> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.mimicry.org/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.mimicry.org/whitepaper/risks-and-mitigations/balancer-shortage-risk.md).

# Balancer Shortage Risk

Early in the life of the protocol there may be a shortage of Balancers who compete to earn tips. To offset this risk, the Mimicry Foundation and several key partners will run Balancer nodes. Dockerized source code for running a balancer node will be open source and made available to anyone who wishes to compete for tips.