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This page provides detailed information about validator states returned by the SSV Node API.

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Validator Lifecycle

Validators progress through several states during their lifecycle on the beacon chain:

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Status Descriptions

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Pending States

Validators waiting to become active.
The deposit has been recognized by the beacon chain but the validator is not yet in the activation queue.What this means: Your deposit has been processed but you’re waiting for the queue.Expected duration: Until the next epoch boundary
The validator is in the activation queue waiting for its activation epoch.What this means: You’re in line to become active.Expected duration: Depends on queue length (can be hours to days)

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Active States

Validators currently performing duties.
The validator is active and performing attestation, proposal, and sync committee duties.What this means: Everything is working correctly. The validator is earning rewards.Actions: Monitor performance and ensure uptime
The validator has initiated a voluntary exit but is still active until the exit epoch.What this means: Exit is in progress, validator continues duties until exit epoch.Expected duration: Minimum of 256 epochs (~27 hours)
The validator was slashed but hasn’t reached its exit epoch yet.What this means: Critical - validator violated consensus rules and is being penalized.Actions: Investigate immediately to prevent further slashing

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Exited States

Validators that have stopped performing duties.
The validator has exited cleanly (voluntary exit).What this means: Validator successfully exited, no penalties.Next step: Wait for withdrawal epoch
The validator exited due to slashing.What this means: Validator was penalized and forcibly exited.Next step: Review slashing event and await withdrawals (with penalties applied)

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Withdrawal States

Validators in the withdrawal process.
The validator has reached its withdrawal epoch and withdrawals can be processed.What this means: Funds can now be withdrawn.Timeline: Automatic after the withdrawal epoch
All withdrawals have been processed and the validator lifecycle is complete.What this means: Validator is fully withdrawn, no more beacon chain activity.

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Checking Validator Status

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Via API

# Get status for specific validator
curl "http://localhost:16000/v1/validators?indices=123456" | jq '.data[0].status'

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Interpreting Missing Status

If the status field is empty (""), it means:
  • The validator share exists in the SSV contract
  • The validator has not yet been activated on the beacon chain
  • The index field will be 0
  • The activation_epoch will be 0
This is normal for newly registered validators that haven’t deposited yet or are still processing.

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Monitoring Best Practices

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Alert on Status Changes

#!/bin/bash
# Monitor for slashing
STATUS=$(curl -s "http://localhost:16000/v1/validators?indices=123456" | jq -r '.data[0].status')

if [[ "$STATUS" == *"slashed"* ]]; then
  echo "CRITICAL: Validator slashed!"
  # Send alert
fi

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Track Activation Progress

# Check activation epoch
DATA=$(curl -s "http://localhost:16000/v1/validators?indices=123456" | jq '.data[0]')
STATUS=$(echo $DATA | jq -r '.status')
ACTIVATION_EPOCH=$(echo $DATA | jq -r '.activation_epoch')

if [[ "$STATUS" == "pending_queued" ]]; then
  echo "Activation scheduled for epoch $ACTIVATION_EPOCH"
fi

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Status vs Beacon Chain

The SSV Node API retrieves validator status from the configured beacon node. The status reflects the beacon chain state at the time of the last sync. Note: There may be a slight delay between beacon chain state changes and API responses due to:
  • Beacon node sync lag
  • SSV node update intervals
  • Network propagation delays
For real-time beacon chain status, cross-reference with:
  • Beaconcha.in
  • Your beacon node’s API directly
  • Block explorers

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Source Code Reference

Status handling: /home/daytona/workspace/source/api/handlers/validators/model.go:35

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