a sense of community not seen in the crypto space in years. There are 51 slots available for delegates, the real question is, why shouldn’t it be you?

Part 2: Am I Delegate Material?

We won’t lie to you, being an ARK delegate won’t always be easy. It requires a base understanding of network technology, an ability to use the Linux command line, and some up front costs to get a properly specced server up and running. The good news is, even if you have never seen a command prompt before, we will have step-by-step tutorials to help you get started and a community willing to teach anyone who is eager and ready to learn. If you aren’t quite there yet, it’s OK! With a little bit of time, we will have you reading logs and implementing security measures like a pro!

Aside from the technical aspects, delegates should have a strong backbone (crypto is full of trolls), be almost fanatic in their love of blockchain technology, and have a fairly open personality. Being an active delegate means being active, engaged, and visible to the community. Remember that at the end of the day, you need the vote and confidence of the community and stakeholders to be nominated to the top 51 spots.

If that all sounds good to you, we’re glad you’re here!

Part 3: I’m in! Now what?

Still here? Great! You’re already well on your way to winning us over! This is the part where we give you the inside track on how to woo over the community and break into the 51. While we can’t guarantee you anyone’s vote (that part is up to the community), the following activities will definitely help your chances of being recognized and gaining favor from Arkers all over the world!

  1. Be active in the community. That means visiting the ARK slack , forums , and BitcoinTalk thread daily, and getting to know the members of the ARK Crew and community. Whether you spend your time in general chat, delegate channels, or coming up with ideas for bridged technologies, getting active, and getting your name out there will go a long way.
  2. Build a delegate proposal. One major way to help people get to know you and what you bring to the table is to introduce yourself in the delegate proposal announcement thread. You can use this Example Delegate Proposal as a template. We have an entire section of our forum specifically built for just this purpose! Let members know a little bit about you, how you learned about ARK, your experience, and what you would do with the forged ARK if you were an active delegate.
  3. Be active in testing. The ARK Crew will be releasing our first open testnet in the next few days, and we need your help! Join us in testnet, practice running your delegate, help us stress test the network, and look for bugs, typos, or ways to improve the interface. We have an active Bounties section of our forum for things you can do right now to earn ARK while you wait. If we all work together, ARK will reach heights we could never reach alone.
  4. Tell your friends. The ARK Crew alone consists of 30 members from all over the world of different nationalities, races, creeds, colors, political and religious beliefs, and we want to keep that trend going! Anyone and everyone is welcomed with open arms into the ARK community. If they can’t afford to buy in, hook them up with our bounties section of our forums, and help them earn their first ARK. The more people we bring in, the better it is for all of us.
  5. Participate in the Token Exchange Campaign (TEC). The best way to get involved right now is to participate in the TEC . We need to meet our initial funding goals in order to make ARK the network what we know it can be. Those tokens will also help you pad your voting weight and get you well on your way to forging. From our early calculations, 2 million ARK would guarantee a delegate slot for early adopters.
  6. Follow us on Social Media. Make sure you stay up to date on all of the latest ARK news by following us on Facebook , Reddit , Twitter , our Blog , Telegram , and Youtube .

If you take the above steps and get involved, get to know the community, and lay out a detailed plan on how you intend to help build and grow ARK, you stand a much greater chance of breaking into the top 51. We won’t lie and tell you it will be easy, but if you are dedicated, and work at it, being an active delegate is well within your reach. We are excited to have you here and can’t wait to read your delegate proposals and to get to know you in chat! If you are serious in your quest to become an ARK delegate, we are rooting for you!

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