SSV Network Documentation

The SSV Remote Signer separates key management from the SSV Node based on the BLS Remote Signer HTTP API (EIP-3030). It consists of two main components:

1. Web3Signer: A Consensys service providing secure key management and slashing protection.
2. SSV-Signer: A lightweight service that connects SSV nodes to Web3Signer (can also be used as a local signing library).

For maximum security, the SSV Node and Remote Signer should be placed on separate machines with different access credentials to protect keys if the SSV Node machine is compromised.

Sidecars are auxiliary services that run alongside an SSV Node to extend its functionality. Available sidecar configurations include:

• DKG (Distributed Key Generation): Used to participate in DKG ceremonies to attract more validators.
• MEV (Maximal Extractable Value): Configured to increase rewards for block proposals.
• Primev: An alternative MEV-related flow that supports preconfirmations.
• commit-boost: An alternative MEV-related flow that supports additional services.
• SSV Remote Signer: An optional configuration to separate key management from the SSV Node.

The key-splitting procedure allows a validator's private key to be divided into shares and distributed among operators. The process consists of four primary steps:

1. Prepare keystore-m files and their respective passwords.
2. Split the keys into keyshares-*.json payloads (ready for registration).
3. Register the key shares to the SSV Network via a Smart Contract interaction.
4. SSV Nodes fetch registration events and begin performing duties as a cluster.

The ssv-dkg-client provides several commands to manage Distributed Key Generation (DKG) ceremonies and validator key shares:

• init: Starts a new DKG ceremony and generates validator key shares.
• generate-reshare-msg: Generates the owner-signed message required before a reshare ceremony.
• reshare: Generates new key shares for a different operator set.
• generate-resign-msg: Generates the owner-signed message required before a resign ceremony.
• resign: Regenerates signed key shares metadata for the same validator public key.
• ping: Checks operator health endpoints before starting a ceremony.
• start-operator: Runs the DKG server as an operator.

Exporter mode allows ssv-node to function as an observation and query service rather than a validator-operating node. In this mode, the node connects to the SSV network, subscribes to network traffic, stores data locally, and exposes APIs for querying participation and duty traces. It serves as the data source for the SSV Explorer and ethereum2-monitor.

Key characteristics:

• Does not originate validator or signing duties.
• Skips operator signing and key-management services.
• Subscribes broadly to SSV network traffic to observe messages.
• Uses Pebble storage with a -pebble suffix appended to the configured database path.

The SSV SDK is organized into four primary modules providing different sets of functionality for interacting with the network:

• Cluster Module: Used to manage validator clusters, handle deposits, and register validators.
• Operator Module: Used to interact with network operators and manage operator relationships.
• API Module: Used to access network data, query states, and retrieve operational information.
• Utils Module: Provides helper functions for keyshare validation, share generation, and other utilities.

SSV Network provides two primary technical tools for stakers to manage validator keys and ceremonies:

1. SSV Keys CLI: Used for generating key share files via command-line interface commands.
2. SSV DKG: The dedicated tool used to perform Distributed Key Generation (DKG) ceremonies.

Note: For developers looking to automate the generation of bulk key shares, a specialized developer guide is available as an alternative to the SSV Keys CLI.