How many validators does Sui have?

Sui mainnet had 125 active validators as of epoch 1291, which began on 25 October 2026. The number isn't fixed. Validators can join or leave at each epoch boundary (roughly every 24 hours), and the on-chain system parameters allow at most 150 active validators. You can check the current count yourself with one GraphQL query.

Check the count yourself

The active set is stored in the 0x5 system state object. Mainnet GraphQL exposes it, so this returns the current epoch and the size of the active set:

Terminal

curl -s https://graphql.mainnet.sui.io/graphql \
  -H 'content-type: application/json' \
  -d '{"query":"{ epoch { epochId startTimestamp validatorSet { contents { json } } } }"}' \
  | jq '{epoch: .data.epoch.epochId, validators: (.data.epoch.validatorSet.contents.json.active_validators | length)}'

That same query also returns each validator's name, commission rate, voting power and staking pool. The total_stake field in the same response holds the stake across the whole active set. In epoch 1291 it was about 7.08 billion SUI, in MIST (1 SUI = 10^9 MIST).

Block explorers show the same list. See Sui explorers.

What limits the number

These limits come from the sui_system framework package and the system state parameters:

Maximum set size. request_add_validator aborts if the next epoch's set would exceed max_validator_count. On mainnet that value is 150.
Minimum size. min_validator_count is 4.
Voting-power thresholds (SIP-39). Validators no longer qualify by a fixed SUI amount. They qualify by voting power, where the whole set shares 10,000 units. With the current phase-3 thresholds, a candidate needs voting power of at least 3 (0.03% of total stake) to join. An active validator below 2 gets a 7-epoch grace period. A validator below 1 is removed at the next epoch change.

So the set grows when new operators attract enough delegated stake. It shrinks when a validator leaves voluntarily or falls below the thresholds.

Voting power is capped

No single validator can hold more than 1,000 of the 10,000 voting-power units (10%), however much stake it has. Consensus needs a quorum of 2/3 of voting power, so the cap limits how much any single operator can influence it. The cap is MAX_VOTING_POWER in voting_power.move.

Candidates vs. active validators

Not every registered validator is active. In epoch 1291 the system state also listed 17 validator candidates, which have a staking pool but haven't joined, and 32 inactive validators, which have left but whose pools remain so stakers can withdraw. Only the active set signs checkpoints and earns rewards.

To run one yourself, see how to become a Sui validator. To delegate stake to one, see how staking works.

Sources

validator_set.move, sui-system framework
voting_power.move, sui-system framework
Validator configuration, Sui documentation
SIP-39, Sui Improvement Proposals