Validator Optimizer

Toby's Validator Optimizer automatically delegates staked SOL to top-performing validators using advanced scoring that goes beyond standard metrics.

The Validator Optimizer automatically delegates your staked SOL to the highest-performing validators on Solana, using scoring criteria that go far beyond basic metrics.

No manual research. No guesswork. Your stake always flows to the validators that deliver the best results.

What It Does

The Validator Optimizer is an autonomous delegation engine. It continuously evaluates every validator on Solana, scores them across multiple performance dimensions, and routes staked assets to the top performers.

When validator performance shifts, the Optimizer rebalances. Your delegation stays optimized without you lifting a finger.

How It Scores Validators

Most delegation tools rely on the Steward Program's standard metrics: vote credits, commission rates, MEV commission, software version, and stake rank. Useful baseline indicators, but they don't tell the full story.

Toby's Validator Optimizer layers three novel scoring filters on top of the standard set:

Scoring Dimension	Steward Program (Standard)	Toby Validator Optimizer
Vote credits	✅	✅
Commission rate	✅	✅
MEV commission	✅	✅
Software version	✅	✅
Stake rank	✅	✅
Good MEV measurement	❌	✅
Toby-Solana Client adoption	❌	✅
OpenMEV modularization	❌	✅

1. Good MEV Measurement

Not all MEV is equal. Sandwich attacks extract value from users. Arbitrage and liquidations improve market efficiency.

The Optimizer tracks only beneficial MEV (arbitrage and liquidation activity) and excludes harmful patterns like sandwich attacks. Validators that capture more good MEV score higher because they're generating real value for the network.

2. Toby-Solana Client Adoption

Validators running the Toby-Solana client get a scoring boost. Why?

• Better efficiency -- optimized resource usage across the validator stack

• Higher throughput -- processes more transactions per slot

• Lower latency -- faster block propagation and confirmation

This rewards validators who invest in superior infrastructure. Better tooling means better performance for everyone.

3. OpenMEV Modularization

Validators that comply with OpenMEV standards score higher. OpenMEV modularization enables:

• Filtering out harmful MEV patterns (sandwiches, front-running) at the validator level

• Capturing more beneficial MEV opportunities

• Transparent, auditable MEV handling

The result: a cleaner MEV supply chain with more yield from good activity and zero tolerance for extractive behavior.

How It Benefits You

For Stakers

• Always on the best validators -- no need to manually research, compare, or switch delegations

• Higher yields -- advanced scoring surfaces validators that generate more value, not just ones with low commission

• Set and forget -- the Optimizer continuously rebalances as performance changes

For Validators

• Performance is rewarded -- strong operators earn more delegation automatically

• Clear incentives -- adopt the Toby-Solana client, capture good MEV, comply with OpenMEV standards, and your score goes up

• More stake, more rewards -- the Optimizer creates a direct link between quality and delegation volume

How It Works

The delegation flow is straightforward:

1. Deposit -- Stakers deposit SOL into the Validator Optimizer

2. Score -- The Optimizer evaluates all validators using standard + Toby's novel filters

3. Delegate -- Staked assets are routed to the highest-scoring validators

4. Earn -- Rewards (staking yield + MEV tips) flow back to stakers

5. Rebalance -- The Optimizer continuously re-evaluates and shifts delegation as performance changes

Your stake is always working at peak efficiency.

Technical Reference

Scoring Formula

Each validator receives a composite score from 0 to 1000. The weighting:

Component	Weight	Source
Standard metrics (vote credits, commission, uptime)	40%	Solana on-chain data
Good MEV capture rate	25%	Block Chef telemetry
Toby-Solana Client adoption	20%	Client version reporting
OpenMEV compliance	15%	Head Chef filtering logs

Query Validator Scores (Devnet)

curl -s -H "X-Toby-Key: $TOBY_API_KEY" \
  https://optimizer.toby.so/v1/validators?limit=5 | jq

{
  "epoch": 542,
  "validators": [
    {
      "identity": "Vote111...abc",
      "name": "Toby Validator #1",
      "compositeScore": 934,
      "breakdown": {
        "standard": 387,
        "goodMev": 241,
        "clientAdoption": 196,
        "openMevCompliance": 110
      },
      "delegatedStake": "1,284,000 SOL",
      "rank": 1
    },
    {
      "identity": "Vote222...def",
      "name": "Solana Labs",
      "compositeScore": 891,
      "breakdown": {
        "standard": 372,
        "goodMev": 228,
        "clientAdoption": 185,
        "openMevCompliance": 106
      },
      "delegatedStake": "982,500 SOL",
      "rank": 2
    }
  ]
}

Delegation Rebalance Events

The Optimizer rebalances delegation at the end of each epoch. You can subscribe to rebalance events:

const ws = new WebSocket("wss://optimizer.toby.so/v1/events", {
  headers: { "X-Toby-Key": process.env.TOBY_API_KEY },
});

ws.on("message", (data) => {
  const event = JSON.parse(data.toString());
  if (event.type === "rebalance") {
    // event.data.movements: array of stake shifts
    // event.data.epoch: completed epoch number
    console.log(`Epoch ${event.data.epoch}: ${event.data.movements.length} delegation changes`);
  }
});

⚠️ Devnet Only: The endpoints and data above are from the devnet environment. Mainnet API access will be published at launch.

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Learn More

• For Validators -- how the Optimizer rewards high-performing validators

• For Stakers -- how to earn optimized yield with zero manual management