If Neutron truly aims for decentralization, it should treat the validator delegation program seriously and fairly. Now that Neutron has successfully launched as a sovereign mainnet, validators should be selected through a fair and transparent process. As previously mentioned(Mercury: Towards the Integrated Endgame - #8 by Coscoin), several of the 20 validators initially chosen by the Neutron team had poor performance during the ICS phase. In fact, within just a month—without any upgrades or emergencies—two validators (Provalidator and iqlusion) have already been jailed. This is deeply concerning.
Neutron DAO should take inspiration from Celestia’s validator delegation program, where all validators are given a fair opportunity. For example, in the first month of the program, validators could run a testnet, demonstrate their performance, and submit their contributions via a form. It should not be the case that only mainnet validators are eligible, especially when Neutron has already staked 8 million NTRN to the current set—effectively leaving no room for others.
We sincerely urge Neutron DAO to consider this matter carefully for the long-term health and decentralization of the Neutron network.