Web3 Foundation is sunsetting the Decentralized Nodes program

This week, we planned to announce the selected nodes for Cohort 4 of Decentralized Nodes. Instead, Web3 Foundation is sharing an update: we will be sunsetting the Decentralized Nodes program, and Cohort 3 will be the final cohort.

Over the past year, Decentralized Nodes aimed to increase the decentralization, resilience, and diversity of Polkadot and Kusama by selecting high-quality, engaged validator operators. We believe we achieved that to a large degree. It wasn’t easy and it wasn’t without hiccups, but together with the participating operators we think we made both networks better. So, we want to take a moment to truly thank everyone who applied for and participated in all three (and a half) cohorts! Thank you!

Polkadot evolves and is gearing up to deliver on the true promise of Web3, with products for real people that address real problems and with Proof of Personhood at their core. To support this focus, we are prioritizing resources across initiatives and making hard choices about what we continue to run.

We recognize this change may be disappointing, especially for operators who invested time and resources into their validator operations. We’re grateful for everything you’ve contributed and we’re committed to wrapping cohort 3 cleanly and transparently in January as planned.

Thanks again to everyone who took part in Decentralized Nodes. We’re proud of what this community accomplished, and we’re excited to carry that momentum into what’s next for the ecosystem.