# Introduction

{% hint style="warning" %}
The Overwatch Node documentation is under construction. Stay tuned for more information!
{% endhint %}

Overwatch Nodes are trusted and staked participants in the Hypertensor blockchain that evaluate subnets to influence their emissions weights.

Overwatch Nodes currently perform 3 main tasks:

## Verify Decentralization

* Ensures subnets have public and live bootnodes
  * Each subnet must have publicly available bootnodes online for both registered or activated subnet nodes, and for Overwatch Nodes
* Ensures subnets are utilizing proof-of-stake
  * Overwatch Nodes will ensure subnets are PoS by verifying that randomly generated keys cannot get into the subnet.

## Consensus Accuracy

Overwatch Nodes will verify that nodes in consensus on-chain are authenticated in the subnet. 

For example, if a subnet claims 1,000 nodes are in consensus on-chain and receiving weights and rewards, Overwatch Nodes will verify those nodes are present in the subnet by requesting communication with them.

## Benchmark Subnets

Coming soon!

#### What else can Overwatch Nodes do?

* Check and verify a subnet's GitHub and activity
* Verify a subnet template version