GlossaryAdvanced
Actively Validated Service (AVS)
A service or network that relies on shared security, with validators opting in to actively validate it in exchange for additional rewards.
An Actively Validated Service (AVS) is a service or network that relies on shared security (see Kaavon's "Shared Security" glossary definition), where validators already staking on an established network can opt in to also actively validate the AVS, generally earning additional rewards for doing so.
Opting in to validate an AVS also means accepting its specific additional slashing conditions on top of the validator's existing ones — a real, direct trade-off between additional reward and additional risk that each validator has to individually weigh, rather than a purely upside opportunity.
Examples
- A validator opting in to secure an AVS earns additional rewards, but also accepts that AVS's own specific slashing conditions on top of their existing risk.
- An AVS relies entirely on validators voluntarily opting in to provide it shared security, rather than having its own independent, dedicated validator set.