@aztec/validator-client 0.0.1-commit.03f7ef2 → 0.0.1-commit.04d373f

package/src/validator.ts

@@ -1,46 +1,111 @@
-import type { FileStoreBlobClient } from '@aztec/blob-client/filestore';
-import { getBlobsPerL1Block } from '@aztec/blob-lib';
+import type { BlobClientInterface } from '@aztec/blob-client/client';
+import { type Blob, getBlobsPerL1Block } from '@aztec/blob-lib';
 import type { EpochCache } from '@aztec/epoch-cache';
-import { BlockNumber, EpochNumber } from '@aztec/foundation/branded-types';
+import { CheckpointNumber, EpochNumber, IndexWithinCheckpoint, SlotNumber } from '@aztec/foundation/branded-types';
 import { Fr } from '@aztec/foundation/curves/bn254';
 import type { EthAddress } from '@aztec/foundation/eth-address';
 import type { Signature } from '@aztec/foundation/eth-signature';
-import { type Logger, createLogger } from '@aztec/foundation/log';
+import { FifoSet } from '@aztec/foundation/fifo-set';
+import { type LogData, type Logger, createLogger } from '@aztec/foundation/log';
 import { RunningPromise } from '@aztec/foundation/running-promise';
 import { sleep } from '@aztec/foundation/sleep';
 import { DateProvider } from '@aztec/foundation/timer';
 import type { KeystoreManager } from '@aztec/node-keystore';
-import type { P2P, PeerId, TxProvider } from '@aztec/p2p';
+import type { DuplicateAttestationInfo, DuplicateProposalInfo, P2P, PeerId } from '@aztec/p2p';
 import { AuthRequest, AuthResponse, BlockProposalValidator, ReqRespSubProtocol } from '@aztec/p2p';
-import { OffenseType, WANT_TO_SLASH_EVENT, type Watcher, type WatcherEmitter } from '@aztec/slasher';
+import {
+  OffenseType,
+  WANT_TO_CLEAR_SLASH_EVENT,
+  WANT_TO_SLASH_EVENT,
+  type Watcher,
+  type WatcherEmitter,
+  getOffenseTypeName,
+} from '@aztec/slasher';
 import type { AztecAddress } from '@aztec/stdlib/aztec-address';
-import type { CommitteeAttestationsAndSigners, L2BlockSource } from '@aztec/stdlib/block';
-import type { IFullNodeBlockBuilder, Validator, ValidatorClientFullConfig } from '@aztec/stdlib/interfaces/server';
+import type { CommitteeAttestationsAndSigners, L2BlockSink, L2BlockSource } from '@aztec/stdlib/block';
+import type { CheckpointReexecutionTracker } from '@aztec/stdlib/checkpoint';
+import { getEpochAtSlot } from '@aztec/stdlib/epoch-helpers';
+import type {
+  ITxProvider,
+  Validator,
+  ValidatorClientFullConfig,
+  WorldStateSynchronizer,
+} from '@aztec/stdlib/interfaces/server';
 import type { L1ToL2MessageSource } from '@aztec/stdlib/messaging';
-import type { BlockAttestation, BlockProposal, BlockProposalOptions } from '@aztec/stdlib/p2p';
+import {
+  type BlockProposal,
+  type BlockProposalOptions,
+  type CheckpointAttestation,
+  CheckpointProposal,
+  type CheckpointProposalCore,
+  type CheckpointProposalOptions,
+  type CoordinationSignatureContext,
+} from '@aztec/stdlib/p2p';
 import type { CheckpointHeader } from '@aztec/stdlib/rollup';
-import type { Tx } from '@aztec/stdlib/tx';
+import type { BlockHeader, Tx } from '@aztec/stdlib/tx';
 import { AttestationTimeoutError } from '@aztec/stdlib/validators';
 import { type TelemetryClient, type Tracer, getTelemetryClient } from '@aztec/telemetry-client';
+import {
+  createHASigner,
+  createLocalSignerWithProtection,
+  createSignerFromSharedDb,
+} from '@aztec/validator-ha-signer/factory';
+import { DutyType, type SigningContext, type SlashingProtectionDatabase } from '@aztec/validator-ha-signer/types';
+import type { ValidatorHASigner } from '@aztec/validator-ha-signer/validator-ha-signer';
 
 import { EventEmitter } from 'events';
 import type { TypedDataDefinition } from 'viem';
 
-import { BlockProposalHandler, type BlockProposalValidationFailureReason } from './block_proposal_handler.js';
+import type { FullNodeCheckpointsBuilder } from './checkpoint_builder.js';
 import { ValidationService } from './duties/validation_service.js';
+import { HAKeyStore } from './key_store/ha_key_store.js';
+import type { ExtendedValidatorKeyStore } from './key_store/interface.js';
 import { NodeKeystoreAdapter } from './key_store/node_keystore_adapter.js';
 import { ValidatorMetrics } from './metrics.js';
+import {
+  type BlockProposalValidationFailureReason,
+  type CheckpointProposalValidationFailureReason,
+  type CheckpointProposalValidationFailureResult,
+  ProposalHandler,
+} from './proposal_handler.js';
 
 // We maintain a set of proposers who have proposed invalid blocks.
 // Just cap the set to avoid unbounded growth.
 const MAX_PROPOSERS_OF_INVALID_BLOCKS = 1000;
+const MAX_TRACKED_INVALID_PROPOSAL_SLOTS = 1000;
+const MAX_TRACKED_INVALID_CHECKPOINT_PROPOSALS = 1000;
+const MAX_TRACKED_BAD_ATTESTATIONS = 10_000;
 
 // What errors from the block proposal handler result in slashing
 const SLASHABLE_BLOCK_PROPOSAL_VALIDATION_RESULT: BlockProposalValidationFailureReason[] = [
   'state_mismatch',
   'failed_txs',
+  'global_variables_mismatch',
+  'invalid_proposal',
+  'parent_block_wrong_slot',
+  'in_hash_mismatch',
 ];
 
+const SLASHABLE_CHECKPOINT_PROPOSAL_VALIDATION_RESULT: Record<CheckpointProposalValidationFailureReason, boolean> = {
+  // enabled
+  ['invalid_fee_asset_price_modifier']: true,
+  ['checkpoint_header_mismatch']: true,
+  // These late mismatches should normally be caught by earlier checks, but if reached after validating the local
+  // checkpoint inputs, the proposer-signed payload disagrees with deterministic recomputation.
+  ['archive_mismatch']: true,
+  ['out_hash_mismatch']: true,
+  ['no_blocks_for_slot']: true,
+  ['too_many_blocks_in_checkpoint']: true,
+  ['checkpoint_validation_failed']: true,
+  ['last_block_archive_mismatch']: true,
+
+  // disabled
+  ['invalid_signature']: false,
+  ['last_block_not_found']: false,
+  ['block_fetch_error']: false,
+  ['checkpoint_already_published']: false,
+};
+
 /**
  * Validator Client
  */
@@ -49,25 +114,41 @@ export class ValidatorClient extends (EventEmitter as new () => WatcherEmitter)
   private validationService: ValidationService;
   private metrics: ValidatorMetrics;
   private log: Logger;
-
   // Whether it has already registered handlers on the p2p client
   private hasRegisteredHandlers = false;
 
-  // Used to check if we are sending the same proposal twice
-  private previousProposal?: BlockProposal;
+  /** Tracks the last block proposal we created, to detect duplicate proposal attempts. */
+  private lastProposedBlock?: BlockProposal;
+
+  /** Tracks the last checkpoint proposal we created. */
+  private lastProposedCheckpoint?: CheckpointProposal;
 
   private lastEpochForCommitteeUpdateLoop: EpochNumber | undefined;
   private epochCacheUpdateLoop: RunningPromise;
+  /** Tracks the last epoch in which each attester successfully submitted at least one attestation. */
+  private lastAttestedEpochByAttester: Map<string, EpochNumber> = new Map();
+
+  private proposersOfInvalidBlocks = FifoSet.withLimit<string>(MAX_PROPOSERS_OF_INVALID_BLOCKS);
+  private slotsWithInvalidProposals = FifoSet.withLimit<SlotNumber>(MAX_TRACKED_INVALID_PROPOSAL_SLOTS);
+  private invalidCheckpointProposalOffenseKeys = FifoSet.withLimit<string>(MAX_TRACKED_INVALID_CHECKPOINT_PROPOSALS);
+  private badAttestationOffenseKeys = FifoSet.withLimit<string>(MAX_TRACKED_BAD_ATTESTATIONS);
+  private slotsWithProposalEquivocation = FifoSet.withLimit<SlotNumber>(MAX_TRACKED_INVALID_PROPOSAL_SLOTS);
 
-  private proposersOfInvalidBlocks: Set<string> = new Set();
+  /** Tracks the last checkpoint proposal we attested to, to prevent equivocation. */
+  private lastAttestedProposal?: CheckpointProposalCore;
 
   protected constructor(
-    private keyStore: NodeKeystoreAdapter,
+    private keyStore: ExtendedValidatorKeyStore,
     private epochCache: EpochCache,
     private p2pClient: P2P,
-    private blockProposalHandler: BlockProposalHandler,
+    private proposalHandler: ProposalHandler,
+    private blockSource: L2BlockSource,
+    private checkpointsBuilder: FullNodeCheckpointsBuilder,
+    private worldState: WorldStateSynchronizer,
+    private l1ToL2MessageSource: L1ToL2MessageSource,
     private config: ValidatorClientFullConfig,
-    private fileStoreBlobUploadClient: FileStoreBlobClient | undefined,
+    private blobClient: BlobClientInterface,
+    private slashingProtectionSigner: ValidatorHASigner,
     private dateProvider: DateProvider = new DateProvider(),
     telemetry: TelemetryClient = getTelemetryClient(),
     log = createLogger('validator'),
@@ -80,11 +161,17 @@ export class ValidatorClient extends (EventEmitter as new () => WatcherEmitter)
     this.tracer = telemetry.getTracer('Validator');
     this.metrics = new ValidatorMetrics(telemetry);
 
-    this.validationService = new ValidationService(keyStore, this.log.createChild('validation-service'));
+    this.validationService = new ValidationService(
+      keyStore,
+      this.getSignatureContext(),
+      this.log.createChild('validation-service'),
+    );
+    this.proposalHandler.setCheckpointProposalValidationFailureCallback((proposal, result, proposalInfo) =>
+      this.handleInvalidCheckpointProposal(proposal, result, proposalInfo),
+    );
 
     // Refresh epoch cache every second to trigger alert if participation in committee changes
     this.epochCacheUpdateLoop = new RunningPromise(this.handleEpochCommitteeUpdate.bind(this), this.log, 1000);
-
     const myAddresses = this.getValidatorAddresses();
     this.log.verbose(`Initialized validator with addresses: ${myAddresses.map(a => a.toString()).join(', ')}`);
   }
@@ -121,6 +208,7 @@ export class ValidatorClient extends (EventEmitter as new () => WatcherEmitter)
         this.log.trace(`No committee found for slot`);
         return;
       }
+      this.metrics.setCurrentEpoch(epoch);
       if (epoch !== this.lastEpochForCommitteeUpdateLoop) {
         const me = this.getValidatorAddresses();
         const committeeSet = new Set(committee.map(v => v.toString()));
@@ -141,42 +229,91 @@ export class ValidatorClient extends (EventEmitter as new () => WatcherEmitter)
     }
   }
 
-  static new(
+  static async new(
     config: ValidatorClientFullConfig,
-    blockBuilder: IFullNodeBlockBuilder,
+    checkpointsBuilder: FullNodeCheckpointsBuilder,
+    worldState: WorldStateSynchronizer,
     epochCache: EpochCache,
     p2pClient: P2P,
-    blockSource: L2BlockSource,
+    blockSource: L2BlockSource & L2BlockSink,
     l1ToL2MessageSource: L1ToL2MessageSource,
-    txProvider: TxProvider,
+    txProvider: ITxProvider,
     keyStoreManager: KeystoreManager,
-    fileStoreBlobUploadClient?: FileStoreBlobClient,
+    blobClient: BlobClientInterface,
+    reexecutionTracker: CheckpointReexecutionTracker,
     dateProvider: DateProvider = new DateProvider(),
     telemetry: TelemetryClient = getTelemetryClient(),
+    slashingProtectionDb?: SlashingProtectionDatabase,
   ) {
     const metrics = new ValidatorMetrics(telemetry);
     const blockProposalValidator = new BlockProposalValidator(epochCache, {
       txsPermitted: !config.disableTransactions,
+      maxTxsPerBlock: config.validateMaxTxsPerBlock,
+      maxBlocksPerCheckpoint: config.maxBlocksPerCheckpoint,
+      skipSlotValidation: config.skipProposalSlotValidation,
+      signatureContext: {
+        chainId: config.l1ChainId,
+        rollupAddress: config.rollupAddress,
+      },
     });
-    const blockProposalHandler = new BlockProposalHandler(
-      blockBuilder,
+    const proposalHandler = new ProposalHandler(
+      checkpointsBuilder,
+      worldState,
       blockSource,
       l1ToL2MessageSource,
       txProvider,
       blockProposalValidator,
+      epochCache,
       config,
+      blobClient,
+      reexecutionTracker,
       metrics,
       dateProvider,
       telemetry,
+      undefined,
     );
 
+    const nodeKeystoreAdapter = NodeKeystoreAdapter.fromKeyStoreManager(keyStoreManager);
+    let slashingProtectionSigner: ValidatorHASigner;
+    if (slashingProtectionDb) {
+      // Shared database mode: use a pre-existing database (e.g. for testing HA setups).
+      ({ signer: slashingProtectionSigner } = createSignerFromSharedDb(slashingProtectionDb, config, {
+        telemetryClient: telemetry,
+        dateProvider,
+      }));
+    } else if (config.haSigningEnabled) {
+      // Multi-node HA mode: use PostgreSQL-backed distributed locking.
+      // If maxStuckDutiesAgeMs is not explicitly set, compute it from Aztec slot duration
+      const haConfig = {
+        ...config,
+        maxStuckDutiesAgeMs: config.maxStuckDutiesAgeMs ?? epochCache.getL1Constants().slotDuration * 2 * 1000,
+      };
+      ({ signer: slashingProtectionSigner } = await createHASigner(haConfig, {
+        telemetryClient: telemetry,
+        dateProvider,
+      }));
+    } else {
+      // Single-node mode: use LMDB-backed local signing protection.
+      // This prevents double-signing if the node crashes and restarts mid-proposal.
+      ({ signer: slashingProtectionSigner } = await createLocalSignerWithProtection(config, {
+        telemetryClient: telemetry,
+        dateProvider,
+      }));
+    }
+    const validatorKeyStore: ExtendedValidatorKeyStore = new HAKeyStore(nodeKeystoreAdapter, slashingProtectionSigner);
+
     const validator = new ValidatorClient(
-      NodeKeystoreAdapter.fromKeyStoreManager(keyStoreManager),
+      validatorKeyStore,
       epochCache,
       p2pClient,
-      blockProposalHandler,
+      proposalHandler,
+      blockSource,
+      checkpointsBuilder,
+      worldState,
+      l1ToL2MessageSource,
       config,
-      fileStoreBlobUploadClient,
+      blobClient,
+      slashingProtectionSigner,
       dateProvider,
       telemetry,
     );
@@ -190,22 +327,19 @@ export class ValidatorClient extends (EventEmitter as new () => WatcherEmitter)
       .filter(addr => !this.config.disabledValidators.some(disabled => disabled.equals(addr)));
   }
 
-  public getBlockProposalHandler() {
-    return this.blockProposalHandler;
+  public getProposalHandler() {
+    return this.proposalHandler;
   }
 
-  // Proxy method for backwards compatibility with tests
-  public reExecuteTransactions(
-    proposal: BlockProposal,
-    blockNumber: BlockNumber,
-    txs: any[],
-    l1ToL2Messages: Fr[],
-  ): Promise<any> {
-    return this.blockProposalHandler.reexecuteTransactions(proposal, blockNumber, txs, l1ToL2Messages);
+  public signWithAddress(addr: EthAddress, msg: TypedDataDefinition, context: SigningContext) {
+    return this.keyStore.signTypedDataWithAddress(addr, msg, context);
   }
 
-  public signWithAddress(addr: EthAddress, msg: TypedDataDefinition) {
-    return this.keyStore.signTypedDataWithAddress(addr, msg);
+  private getSignatureContext(): CoordinationSignatureContext {
+    return {
+      chainId: this.config.l1ChainId,
+      rollupAddress: this.config.rollupAddress,
+    };
   }
 
   public getCoinbaseForAttestor(attestor: EthAddress): EthAddress {
@@ -220,8 +354,27 @@ export class ValidatorClient extends (EventEmitter as new () => WatcherEmitter)
     return this.config;
   }
 
+  public hasProposalEquivocation(slotNumber: SlotNumber): boolean {
+    return this.slotsWithProposalEquivocation.has(slotNumber);
+  }
+
+  public hasInvalidProposals(slotNumber: SlotNumber): boolean {
+    return this.slotsWithInvalidProposals.has(slotNumber);
+  }
+
   public updateConfig(config: Partial<ValidatorClientFullConfig>) {
     this.config = { ...this.config, ...config };
+    this.proposalHandler.updateConfig(config);
+  }
+
+  public reloadKeystore(newManager: KeystoreManager): void {
+    const newAdapter = NodeKeystoreAdapter.fromKeyStoreManager(newManager);
+    this.keyStore = new HAKeyStore(newAdapter, this.slashingProtectionSigner);
+    this.validationService = new ValidationService(
+      this.keyStore,
+      this.getSignatureContext(),
+      this.log.createChild('validation-service'),
+    );
   }
 
   public async start() {
@@ -230,6 +383,8 @@ export class ValidatorClient extends (EventEmitter as new () => WatcherEmitter)
       return;
     }
 
+    await this.keyStore.start();
+
     await this.registerHandlers();
 
     const myAddresses = this.getValidatorAddresses();
@@ -245,6 +400,7 @@ export class ValidatorClient extends (EventEmitter as new () => WatcherEmitter)
 
   public async stop() {
     await this.epochCacheUpdateLoop.stop();
+    await this.keyStore.stop();
   }
 
   /** Register handlers on the p2p client */
@@ -253,9 +409,33 @@ export class ValidatorClient extends (EventEmitter as new () => WatcherEmitter)
       this.hasRegisteredHandlers = true;
       this.log.debug(`Registering validator handlers for p2p client`);
 
-      const handler = (block: BlockProposal, proposalSender: PeerId): Promise<BlockAttestation[] | undefined> =>
-        this.attestToProposal(block, proposalSender);
-      this.p2pClient.registerBlockProposalHandler(handler);
+      // Block proposal handler - validates but does NOT attest (validators only attest to checkpoints)
+      const blockHandler = (block: BlockProposal, proposalSender: PeerId): Promise<boolean> =>
+        this.validateBlockProposal(block, proposalSender);
+      this.p2pClient.registerBlockProposalHandler(blockHandler);
+
+      // Checkpoint proposal handler - validates and creates attestations
+      // The checkpoint is received as CheckpointProposalCore since the lastBlock is extracted
+      // and processed separately via the block handler above.
+      const checkpointHandler = (
+        checkpoint: CheckpointProposalCore,
+        proposalSender: PeerId,
+      ): Promise<CheckpointAttestation[] | undefined> => this.attestToCheckpointProposal(checkpoint, proposalSender);
+      this.p2pClient.registerValidatorCheckpointProposalHandler(checkpointHandler);
+
+      // Duplicate proposal handler - triggers slashing for equivocation
+      this.p2pClient.registerDuplicateProposalCallback((info: DuplicateProposalInfo) => {
+        this.handleDuplicateProposal(info);
+      });
+
+      // Duplicate attestation handler - triggers slashing for attestation equivocation
+      this.p2pClient.registerDuplicateAttestationCallback((info: DuplicateAttestationInfo) => {
+        this.handleDuplicateAttestation(info);
+      });
+
+      this.p2pClient.registerCheckpointAttestationCallback((attestation: CheckpointAttestation) => {
+        this.handleCheckpointAttestation(attestation);
+      });
 
       const myAddresses = this.getValidatorAddresses();
       this.p2pClient.registerThisValidatorAddresses(myAddresses);
@@ -264,49 +444,53 @@ export class ValidatorClient extends (EventEmitter as new () => WatcherEmitter)
     }
   }
 
-  async attestToProposal(proposal: BlockProposal, proposalSender: PeerId): Promise<BlockAttestation[] | undefined> {
+  /**
+   * Validate a block proposal from a peer.
+   * Note: Validators do NOT attest to individual blocks - attestations are only for checkpoint proposals.
+   * @returns true if the proposal is valid, false otherwise
+   */
+  async validateBlockProposal(proposal: BlockProposal, proposalSender: PeerId): Promise<boolean> {
     const slotNumber = proposal.slotNumber;
+
+    // Note: During escape hatch, we still want to "validate" proposals for observability,
+    // but we intentionally reject them and disable slashing invalid block and attestation flow.
+    const escapeHatchOpen = await this.epochCache.isEscapeHatchOpenAtSlot(slotNumber);
+
     const proposer = proposal.getSender();
 
     // Reject proposals with invalid signatures
     if (!proposer) {
-      this.log.warn(`Received proposal with invalid signature for slot ${slotNumber}`);
-      return undefined;
+      this.log.warn(`Received block proposal with invalid signature for slot ${slotNumber}`);
+      return false;
     }
 
-    // Check that I have any address in current committee before attesting
+    // Log self-proposals from HA peers (same validator key on different nodes)
+    if (this.getValidatorAddresses().some(addr => addr.equals(proposer))) {
+      this.log.verbose(`Processing block proposal from HA peer for slot ${slotNumber}`, {
+        proposer: proposer.toString(),
+        slotNumber,
+      });
+    }
+
+    // Check if we're in the committee (for metrics purposes)
     const inCommittee = await this.epochCache.filterInCommittee(slotNumber, this.getValidatorAddresses());
     const partOfCommittee = inCommittee.length > 0;
 
     const proposalInfo = { ...proposal.toBlockInfo(), proposer: proposer.toString() };
-    this.log.info(`Received proposal for slot ${slotNumber}`, {
+    this.log.info(`Received block proposal for slot ${slotNumber}`, {
       ...proposalInfo,
       txHashes: proposal.txHashes.map(t => t.toString()),
       fishermanMode: this.config.fishermanMode || false,
     });
 
-    // Reexecute txs if we are part of the committee so we can attest, or if slashing is enabled so we can slash
-    // invalid proposals even when not in the committee, or if we are configured to always reexecute for monitoring purposes.
-    // In fisherman mode, we always reexecute to validate proposals.
-    const { validatorReexecute, slashBroadcastedInvalidBlockPenalty, alwaysReexecuteBlockProposals, fishermanMode } =
-      this.config;
-    const shouldReexecute =
-      fishermanMode ||
-      (slashBroadcastedInvalidBlockPenalty > 0n && validatorReexecute) ||
-      (partOfCommittee && validatorReexecute) ||
-      alwaysReexecuteBlockProposals ||
-      this.fileStoreBlobUploadClient;
-
-    const validationResult = await this.blockProposalHandler.handleBlockProposal(
-      proposal,
-      proposalSender,
-      !!shouldReexecute,
-    );
+    // Reexecute outside the escape hatch so slashing observers can detect invalid proposals even when penalties are 0.
+    const validationResult = await this.proposalHandler.handleBlockProposal(proposal, proposalSender, !escapeHatchOpen);
 
     if (!validationResult.isValid) {
-      this.log.warn(`Proposal validation failed: ${validationResult.reason}`, proposalInfo);
-
       const reason = validationResult.reason || 'unknown';
+
+      this.log.warn(`Block proposal validation failed: ${reason}`, proposalInfo);
+
       // Classify failure reason: bad proposal vs node issue
       const badProposalReasons: BlockProposalValidationFailureReason[] = [
         'invalid_proposal',
@@ -319,22 +503,103 @@ export class ValidatorClient extends (EventEmitter as new () => WatcherEmitter)
       if (badProposalReasons.includes(reason as BlockProposalValidationFailureReason)) {
         this.metrics.incFailedAttestationsBadProposal(1, reason, partOfCommittee);
       } else {
-        // Node issues so we can't attest
+        // Node issues so we can't validate
         this.metrics.incFailedAttestationsNodeIssue(1, reason, partOfCommittee);
       }
 
-      // Slash invalid block proposals (can happen even when not in committee)
       if (
+        !escapeHatchOpen &&
         validationResult.reason &&
-        SLASHABLE_BLOCK_PROPOSAL_VALIDATION_RESULT.includes(validationResult.reason) &&
-        slashBroadcastedInvalidBlockPenalty > 0n
+        SLASHABLE_BLOCK_PROPOSAL_VALIDATION_RESULT.includes(validationResult.reason)
       ) {
-        this.log.warn(`Slashing proposer for invalid block proposal`, proposalInfo);
+        this.log.info(`Detected invalid block proposal offense`, {
+          ...proposalInfo,
+          amount: this.config.slashBroadcastedInvalidBlockPenalty,
+          offenseType: getOffenseTypeName(OffenseType.BROADCASTED_INVALID_BLOCK_PROPOSAL),
+        });
         this.slashInvalidBlock(proposal);
+        this.markInvalidProposalSlot(proposal.slotNumber);
       }
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    this.log.info(`Validated block proposal for slot ${slotNumber}`, {
+      ...proposalInfo,
+      inCommittee: partOfCommittee,
+      fishermanMode: this.config.fishermanMode || false,
+      escapeHatchOpen,
+    });
+
+    if (escapeHatchOpen) {
+      this.log.warn(`Escape hatch open for slot ${slotNumber}, rejecting block proposal`, proposalInfo);
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Validate and attest to a checkpoint proposal from a peer.
+   * The proposal is received as CheckpointProposalCore (without lastBlock) since
+   * the lastBlock is extracted and processed separately via the block handler.
+   * @returns Checkpoint attestations if valid, undefined otherwise
+   */
+  async attestToCheckpointProposal(
+    proposal: CheckpointProposalCore,
+    _proposalSender: PeerId,
+  ): Promise<CheckpointAttestation[] | undefined> {
+    const proposalSlotNumber = proposal.slotNumber;
+    const proposer = proposal.getSender();
+
+    // If escape hatch is open for this slot's epoch, do not attest.
+    if (await this.epochCache.isEscapeHatchOpenAtSlot(proposalSlotNumber)) {
+      this.log.warn(`Escape hatch open for slot ${proposalSlotNumber}, skipping checkpoint attestation handling`);
       return undefined;
     }
 
+    // Early-out for equivocation: refuses if we've already attested to a higher slot.
+    if (!this.shouldAttestToSlot(proposalSlotNumber)) {
+      return undefined;
+    }
+
+    // Ignore proposals from ourselves (may happen in HA setups)
+    if (proposer && this.getValidatorAddresses().some(addr => addr.equals(proposer))) {
+      this.log.debug(`Ignoring block proposal from self for slot ${proposalSlotNumber}`, {
+        proposer: proposer.toString(),
+        proposalSlotNumber,
+      });
+      return undefined;
+    }
+
+    // Check that I have any address in the committee where this checkpoint will land before attesting
+    const inCommittee = await this.epochCache.filterInCommittee(proposalSlotNumber, this.getValidatorAddresses());
+    const partOfCommittee = inCommittee.length > 0;
+
+    const proposalInfo = {
+      proposalSlotNumber,
+      archive: proposal.archive.toString(),
+      proposer: proposer?.toString(),
+    };
+    this.log.info(`Received checkpoint proposal for slot ${proposalSlotNumber}`, {
+      ...proposalInfo,
+      fishermanMode: this.config.fishermanMode || false,
+    });
+
+    // Validate the checkpoint proposal before attesting (unless skipCheckpointProposalValidation is set).
+    // Uses the cached result from the all-nodes callback if available (avoids double validation).
+    let checkpointNumber: CheckpointNumber;
+    if (this.config.skipCheckpointProposalValidation) {
+      this.log.warn(`Skipping checkpoint proposal validation for slot ${proposalSlotNumber}`, proposalInfo);
+      checkpointNumber = CheckpointNumber(0);
+    } else {
+      const validationResult = await this.proposalHandler.handleCheckpointProposal(proposal, proposalInfo);
+      if (!validationResult.isValid) {
+        this.log.warn(`Checkpoint proposal validation failed: ${validationResult.reason}`, proposalInfo);
+        return undefined;
+      }
+      checkpointNumber = validationResult.checkpointNumber;
+    }
+
     // Check that I have any address in current committee before attesting
     // In fisherman mode, we still create attestations for validation even if not in committee
     if (!partOfCommittee && !this.config.fishermanMode) {
@@ -343,29 +608,28 @@ export class ValidatorClient extends (EventEmitter as new () => WatcherEmitter)
     }
 
     // Provided all of the above checks pass, we can attest to the proposal
-    this.log.info(`${partOfCommittee ? 'Attesting to' : 'Validated'} proposal for slot ${slotNumber}`, {
-      ...proposalInfo,
-      inCommittee: partOfCommittee,
-      fishermanMode: this.config.fishermanMode || false,
-    });
+    this.log.info(
+      `${partOfCommittee ? 'Attesting to' : 'Validated'} checkpoint proposal for slot ${proposalSlotNumber}`,
+      {
+        ...proposalInfo,
+        inCommittee: partOfCommittee,
+        fishermanMode: this.config.fishermanMode || false,
+      },
+    );
 
     this.metrics.incSuccessfulAttestations(inCommittee.length);
 
-    // Upload blobs to filestore after successful re-execution (fire-and-forget)
-    if (validationResult.reexecutionResult?.block && this.fileStoreBlobUploadClient) {
-      void Promise.resolve().then(async () => {
-        try {
-          const blobFields = validationResult.reexecutionResult!.block.getCheckpointBlobFields();
-          const blobs = getBlobsPerL1Block(blobFields);
-          await this.fileStoreBlobUploadClient!.saveBlobs(blobs, true);
-          this.log.debug(`Uploaded ${blobs.length} blobs to filestore from re-execution`, proposalInfo);
-        } catch (err) {
-          this.log.warn(`Failed to upload blobs from re-execution`, err);
-        }
-      });
+    // Track epoch participation per attester: count each (attester, epoch) pair at most once
+    const proposalEpoch = getEpochAtSlot(proposalSlotNumber, this.epochCache.getL1Constants());
+    for (const attester of inCommittee) {
+      const key = attester.toString();
+      const lastEpoch = this.lastAttestedEpochByAttester.get(key);
+      if (lastEpoch === undefined || proposalEpoch > lastEpoch) {
+        this.lastAttestedEpochByAttester.set(key, proposalEpoch);
+        this.metrics.incAttestedEpochCount(attester);
+      }
     }
 
-    // If the above function does not throw an error, then we can attest to the proposal
     // Determine which validators should attest
     let attestors: EthAddress[];
     if (partOfCommittee) {
@@ -384,13 +648,83 @@ export class ValidatorClient extends (EventEmitter as new () => WatcherEmitter)
 
     if (this.config.fishermanMode) {
       // bail out early and don't save attestations to the pool in fisherman mode
-      this.log.info(`Creating attestations for proposal for slot ${slotNumber}`, {
+      this.log.info(`Creating checkpoint attestations for slot ${proposalSlotNumber}`, {
         ...proposalInfo,
         attestors: attestors.map(a => a.toString()),
       });
       return undefined;
     }
-    return this.createBlockAttestationsFromProposal(proposal, attestors);
+
+    return await this.createCheckpointAttestationsFromProposal(proposal, attestors, checkpointNumber);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Checks if we should attest to a slot based on equivocation prevention rules.
+   * @returns true if we should attest, false if we should skip
+   */
+  private shouldAttestToSlot(slotNumber: SlotNumber): boolean {
+    // If attestToEquivocatedProposals is true, always allow
+    if (this.config.attestToEquivocatedProposals) {
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    // Check if incoming slot is strictly greater than last attested
+    if (this.lastAttestedProposal && slotNumber <= this.lastAttestedProposal.slotNumber) {
+      this.log.warn(
+        `Refusing to process a proposal for slot ${slotNumber} given we already attested to a proposal for slot ${this.lastAttestedProposal.slotNumber}`,
+      );
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  private async createCheckpointAttestationsFromProposal(
+    proposal: CheckpointProposalCore,
+    attestors: EthAddress[] = [],
+    checkpointNumber: CheckpointNumber,
+  ): Promise<CheckpointAttestation[] | undefined> {
+    // Equivocation check: must happen right before signing to minimize the race window
+    if (!this.shouldAttestToSlot(proposal.slotNumber)) {
+      return undefined;
+    }
+
+    const attestations = await this.validationService.attestToCheckpointProposal(proposal, attestors, checkpointNumber);
+
+    // Track the proposal we attested to (to prevent equivocation)
+    this.lastAttestedProposal = proposal;
+
+    await this.p2pClient.addOwnCheckpointAttestations(attestations);
+    return attestations;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Uploads blobs for a checkpoint to the filestore (fire and forget).
+   */
+  protected async uploadBlobsForCheckpoint(proposal: CheckpointProposalCore, proposalInfo: LogData): Promise<void> {
+    try {
+      const lastBlockHeader = (await this.blockSource.getBlockData({ archive: proposal.archive }))?.header;
+      if (!lastBlockHeader) {
+        this.log.warn(`Failed to get last block header for blob upload`, proposalInfo);
+        return;
+      }
+
+      const blocks = await this.blockSource.getBlocksForSlot(proposal.slotNumber);
+      if (blocks.length === 0) {
+        this.log.warn(`No blocks found for blob upload`, proposalInfo);
+        return;
+      }
+
+      const blobFields = blocks.flatMap(b => b.toBlobFields());
+      const blobs: Blob[] = await getBlobsPerL1Block(blobFields);
+      await this.blobClient.sendBlobsToFilestore(blobs);
+      this.log.debug(`Uploaded ${blobs.length} blobs to filestore for checkpoint at slot ${proposal.slotNumber}`, {
+        ...proposalInfo,
+        numBlobs: blobs.length,
+      });
+    } catch (err) {
+      this.log.warn(`Failed to upload blobs for checkpoint: ${err}`, proposalInfo);
+    }
   }
 
   private slashInvalidBlock(proposal: BlockProposal) {
@@ -402,12 +736,6 @@ export class ValidatorClient extends (EventEmitter as new () => WatcherEmitter)
       return;
     }
 
-    // Trim the set if it's too big.
-    if (this.proposersOfInvalidBlocks.size > MAX_PROPOSERS_OF_INVALID_BLOCKS) {
-      // remove oldest proposer. `values` is guaranteed to be in insertion order.
-      this.proposersOfInvalidBlocks.delete(this.proposersOfInvalidBlocks.values().next().value!);
-    }
-
     this.proposersOfInvalidBlocks.add(proposer.toString());
 
     this.emit(WANT_TO_SLASH_EVENT, [
@@ -420,40 +748,242 @@ export class ValidatorClient extends (EventEmitter as new () => WatcherEmitter)
     ]);
   }
 
-  // TODO(palla/mbps): Block proposal should not require a checkpoint proposal
+  private handleInvalidCheckpointProposal(
+    proposal: CheckpointProposalCore,
+    result: CheckpointProposalValidationFailureResult,
+    proposalInfo: LogData,
+  ): void {
+    if (!SLASHABLE_CHECKPOINT_PROPOSAL_VALIDATION_RESULT[result.reason]) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    this.markInvalidProposalSlot(proposal.slotNumber);
+
+    if (this.slashInvalidCheckpointProposal(proposal)) {
+      this.log.info(`Detected invalid checkpoint proposal offense`, {
+        ...proposalInfo,
+        reason: result.reason,
+        amount: this.config.slashBroadcastedInvalidCheckpointProposalPenalty,
+        offenseType: getOffenseTypeName(OffenseType.BROADCASTED_INVALID_CHECKPOINT_PROPOSAL),
+      });
+    }
+  }
+
+  private slashInvalidCheckpointProposal(proposal: CheckpointProposalCore): boolean {
+    const proposer = proposal.getSender();
+    if (!proposer) {
+      this.log.warn(`Cannot slash checkpoint proposal with invalid signature`, {
+        slotNumber: proposal.slotNumber,
+        archive: proposal.archive.toString(),
+      });
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    const offenseType = OffenseType.BROADCASTED_INVALID_CHECKPOINT_PROPOSAL;
+    const offenseKey = `${proposer.toString()}:${offenseType}:${proposal.slotNumber}`;
+    if (!this.invalidCheckpointProposalOffenseKeys.addIfAbsent(offenseKey)) {
+      return false;
+    }
+
+    this.emit(WANT_TO_SLASH_EVENT, [
+      {
+        validator: proposer,
+        amount: this.config.slashBroadcastedInvalidCheckpointProposalPenalty,
+        offenseType,
+        epochOrSlot: BigInt(proposal.slotNumber),
+      },
+    ]);
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  private markInvalidProposalSlot(slotNumber: SlotNumber): void {
+    this.slotsWithInvalidProposals.add(slotNumber);
+  }
+
+  private handleCheckpointAttestation(attestation: CheckpointAttestation): void {
+    const slotNumber = attestation.slotNumber;
+    if (!this.slotsWithInvalidProposals.has(slotNumber) || this.slotsWithProposalEquivocation.has(slotNumber)) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const attester = attestation.getSender();
+    if (!attester) {
+      this.log.warn(`Cannot slash checkpoint attestation with invalid signature`, {
+        slotNumber,
+        archive: attestation.archive.toString(),
+      });
+      return;
+    }
+
+    this.slashAttestedToInvalidCheckpointProposal(slotNumber, attester);
+  }
+
+  private slashAttestedToInvalidCheckpointProposal(slotNumber: SlotNumber, attester: EthAddress): void {
+    const offenseKey = `${attester.toString()}:${OffenseType.ATTESTED_TO_INVALID_CHECKPOINT_PROPOSAL}:${slotNumber}`;
+    if (!this.badAttestationOffenseKeys.addIfAbsent(offenseKey)) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    this.log.info(`Detected attestation to invalid checkpoint proposal offense`, {
+      attester: attester.toString(),
+      slotNumber,
+      amount: this.config.slashAttestInvalidCheckpointProposalPenalty,
+      offenseType: getOffenseTypeName(OffenseType.ATTESTED_TO_INVALID_CHECKPOINT_PROPOSAL),
+    });
+
+    this.emit(WANT_TO_SLASH_EVENT, [
+      {
+        validator: attester,
+        amount: this.config.slashAttestInvalidCheckpointProposalPenalty,
+        offenseType: OffenseType.ATTESTED_TO_INVALID_CHECKPOINT_PROPOSAL,
+        epochOrSlot: BigInt(slotNumber),
+      },
+    ]);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Handle detection of a duplicate proposal (equivocation).
+   * Emits a slash event when a proposer sends multiple proposals for the same position.
+   */
+  private handleDuplicateProposal(info: DuplicateProposalInfo): void {
+    const { slot, proposer, type } = info;
+    this.slotsWithProposalEquivocation.add(slot);
+
+    this.log.info(`Detected duplicate ${type} proposal offense from ${proposer.toString()} at slot ${slot}`, {
+      proposer: proposer.toString(),
+      slot,
+      type,
+      amount: this.config.slashDuplicateProposalPenalty,
+      offenseType: getOffenseTypeName(OffenseType.DUPLICATE_PROPOSAL),
+    });
+
+    this.emit(WANT_TO_SLASH_EVENT, [
+      {
+        validator: proposer,
+        amount: this.config.slashDuplicateProposalPenalty,
+        offenseType: OffenseType.DUPLICATE_PROPOSAL,
+        epochOrSlot: BigInt(slot),
+      },
+    ]);
+
+    this.emit(WANT_TO_CLEAR_SLASH_EVENT, [
+      {
+        offenseType: OffenseType.ATTESTED_TO_INVALID_CHECKPOINT_PROPOSAL,
+        epochOrSlot: BigInt(slot),
+      },
+    ]);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Handle detection of a duplicate attestation (equivocation).
+   * Emits a slash event when an attester signs attestations for different proposals at the same slot.
+   */
+  private handleDuplicateAttestation(info: DuplicateAttestationInfo): void {
+    const { slot, attester } = info;
+
+    this.log.info(`Detected duplicate attestation offense from ${attester.toString()} at slot ${slot}`, {
+      attester: attester.toString(),
+      slot,
+      amount: this.config.slashDuplicateAttestationPenalty,
+      offenseType: getOffenseTypeName(OffenseType.DUPLICATE_ATTESTATION),
+    });
+
+    this.emit(WANT_TO_SLASH_EVENT, [
+      {
+        validator: attester,
+        amount: this.config.slashDuplicateAttestationPenalty,
+        offenseType: OffenseType.DUPLICATE_ATTESTATION,
+        epochOrSlot: BigInt(slot),
+      },
+    ]);
+  }
+
   async createBlockProposal(
-    blockNumber: BlockNumber,
-    header: CheckpointHeader,
+    blockHeader: BlockHeader,
+    checkpointNumber: CheckpointNumber,
+    indexWithinCheckpoint: IndexWithinCheckpoint,
+    inHash: Fr,
     archive: Fr,
     txs: Tx[],
     proposerAddress: EthAddress | undefined,
-    options: BlockProposalOptions,
+    options: BlockProposalOptions = {},
   ): Promise<BlockProposal> {
-    // TODO(palla/mbps): Prevent double proposals properly
-    // if (this.previousProposal?.slotNumber === header.slotNumber) {
-    //   this.log.verbose(`Already made a proposal for the same slot, skipping proposal`);
-    //   return Promise.resolve(undefined);
-    // }
-
-    this.log.info(`Assembling block proposal for block ${blockNumber} slot ${header.slotNumber}`);
-    const newProposal = await this.validationService.createBlockProposal(header, archive, txs, proposerAddress, {
-      ...options,
-      broadcastInvalidBlockProposal: this.config.broadcastInvalidBlockProposal,
-    });
-    this.previousProposal = newProposal;
+    // Validate that we're not creating a proposal for an older or equal position
+    if (this.lastProposedBlock) {
+      const lastSlot = this.lastProposedBlock.slotNumber;
+      const lastIndex = this.lastProposedBlock.indexWithinCheckpoint;
+      const newSlot = blockHeader.globalVariables.slotNumber;
+
+      if (newSlot < lastSlot || (newSlot === lastSlot && indexWithinCheckpoint <= lastIndex)) {
+        throw new Error(
+          `Cannot create block proposal for slot ${newSlot} index ${indexWithinCheckpoint}: ` +
+            `already proposed block for slot ${lastSlot} index ${lastIndex}`,
+        );
+      }
+    }
+
+    this.log.info(
+      `Assembling block proposal for block ${blockHeader.globalVariables.blockNumber} slot ${blockHeader.globalVariables.slotNumber}`,
+    );
+    const newProposal = await this.validationService.createBlockProposal(
+      blockHeader,
+      checkpointNumber,
+      indexWithinCheckpoint,
+      inHash,
+      archive,
+      txs,
+      proposerAddress,
+      {
+        ...options,
+        broadcastInvalidBlockProposal:
+          options.broadcastInvalidBlockProposal || this.config.broadcastInvalidBlockProposal,
+      },
+    );
+    this.lastProposedBlock = newProposal;
     return newProposal;
   }
 
-  // TODO(palla/mbps): Effectively create a checkpoint proposal different from a block proposal
-  createCheckpointProposal(
-    header: CheckpointHeader,
+  async createCheckpointProposal(
+    checkpointHeader: CheckpointHeader,
     archive: Fr,
-    txs: Tx[],
+    checkpointNumber: CheckpointNumber,
+    feeAssetPriceModifier: bigint,
+    lastBlockProposal: BlockProposal | undefined,
     proposerAddress: EthAddress | undefined,
-    options: BlockProposalOptions,
-  ): Promise<BlockProposal> {
-    this.log.info(`Assembling checkpoint proposal for slot ${header.slotNumber}`);
-    return this.createBlockProposal(0 as BlockNumber, header, archive, txs, proposerAddress, options);
+    options: CheckpointProposalOptions = {},
+  ): Promise<CheckpointProposal> {
+    // Validate that we're not creating a proposal for an older or equal slot
+    if (this.lastProposedCheckpoint) {
+      const lastSlot = this.lastProposedCheckpoint.slotNumber;
+      const newSlot = checkpointHeader.slotNumber;
+
+      if (newSlot <= lastSlot) {
+        throw new Error(
+          `Cannot create checkpoint proposal for slot ${newSlot}: ` +
+            `already proposed checkpoint for slot ${lastSlot}`,
+        );
+      }
+    }
+
+    this.log.info(`Assembling checkpoint proposal for slot ${checkpointHeader.slotNumber}`);
+    const newProposal = await this.validationService.createCheckpointProposal(
+      checkpointHeader,
+      archive,
+      checkpointNumber,
+      feeAssetPriceModifier,
+      lastBlockProposal,
+      proposerAddress,
+      options,
+    );
+    this.lastProposedCheckpoint = newProposal;
+    // Self-record this slot's outcome on the re-execution tracker. Proposers don't run their
+    // own proposals through `handleCheckpointProposal`, so without this call the proposer's
+    // sentinel would see no outcome for slots it proposed and would mis-attribute itself as
+    // inactive. We pass the locally-computed `archive` (not `newProposal.archive`, which may
+    // be intentionally corrupted under test-only flags); from the proposer's local-view
+    // perspective the work it just completed is valid by definition.
+    this.proposalHandler.recordOwnCheckpointProposalAsValid(checkpointHeader.slotNumber, archive, checkpointNumber);
+    return newProposal;
   }
 
   async broadcastBlockProposal(proposal: BlockProposal): Promise<void> {
@@ -463,28 +993,47 @@ export class ValidatorClient extends (EventEmitter as new () => WatcherEmitter)
   async signAttestationsAndSigners(
     attestationsAndSigners: CommitteeAttestationsAndSigners,
     proposer: EthAddress,
+    slot: SlotNumber,
+    checkpointNumber: CheckpointNumber,
   ): Promise<Signature> {
-    return await this.validationService.signAttestationsAndSigners(attestationsAndSigners, proposer);
+    return await this.validationService.signAttestationsAndSigners(
+      attestationsAndSigners,
+      proposer,
+      slot,
+      checkpointNumber,
+    );
   }
 
-  async collectOwnAttestations(proposal: BlockProposal): Promise<BlockAttestation[]> {
-    const slot = proposal.payload.header.slotNumber;
+  async collectOwnAttestations(
+    proposal: CheckpointProposal,
+    checkpointNumber: CheckpointNumber,
+  ): Promise<CheckpointAttestation[]> {
+    const slot = proposal.slotNumber;
     const inCommittee = await this.epochCache.filterInCommittee(slot, this.getValidatorAddresses());
     this.log.debug(`Collecting ${inCommittee.length} self-attestations for slot ${slot}`, { inCommittee });
-    const attestations = await this.createBlockAttestationsFromProposal(proposal, inCommittee);
+    const attestations = await this.createCheckpointAttestationsFromProposal(proposal, inCommittee, checkpointNumber);
+
+    if (!attestations) {
+      return [];
+    }
 
     // We broadcast our own attestations to our peers so, in case our block does not get mined on L1,
     // other nodes can see that our validators did attest to this block proposal, and do not slash us
     // due to inactivity for missed attestations.
-    void this.p2pClient.broadcastAttestations(attestations).catch(err => {
+    void this.p2pClient.broadcastCheckpointAttestations(attestations).catch(err => {
       this.log.error(`Failed to broadcast self-attestations for slot ${slot}`, err);
     });
     return attestations;
   }
 
-  async collectAttestations(proposal: BlockProposal, required: number, deadline: Date): Promise<BlockAttestation[]> {
-    // Wait and poll the p2pClient's attestation pool for this block until we have enough attestations
-    const slot = proposal.payload.header.slotNumber;
+  async collectAttestations(
+    proposal: CheckpointProposal,
+    required: number,
+    deadline: Date,
+    checkpointNumber: CheckpointNumber,
+  ): Promise<CheckpointAttestation[]> {
+    // Wait and poll the p2pClient's attestation pool for this checkpoint until we have enough attestations
+    const slot = proposal.slotNumber;
     this.log.debug(`Collecting ${required} attestations for slot ${slot} with deadline ${deadline.toISOString()}`);
 
     if (+deadline < this.dateProvider.now()) {
@@ -494,33 +1043,23 @@ export class ValidatorClient extends (EventEmitter as new () => WatcherEmitter)
       throw new AttestationTimeoutError(0, required, slot);
     }
 
-    await this.collectOwnAttestations(proposal);
+    await this.collectOwnAttestations(proposal, checkpointNumber);
 
-    const proposalId = proposal.archive.toString();
+    const proposalPayloadHash = proposal.getPayloadHash();
     const myAddresses = this.getValidatorAddresses();
 
-    let attestations: BlockAttestation[] = [];
+    let attestations: CheckpointAttestation[] = [];
     while (true) {
-      // Filter out attestations with a mismatching payload. This should NOT happen since we have verified
-      // the proposer signature (ie our own) before accepting the attestation into the pool via the p2p client.
-      const collectedAttestations = (await this.p2pClient.getAttestationsForSlot(slot, proposalId)).filter(
-        attestation => {
-          if (!attestation.payload.equals(proposal.payload)) {
-            this.log.warn(
-              `Received attestation for slot ${slot} with mismatched payload from ${attestation.getSender()?.toString()}`,
-              { attestationPayload: attestation.payload, proposalPayload: proposal.payload },
-            );
-            return false;
-          }
-          return true;
-        },
-      );
+      // The pool already filters by proposal payload hash; if any attestation slips through with a
+      // mismatched payload hash, drop it defensively. Equivocations are emitted as separate slash
+      // events from libp2p_service.
+      const collectedAttestations = await this.p2pClient.getCheckpointAttestationsForSlot(slot, proposalPayloadHash);
 
       // Log new attestations we collected
       const oldSenders = attestations.map(attestation => attestation.getSender());
       for (const collected of collectedAttestations) {
         const collectedSender = collected.getSender();
-        // Skip attestations with invalid signatures
+        // Skip attestations with invalid signatures. Should not happen as we don't add invalid attestations to our pool.
         if (!collectedSender) {
           this.log.warn(`Skipping attestation with invalid signature for slot ${slot}`);
           continue;
@@ -549,15 +1088,6 @@ export class ValidatorClient extends (EventEmitter as new () => WatcherEmitter)
     }
   }
 
-  private async createBlockAttestationsFromProposal(
-    proposal: BlockProposal,
-    attestors: EthAddress[] = [],
-  ): Promise<BlockAttestation[]> {
-    const attestations = await this.validationService.attestToProposal(proposal, attestors);
-    await this.p2pClient.addAttestations(attestations);
-    return attestations;
-  }
-
   private async handleAuthRequest(peer: PeerId, msg: Buffer): Promise<Buffer> {
     const authRequest = AuthRequest.fromBuffer(msg);
     const statusMessage = await this.p2pClient.handleAuthRequestFromPeer(authRequest, peer).catch(_ => undefined);
@@ -576,7 +1106,9 @@ export class ValidatorClient extends (EventEmitter as new () => WatcherEmitter)
     }
 
     const payloadToSign = authRequest.getPayloadToSign();
-    const signature = await this.keyStore.signMessageWithAddress(addressToUse, payloadToSign);
+    // AUTH_REQUEST doesn't require HA protection - multiple signatures are safe
+    const context: SigningContext = { dutyType: DutyType.AUTH_REQUEST };
+    const signature = await this.keyStore.signMessageWithAddress(addressToUse, payloadToSign, context);
     const authResponse = new AuthResponse(statusMessage, signature);
     return authResponse.toBuffer();
   }