Inactive State of Validator

In the context of a blockchain network using a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus mechanism, an inactive validator is a validator who is not currently participating in the validation of transactions and the creation of new blocks.

Validators may become inactive for a number of reasons, such as not having a high enough stake to qualify for selection as an active validator, or because they have temporarily been removed from the active validator set due to misbehavior or other issues.

Inactive validators may still have their stake locked up, and they may be eligible to become active validators again if they meet the requirements or regain their reputation. However, inactive validators do not earn rewards for validation and they do not contribute to the security of the network.

It's important to note that, the selection process and requirements for active validators can vary depending on the specific blockchain network and its governance model. Additionally, inactive validators are not the same as "waiting validators" which are validators who meet the requirements but haven't been selected yet to validate transactions and create new blocks.