public Optional<List<String>> getValidators() throws IllegalArgumentException {
    final Optional<ArrayNode> validatorNode = JsonUtil.getArrayNode(forkConfigRoot, VALIDATORS_KEY);

    if (validatorNode.isEmpty()) {
      return Optional.empty();
    }

    List<String> validators = Lists.newArrayList();
    validatorNode
        .get()
        .elements()
        .forEachRemaining(
            value -> {
              if (!value.isTextual()) {
                throw new IllegalArgumentException(
                    "Bft Validator fork does not contain a string " + value);
              }

              validators.add(value.asText());
            });
    return Optional.of(validators);
  }
Gets validators.

@return the validators
@throws IllegalArgumentException the illegal argument exception
config/src/main/java/org/hyperledger/besu/config/BftFork.java