docs: new validator docs (+ updated docs for gnoland cli)

docs/gno-infrastructure/validators/faq.md

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+
+---
+id: validators-faq
+---
+
+# Validators FAQ
+
+### What is a Gno.land validator?
+
+Gno.land is based on [Tendermint2](https://docs.gno.land/concepts/tendermint2) that relies on a set of validators selected based
+on [Proof of Contribution](https://docs.gno.land/concepts/proof-of-contribution) (PoC) to secure the network. Validators are tasked with
+participating in consensus by committing new blocks and broadcasting votes.
+Validators are compensated with a portion of transaction fees generated in the 
+network. In Gno.land, the voting power of all validators are equally weighted
+to achieve a high nakamoto coefficient and fairness.
+
+### What is Tendermint2?
+
+[Tendermint2](https://docs.gno.land/concepts/tendermint2) (TM2) is the consensus protocol that powers Gno.land. TM2 is a successor 
+of [Tendermint Core](https://github.com/tendermint/tendermint2), a de facto consensus framework for building Proof of Stake
+blockchains. The design philosophy of TM2 is to create “complete software”
+without any vulnerabilities with development focused on minimalism, dependency
+removal, and modularity.
+
+### What is Proof of Contribution?
+
+[Proof of Contribution](https://docs.gno.land/concepts/proof-of-contribution) (PoC) is a novel consensus mechanism that secures 
+Gno.land. PoC weighs expertise and alignment with the project to evaluate the 
+contribution of individuals or teams who govern and operate the chain. Unlike 
+Proof of Stake (PoS), validators are selected via governance of Contributors 
+based on their reputation and technical proficiency. The voting power of the 
+network is equally distributed across all validators for higher decentralization.
+A portion of all transaction fees paid to the network are evenly shared between 
+all validators to provide a fair incentive structure.
+
+### How does Gno.land differ from the Cosmos Hub?
+
+In Cosmos Hub, validators are selected based on the amount of staked `ATOM` 
+tokens delegated. This means that anyone with enough capital can join as a 
+validator only to seek economic incentives without any alignment or technical 
+expertise. This system leads to an undesirable incentive structure in which 
+validators are rewarded purely based on the capital delegated, regardless of 
+the quality of their infrastructure or service.
+
+On the contrary, validators in Gno.land must be reviewed and verified to have 
+made significant contributions in order to join the validator set. This property 
+resembles the validator selection mechanism in [Proof of Authority](https://openethereum.github.io/Proof-of-Authority-Chains). Furthermore, 
+all validators are evenly rewarded to ensure that the entire validator set is 
+fairly incentivized to ensure the sustainability of the network.
+
+### What is a full node and a pruned node?
+
+A full node fully validates transactions and blocks of a blockchain and keeps 
+a full record of all historic activity. A pruned node is a lighter node that 
+processes only block headers and does not keep all historical data of the 
+blockchain post-verification. Pruned nodes are less resource intensive in terms 
+of storage costs. Although validators may run either a full node or a pruned 
+node, it is important to retain enough blocks to be able to validate new blocks.
+
+### How do I join the testnet as a validator?
+
+Out of many official Gno testnets, Testnet4 (`test4`) is the purpose-built 
+network for testing the multi-node validator environment prior to mainnet launch.
+ Testnet4 is scheduled to go live in Q2 2024 with genesis validators consisting 
+ of the Gno Core Team, partners, and external contributors.
+
+For more information about joining testnet4, visit [the relevant issue](https://github.com/gnolang/hackerspace/issues/69). For more
+information about different testnets, visit [Gno Testnets](https://docs.gno.land/concepts/testnets).
+
+### What are the incentives for running a validator?
+
+Network transaction fees paid on the Gno.land in `GNOT` are collected, from which 
+a portion is directed to reward validators for their work. All validators fairly 
+receive an equal amount of rewards.
+
+### What are the different types of keys?
+
+1. **Tendermint ( Tendermint2 ) Key :** A unique key used for voting in consensus 
+during creation of blocks. A Tendermint Key is also often called a Validator Key. 
+It is automatically created when running the `gnoland secrets init` command. A 
+validator may check their Tendermint Key by running the `gnoland secrets get` 
+`ValidatorPrivateKey` command.
+
+2. **User-owned keys :** A key that is generated when a new account is created 
+using the `gnokey` command. It is used to sign transactions.
+
+3. **Node Key :** A key used for communicating with other nodes. It is 
+automatically created when running the `gnoland secrets init` command. A 
+validator may check their Node Key by running the `gnoland secrets get NodeKey`
+ command.
+
+### What stage is the Gno.land project in?
+
+Gno.land is currently in Testnet 3, the single-node testnet stage. The next 
+version, Testnet 4, is scheduled to go live in Q2 2024, which will include a 
+validator set implementation for a multinode environment.
+
+### How many validators will there be in mainnet?
+
+The exact plans for mainnet are still TBD. Based on the latest discussions 
+between contributors, the mainnet will likely have a validator set size of 20~50,
+ which will gradually scale with the development and decentralization of the Gno.land project.
+
+### How do I make my first contribution?
+
+Gno.land is in active development and external contributions are always welcome! 
+If you’re looking for tasks to begin with, we suggest you visit the [Bounties &](https://github.com/orgs/gnolang/projects/35/views/3)
+[Worx](https://github.com/orgs/gnolang/projects/35/views/3) board and search for open tasks up for grabs. Start from small 
+challenges and work your way up to the bigger ones. Every contribution is 
+acknowledged and highly regarded in PoC. We look forward to having you onboard 
+as a new Contributor!

docs/gno-infrastructure/validators/overview.md

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+---
+id: validators-overview
+---
+
+# Validator Overview
+
+## Introduction
+
+Gno.land is a blockchain powered by the Gno tech stack, which consists of the 
+[Gno Language](https://docs.gno.land/concepts/gno-language/) (Gno), [Tendermint2](https://docs.gno.land/concepts/tendermint2/) (TM2), and [GnoVM](https://docs.gno.land/concepts/gnovm/). Unlike existing
+[Proof of Stake](https://docs.cosmos.network/v0.46/modules/staking/) (PoS) blockchains in the Cosmos ecosystem, Gno.land runs on 
+[Proof of Contribution](https://docs.gno.land/concepts/proof-of-contribution/) (PoC), a novel reputation-based consensus mechanism 
+that values expertise and alignment with the project. In PoC, validators are 
+selected via governance based on their contribution to the project and technical 
+proficiency. The voting power of the network is equally distributed across all 
+validators to achieve a high nakamoto coefficient. A portion of all transaction 
+fees paid to the network are evenly shared between all validators to provide a 
+fair incentive structure.
+
+| **Blockchain**                       | Cosmos                  | Gno.land                    |
+| ------------------------------------ | ----------------------- | --------------------------- |
+| **Consensus Protocol**               | Comet BFT               | Tendermint2                 |
+| **Consensus Mechanism**              | Proof of Stake          | Proof of Contribution       |
+| **Requirement**                      | Delegation of Stake     | Contribution                |
+| **Voting Power Reward Distribution** | Capital-based           | Evenly-distributed          |
+| **Number of Validators**             | 180                     | 20~50 (TBD)                 |
+| **Virtual Machine**                  | N/A                     | GnoVM                       |
+| **Tokenomics**                       | Inflationary (Dilutive) | Deflationary (Non-dilutive) |
+
+## Hardware Requirements
+
+The following minimum hardware requirements are recommended for running a 
+validator node.
+
+- Memory: 16 GB RAM (Recommended: 32 GB)
+- CPU: 2 cores (Recommended: 4 cores)
+- Disk: 100 GB SSD (Depends on the level of pruning)
+
+:::warn
+
+These hardware requirements are currently approximate based on the Cosmos 
+validator specifications. Final requirements will be determined following 
+thorough testing and optimization experiments in Testnet 4.
+
+:::
+
+## Good Validators
+
+Validators for Gno.land are trusted to demonstrate professionalism and 
+responsibility. Below are best practices that can be expected from a good, 
+reliable validator.
+
+#### Ecosystem Contribution
+
+- Contributing to the core development of the Gno.land project
+- Providing useful tools or infrastructure services (wallets, explorers, public RPCs, etc.)
+- Creating educational materials to guide new members
+- Localizing documentation or content to lower language or cultural barriers
+
+#### Quality Infrastructure
+
+- Strong connectivity, CPU, and memory setup
+- Exercising technical stability by retaining a high uptime with a robust monitoring system
+- Robust contingency plans with failover systems, storage backups, and redundant power supplies
+- Geographical distribution of servers
+
+#### Transparency
+
+- Providing regular updates
+- Engaging actively in community discussions
+- Being accountable for any failures
+
+#### Compliance
+
+- Exercising legal compliance
+- Consulting with legal experts to identify regulatory risks
+- Conducting internal audits
+
+## Community
+
+Join the official Gno.land community in various channels to receive the latest 
+updates about the project and actively communicate with other validators and 
+contributors.
+
+- [Gno.land Blog](https://gno.land/r/gnoland/blog)
+- [Gno.land Discord](https://discord.gg/w2MpVEunxr)
+- [Gno.land Twitter](https://x.com/_gnoland)
+
+:::info
+
+The validator set implementation in Gno.land is abstracted away from the 
+consensus mechanism inside the `r/sys/val` realm. The realm is not production 
+ready yet, and is still under active development. Proposals and contributions 
+to improve and complete the implementation are welcome.
+
+**Links to related efforts:**
+
+- Validator set injection through a Realm [[gnolang/gno #1823]](https://github.com/gnolang/gno/issues/1823)
+- Add Validator Set Realm / Package [[gnolang/gno #1824](https://github.com/gnolang/gno/issues/1824)
+- Add `/r/sys/vals` [[gnolang/gno #2130]](https://github.com/gnolang/gno/pull/2130)
+- Add valset injection through `r/sys/vals` [[gnolang/gno #2229]](https://github.com/gnolang/gno/pull/2229)
+
+:::