--- updatedAt: 2026-05-13T16:13:49.000Z --- Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.blockdaemon.com/llms.txt. Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. Append .md to any documentation page URL to get its markdown version. # Slashing ## Slashing and Penalties **Polkadot and Kusama** are permissionless public networks that rely on various mechanisms to disincentivize participants from misconduct. The mechanism used depends on the type and severity of the offence. Validator offenses fall into two categories: **invalid votes** and **equivocation**. ### Reputation Penalties **Reputation Penalties** refer to the on-chain peer selection process for validators and are used for minor infractions. These don't result in direct token loss, but they can reduce rewards due to the increased difficulty of performing validator tasks. ### Slashing **Slashing** is the main mechanism used to penalize misconduct. It removes a percentage of the validator’s and their nominators’ stake, with the amount depending on the severity of the offense. * **Minor misconduct** might result in a 0.01% slash. * **Severe security and monetary risk** can lead to slashes of up to 100%. The slashed tokens are added to the treasury, which allows faulty slashes to be quickly reversed. All slashes are subject to the 27-day grace period during which a governance proposal can be made to reverse the slash. > 📘 Info > > Learn more about slashing penalties and thresholds in [Offenses and Slashes](https://docs.polkadot.com/infrastructure/staking-mechanics/offenses-and-slashes). ### Disabling **Disabling** is used for more serious offenses and can be used in conjunction with slashing to punish misbehaving validators and prevent them from authoring blocks, backing, and initiating disputes. Disabling can last for a session or the entire era, depending on the severity. ### Chilling **Chilling** removes validators from the active set and disqualifies them from the next Nominated Proof of Stake (NPoS) election cycle. Validators may chill voluntarily, such as when planning Downtime, to avoid slashing risks. This keeps them active for the current epoch but not the next. Chilling can also be a punishment, removing validators from consensus when they are unresponsive or commit slashable offenses. > 📘 Info > > More on voluntary and penal chilling in [Pause Validating](https://docs.polkadot.com/infrastructure/running-a-validator/operational-tasks/pause-validating). ## Key Takeaways {` Card Group

🟡 Reputation Penalties

Minor punishment that may result in lower rewards.

✂️ Slashing

Deducts a percentage of a validator's and nominators' stake for serious misconduct.

🚫 Disabling

Temporarily blocks validators from authoring or backing blocks after severe offenses.

❄️ Chilling

Temporarily removes validators from future election cycles—either voluntarily or as a penalty.

⚠️ Risk to Nominators

Nominators share the slashing consequences of the validators they support.

`} ## 👋 Need Help? Contact us through [email](mailto:support@blockdaemon.com) or our [support page](https://www.blockdaemon.com/support) for any issues, bugs, or assistance you may need.