Light Node Overview

The QoreChain Light Node is a lightweight client that follows the QoreChain network without running a full validator or archive node. Instead of replaying every transaction, it corroborates block headers across multiple RPC endpoints, mirrors the operator account's delegations and rewards from the chain, and streams live network telemetry — all from a small, self-contained binary.

Running a light node lets you observe the network's state without the storage, bandwidth, and operational cost of a full node. Taking part in the light-node reward share is a separate, licence-gated step that is not open yet — see Status of the reward program.

Its own version line

The light node ships on its own version line — currently v3.1.3 for the prebuilt binaries — which is distinct from the chain release version (the chain is on a separate v3.x track). Binaries for each network are published with a SHA-256 checksum manifest at https://download.qore.host/<net>/lightnode/latest.json (<net> is mainnet or testnet; both channels currently carry the same v3.1.3 build). See SX Edition for the download and verification steps. The source tag v3.1.4 differs from v3.1.3 only in the Docker image's bundled signer; see Docker.

When you read documentation or release notes, treat the light node's version (v3.1.3) and the chain's version as two separate numbers that happen to share a major series.

Why run a light node

• Take part in the light-node reward share. Registered, active light nodes that meet the stake and uptime rules are eligible for the 3% light-node allocation described below. Registration for the reward program is not open yet — see Status of the reward program. Running and syncing a node needs no licence and works today.
• Cross-check the chain state you're shown. The node fetches the latest height from its primary RPC endpoint and from every configured witness endpoint in parallel, and only stores a header when they agree on the block hash — raising the bar from trusting one endpoint to needing every configured endpoint compromised at once. This is corroboration across independent sources, not full cryptographic consensus verification (no validator-set or commit-signature checking). Your node records which mode it is running in as the assurance value on each synced header line of its debug log (set log_level = "debug"); it is not shown on the node's dashboard or in status, and no central QoreChain service can see it, since your node's RPC choices are local to your setup. trusted-single-source is what you get with no witnesses configured — the node logs a warning at startup saying so, because an honestly-run single endpoint reports the same value a compromised one would. Add an independently-operated witness to move to corroborated-across-sources.
• Keep an eye on your stake. The node mirrors the operator account's delegations from the chain and warns when a validator you delegate to falls below a configurable reputation score. It never moves stake itself — delegation changes are made from your own wallet.
• Watch the network live. Real-time telemetry covers validators, consensus, the bridge, and tokenomics.
• Post-quantum from day one. Keys and signatures use Dilithium-5 (ML-DSA-87).

Two editions: SX and UX

The light node comes in two editions built from the same codebase. Pick the one that matches how you want to operate the node.

Edition	Binary	Built for	Interface
SX — Server eXperience	lightnode-sx	Headless server deployments	Full CLI (daemon + management commands)
UX — User eXperience	lightnode-ux	Desktop and operator use	Embedded web dashboard

• The SX edition is a headless daemon with a complete management CLI. It is the right choice for servers, automation, and operators who live on the command line. See SX Edition.
• The UX edition runs the same daemon but adds an embedded web dashboard so you can watch telemetry, delegations, and rewards in a browser. See UX Edition.

Both editions read the same config.toml, store data in the same home directory (~/.qorechain-lightnode by default), and use the same Dilithium-5 keyring.

The 3% light-node reward share

QoreChain's fee distribution allocates a fixed 3% share to light nodes (the reward_share parameter, 0.03). See Tokenomics for the full 37% / 30% / 20% / 10% / 3% breakdown (validators, burned, treasury, stakers, light nodes).

That 3% is what is paid into the light-node module account; it is not a per-node entitlement. Every 100 blocks the chain credits each eligible node its stake-weighted share of what has accrued since the previous settlement, bounded per node by max_reward_per_block_per_node (currently 1713 uqor per block, scaled by the node's uptime). The bound is a ceiling, not a promised amount. Anything that goes unearned is moved into a reserve that only a governance vote can release, so no pot builds up for whoever registers first. You can inspect the live split with GET /qorechain/lightnode/v1/reward_pool.

To be eligible for rewards a light node must be registered on-chain, active (proving liveness with heartbeats), hold at least the minimum bonded stake, and keep its uptime at or above the minimum. Registration and licensing are covered in Registration and Licensing; how rewards are credited, claimed and monitored is covered in Rewards and Monitoring.

Status of the reward program

Reward-program registration is not open yet

At the time of writing (15 October 2026) no lightnode_operator licence has been granted on either network and no light node is registered (GET /qorechain/lightnode/v1/stats reports total_registered: "0" on mainnet and testnet). The chain refuses a registration without that licence, so nobody can enrol yet. The reward accounting itself is already live on both networks since the v3.2.0 upgrade. Running and syncing a node needs no licence and works today, but uptime is counted from the block your node is registered, so running a node beforehand does not earn credit.

The release manifest (https://download.qore.host/<net>/lightnode/latest.json) carries the official signal in its registration.open field. You can also check GET /qorechain/license/v1/holders/lightnode_operator and GET /qorechain/lightnode/v1/stats on https://api.qore.host (mainnet) or https://api-testnet.qore.host (testnet).

Core features at a glance

• Multi-source header corroboration — cross-checks the latest block hash against every configured witness endpoint before trusting it, without downloading full blocks, syncing quickly even from a cold start.
• Delegation tracking — mirrors the operator account's delegations from the chain (read-only).
• Opt-in auto-claim — claims accrued light-node rewards to the operator account on a configurable interval. Off by default; it never re-delegates.
• Reputation alerts — warns when a validator you delegate to drops below a configurable reputation score; it does not move stake.
• Real-time telemetry — validators, consensus, bridge, and tokenomics, refreshed on independent intervals.
• On-chain registration — with heartbeat liveness proofs that keep the node eligible for rewards. Registration is licence-gated.
• Post-quantum cryptography — Dilithium-5 (ML-DSA-87) keys and signatures throughout.
• Local-only mode — exercise the full PQC stack and run the node standalone before pointing it at a live chain.

The light node is released under the Apache 2.0 license.

Where to go next

• SX Edition — install, configure, and run the server daemon.
• UX Edition — run the web dashboard edition.
• Registration and Licensing — register on-chain and obtain a license.
• Rewards and Monitoring — how the 3% share is credited and claimed, and how to keep the node healthy.
• Tokenomics — how the light-node reward share fits the wider economy.