Quickstart: Run a node and (optionally) stake STRAX

Introduction

Prysm is an implementation of the Ethereum proof-of-stake consensus specification. In this quickstart, you’ll use Prysm to run an STRAX node and optionally a validator client. This will let you stake 20,000 STRAX using hardware that you manage.

This is a beginner-friendly guide. Familiarity with the command line is expected, but otherwise this guide makes no assumptions about your technical skills or prior knowledge.

At a high level, we'll walk through the following flow:

1. Configure an execution node using an execution-layer client.
2. Configure a beacon node using Prysm, a consensus-layer client.
3. Configure a validator client and stake STRAX using Prysm (optional).

Step 1: Review prerequisites and best practices

Hardware Requirements

• OS: 64-bit Linux, Mac OS X 10.14+, Windows 10+ 64-bit
• CPU: 4+ cores @ 2.8+ GHz
• Memory: 8GB+ RAM
• Storage: SSD with at least 1TB free space
• Network: 8 MBit/sec broadband

Port Requirements

• GETH: Allow: 30303/UDP+TCP in+out; Block: 8545/TCP all
• Prysm beacon-chain: Allow: */TCP+UDP out, 13000/TCP in+out, 12000/UDP in+out; Block: 3500/TCP all, 8551/TCP all, 4000/TCP all

Validator Requirements

• A new machine that has never been connected to the internet that you can use to securely generate your mnemonic phrase and keypair
• 20,000 STRAX (Mainnet) or 20,000 tSTRAX (Testnet)

Best practices

• If you're staking STRAX as a validator, try this guide on a testnet first, then mainnet.
• Keep things simple. This guidance assumes all client software will run on a single machine.

Step 2: Run an execution client

1. Download the latest release of geth for your Operating System from: https://github.com/stratisproject/go-stratis/releases
2. Extract into a location on your host, to the bin directory in this repository's local copy. For example C:\repos\StratisEVM\bin
3. Navigate to your bin directory and execute the following command:

Windows

Auroria (Testnet)

geth.exe --auroria --http --http.api eth,net,engine,admin --datadir=data\testnet\geth --authrpc.addr=127.0.0.1 --authrpc.jwtsecret=jwtsecret --syncmode=full

Mainnet

geth.exe --http --http.api eth,net,engine,admin --datadir=data\mainnet\geth --authrpc.addr=127.0.0.1 --authrpc.jwtsecret=jwtsecret --syncmode=full

Linux

Auroria (Testnet)

./geth --auroria --http --http.api eth,net,engine,admin --datadir=data\testnet\geth --authrpc.addr=127.0.0.1 --authrpc.jwtsecret=jwtsecret --syncmode=full

Mainnet

./geth --http --http.api eth,net,engine,admin --datadir=data\mainnet\geth --authrpc.addr=127.0.0.1 --authrpc.jwtsecret=jwtsecret --syncmode=full

MacOS

Auroria (Testnet)

./geth --auroria --http --http.api eth,net,engine,admin --datadir=data\testnet\geth --authrpc.addr=127.0.0.1 --authrpc.jwtsecret=jwtsecret --syncmode=full

Mainnet

./geth --http --http.api eth,net,engine,admin --datadir=data\mainnet\geth --authrpc.addr=127.0.0.1 --authrpc.jwtsecret=jwtsecret --syncmode=full

The execution layer client cannot sync without an attached beacon node. We'll see how to setup a beacon node in the next step.

Step 3: Run a beacon node using Prysm

1. Download the latest release of beacon-chain and validator for your Operating System from: https://github.com/stratisproject/prysm-stratis/releases
2. Extract into a location on your host, to the bin directory in this repository's local copy. For example C:\repos\StratisEVM\bin
3. Navigate to your bin directory and run the following command to start your beacon node that connects to your local execution node:

Windows

Recommended for Windows:

Run the following command to improve output displayed in console:

reg add HKCU\Console /v VirtualTerminalLevel /t REG_DWORD /d 1

Note: You will need to launch a new instance of CMD or PowerShell for these changes to take effect.

Auroria (Testnet)

beacon-chain.exe --auroria --datadir=data\testnet\beacon --execution-endpoint=http://localhost:8551 --jwt-secret=jwtsecret

Mainnet

beacon-chain.exe --datadir=data\mainnet\beacon --execution-endpoint=http://localhost:8551 --jwt-secret=jwtsecret

Linux

Auroria (Testnet)

./beacon-chain --auroria --datadir=data\testnet\beacon --execution-endpoint=http://localhost:8551 --jwt-secret=jwtsecret

Mainnet

./beacon-chain --datadir=data\mainnet\beacon --execution-endpoint=http://localhost:8551 --jwt-secret=jwtsecret

MacOS

Auroria (Testnet)

./beacon-chain --auroria --datadir=data\testnet\beacon --execution-endpoint=http://localhost:8551 --jwt-secret=jwtsecret

Mainnet

./beacon-chain --datadir=data\mainnet\beacon --execution-endpoint=http://localhost:8551 --jwt-secret=jwtsecret

If you are planning to run a validator, it is strongly advised to use the --suggested-fee-recipient=<WALLET ADDRESS> option. When your validator proposes a block, it will allow you to earn block priority fees, also sometimes called "tips".

Congratulations - you’re now running a full StratisEVM node.

Step 4: Setup validator to Stake

Please refer to the Stratis Staking Launchpad to create your keys for staking:

Generate Keys (Auroria) Generate Keys (Mainnet)

Alternatively, you can follow the below steps:

Step 4a: Generate Keys without Launchpad (Optional)

Download - ideally on a new machine that has never been connected to the internet - the latest stable version of the deposit CLI from the Staking Deposit CLI Releases page to the bin directory in this repository's local copy.

You may choose to provide a withdrawal address with your initial deposit to automatically enable reward payments and also the ability to fully exit your funds at anytime (recommended). This address should be to a regular Stratis address and will be the only address funds can be sent to from your new validator accounts, and cannot be changed once chosen.

Run the following command to create your mnemonic (a unique and highly sensitive 24-word phrase) and keys:

Windows

Auroria (Testnet)

deposit.exe new-mnemonic --num_validators=1 --mnemonic_language=english --chain=auroria --eth1_withdrawal_address=<INSERT ADDRESS>

Mainnet

deposit.exe new-mnemonic --num_validators=1 --mnemonic_language=english --chain=mainnet --eth1_withdrawal_address=<INSERT ADDRESS>

Linux

Auroria (Testnet)

./deposit new-mnemonic --num_validators=1 --mnemonic_language=english --chain=auroria --eth1_withdrawal_address=<INSERT ADDRESS>

Mainnet

./deposit new-mnemonic --num_validators=1 --mnemonic_language=english --chain=mainnet --eth1_withdrawal_address=<INSERT ADDRESS>

MacOS

Auroria (Testnet)

./deposit new-mnemonic --num_validators=1 --mnemonic_language=english --chain=auroria --eth1_withdrawal_address=<INSERT ADDRESS>

Mainnet

./deposit new-mnemonic --num_validators=1 --mnemonic_language=english --chain=mainnet --eth1_withdrawal_address=<INSERT ADDRESS>

Follow the CLI prompts to generate your keys, it's better to use the directory configs/testnet/validator_keys or configs/mainnet/validator_keys for the chosen network. The password you choose will be needed later when importing the generated data into the Prysm validator client. This will give you the following artifacts:

1. A new mnemonic seed phrase. This is highly sensitive and should never be exposed to other people or networked hardware.
2. A validator_keys folder. This folder will contain two files:
   1. deposit_data-*.json - contains deposit data that you’ll later upload to the Stratis launchpad.
   2. keystore-m_*.json - contains your public key and encrypted private key.

Step 4b: Import staking keys

If needed, copy the validator_keys folder to your primary machine. Run the following command to import your keystores, replacing <YOUR_FOLDER_PATH> with the full path to your validator_keys folder:

Windows

Auroria (Testnet)

validator.exe accounts import --keys-dir=<YOUR_FOLDER_PATH> --auroria

Mainnet

validator.exe accounts import --keys-dir=<YOUR_FOLDER_PATH> --mainnet

Linux

Auroria (Testnet)

./validator accounts import --keys-dir=<YOUR_FOLDER_PATH> --auroria

Mainnet

./validator accounts import --keys-dir=<YOUR_FOLDER_PATH> --mainnet

MacOS

Auroria (Testnet)

./validator accounts import --keys-dir=<YOUR_FOLDER_PATH> --auroria

Mainnet

./validator accounts import --keys-dir=<YOUR_FOLDER_PATH> --mainnet

You’ll be prompted to specify a wallet directory twice. Provide the path to your future wallets directory. For example: C:/repos/StratisEVM/configs/testnet/wallet_dir or C:/repos/StratisEVM/configs/mainnet/wallet_dir for the selected network. You should see Imported accounts [...] view all of them by running accounts list when your account has been successfully imported into Prysm.

Step 5: Make staking deposit and run validator

Go to the Stratis Staking Launchpad site and continue through the prompts to upload your deposit_data-*.json file. You’ll be prompted to connect your wallet.

You can then deposit 20,000 STRAX into the Mainnet or Testnet deposit contract via the Launchpad page. Exercise extreme caution throughout this procedure.

If you need tSTRAX, head over to our Discord server or use the Faucet:

• Stratis Discord

Next, go