Foundation Delegation Program – Evaluation Framework Overview
Following our initial forum announcement, this post provides a high-level overview of how validators will be evaluated under the updated Foundation Delegation Program.
Evaluation Philosophy
The program uses a point-based rubric designed to be credibly neutral – rewarding validators who demonstrate excellence across multiple dimensions while supporting a diverse and decentralized validator set. Validators are evaluated holistically, with no single factor determining eligibility.
Three Evaluation Categories
1. Technical Excellence – 400 points (40%)
This category assesses a validator’s operational capabilities:
- Infrastructure performance – hardware specifications, host provider selection, and geographic distribution all contribute to higher-performing validator operations
- Monitoring & operations – uptime tracking, alerting systems, and incident response
- Security practices – backup procedures, disaster recovery, and security certifications
- Experience & track record – years operating, multi-chain experience, and Story testnet participation
2. Story Ecosystem Contributions – 400 points (40%)
This category recognizes validators who actively contribute to Story Protocol’s mission:
- IP tools & innovation – building applications, research, or infrastructure for IP management on Story
- Creator & industry engagement – partnerships with content creators and connections to creative industries
- Community & education – tutorials, guides, translations, and community involvement
3. Business & Sustainability – 200 points (20%)
This category evaluates organizational strength and long-term viability:
- Team structure – dedicated personnel and operational capacity
- Operational excellence – documented standard operating procedures (SOPs), established controls for security and availability, regular audits, and continuous improvement processes
- Industry reputation – track record, transparency, and public presence
- Financial sustainability – clear business model and long-term planning
Delegation Tiers
Validators will be placed into one of four tiers based on their total evaluation score. Higher tiers receive larger delegations and longer commitment periods. Validators who do not meet the minimum threshold may reapply after demonstrating improvements.
Decentralization Bonus
Validators who score lower on the rubric are often teams still developing and refining their business models. The decentralization bonus provides additional delegation on top of tier awards to help these validators move closer to the median token rewards within the active validator set – supporting their sustainability while they grow.
Importantly, this bonus does not penalize high-performing validators for their success. Rather, it closes the gap between established teams and developing teams, giving everyone a fair opportunity to build a sustainable operation. Think of it as a baseline support mechanism – similar in spirit to universal basic income – ensuring all qualified validators can participate meaningfully while they work to strengthen their contributions to the Story ecosystem.
What’s Next
- This week: Review this framework and share initial feedback in the comments below
- Next week: A detailed questionnaire (Google Form) will be released for validators to submit their information
- Following weeks: Evaluation, finalization, and delegation announcements per the timeline in our first post
We recognize the holiday season is upon us, there is an urgency to collect these information, the timeline to complete the submission will be Monday, January 12th 2026 at 16:00 US PST. Use this holiday season to review your infrastructure, gather documentation, and prepare your validator introduction post. Be on the lookout for the Google Form questionnaire in the coming days.
Questions or feedback? Reply below or reach out in #validator-discussion topic related to this on Discord.