BEAM to validate and secure the Beam Network
After the Horizon upgrade, BEAM will be used to secure the Beam Network, and be required to validate and propose blocks on the mainnet of the Beam Network. Validators that fulfill the network criteria to stake their BEAM will be able to run a Beam node and propose blocks on the Beam Network. BEAM holders who do not wish to run their own node, will be able to contribute to securing the Beam Network by delegating BEAM tokens to validators running Beam nodes. Thus, BEAM powers the Beam Network and everything that occurs on it.
The work that validators do, with the assistance of delegators, and the BEAM they stake, will seek to keep the Beam Network secure and free of centralized control. Validators and delegators that do this work for the benefit of the Beam Network and all smart contracts built on top of it, may be rewarded with BEAM and other tokens from various sources, such as from gas fees and other Beam protocols.