# Collator Node - Business & Token Requirements At present, **Energy Web X** collator slots are **permissioned** and limited to pre-approved operators. Before purchasing a Collator Node via Launchpad, prospective operators must first secure approval. To initiate the process, please contact **** with supporting information about your organization, operational readiness, and intended participation. Once approved, a collator slot will be reserved for you and you may proceed with deployment via Launchpad. *** ### Token Requirements A Collator node participates in protocol operations that span **three interconnected chains**: * **Energy Web Chain (EWC)** * **Energy Web X (EWX)** * **Ethereum** For the Launchpad **Collator-as-a-Service (CaaS)** offering, the initial **EWC-side token allocation is handled automatically** as part of the managed setup. However, operators are responsible for ensuring that the **EWX and Ethereum accounts are correctly funded** at all times. This includes: * Maintaining the minimum required **self-stake and operational balance on EWX** * Maintaining sufficient **ETH on the collator’s Ethereum (EVM) address** to cover bridge-related and cross-chain operational costs Detailed and up-to-date token requirements for each chain are documented here:\ While Launchpad may provide alerts when balances fall below recommended thresholds, ongoing balance management, particularly on Ethereum, **remains the operator’s responsibility**, and timely top-ups are required to ensure uninterrupted operation. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.energyweb.org/launchpad/blockchain-infrastructure/collator-nodes/collator-node-business-and-token-requirements.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.