Here's the best way I've developed to visualize Harmony $ONE Validators:
Imagine each validator is a boat on the ocean, the more $ONE delegated the bigger the ship is.
Epoch are waves, the smaller your boat the more you go up and down and become affected by them. If you have a big boat, you can stay much more stable when the waves get larger.
Big boats are great because they maintain a nice stable rate but the smaller boats are needed for the overall decentralization and stability of the network.
Supplying a small boat with $ONE can be an adventure but helping someone get to a bigger ship can be rewarding. Not every cycle will be great but some cycles will make up for it.
Today's Harmony $ONE Validator stats post election.
With the start of this epoch we have a 2.5% fee - The blockchain vote will pass a 5% minimum fee. We will work to stay at 2.5% or lower as long as policy allows.
We add more coin/slots = lower fees for our members until then!