❓ Why should I run a node ❓

Running your own node increases:

-read and write speed to a blockchain

-decentralization with more network endpoints for users to access

🐻‍❄️ + 🐻 = 🐼 Merge Node Client Communication 🐼 = 🐻 + 🐻‍❄️

Post merge blockchains (like Goerli) require 2 clients to be synced together to run a node to access the network:

-Consensus Layer (Which blocks and transactions should I validate?)

-Execution Layer (How do I execute EVM logic and build transactions?)

Install Merge Node Clients for Consensus Layer and Execution Layer

Prysm (CL)

https://docs.prylabs.network/docs/install/install-with-script

Geth (EL)

https://www.quicknode.com/guides/infrastructure/how-to-install-and-run-a-geth-node

Run RPC node clients at the same time in different terminals

Terminal 1 (Prysm):

cd ethereum/consensus/prysm
./prysm.sh beacon-chain --prater --execution-endpoint=http://localhost:8551 --jwt-secret=jwt.hex

Terminal 2 (Geth):

⚠️ Make sure you downloaded the genesis.ssz file into your prysm folder! ⚠️

cd ethereum/execution 
geth --goerli --http --http.api eth,web3,net,txpool --ws --ws.api eth,web3,net,txpool --authrpc.jwtsecret ../consensus/prysm/jwt.hex

Sync status

To check node status sync:

Prysm is done syncing when: "is_syncing:false"

Geth is done syncing when: "is_optimistic:false"

curl http://localhost:3500/eth/v1/node/syncing | jq 

Prysm sync monitor: https://prater.beaconcha.in/blocks

Geth sync monitor: https://goerli.etherscan.io/blocks

Using RPC endpoints

HTTP

http://localhost:8545

WS

ws://localhost:8546

Geth IPC Commands

Start IPC server

geth attach http://localhost:8545 

Check the chainId:

eth.chainId()

Check sync status:

eth.syncing

Check sync status based on blocks left to sync:

eth.syncing.highestBlock - eth.syncing.currentBlock

Run a Validator

Create and deposit validator key data:

🐼 You must be running the EL (Geth) and CL (Prysm) RPC node clients as shown above to have your validator synced. 🐼

🔐 Do this with your internet off to hide your validator seed phrase written down on paper. 🔐

💲 Make sure you have 32 ETH to deposit. 💲

🔎 Check the address you are depositing to with your validator seed phrase written down with the correct smart contract transaction calldata. 🔎

🚨 Sync the CL and EL RPC nodes before you make the deposit to avoid potentially losing Ether being offline once it is received. 🚨

☎️ Use Infura or any other node provider to connect to Prysm while Geth syncs if you sent Ether before syncing by accident. ☎️

🛰️ If even Prysm hasn't synced yet, consider using a simple 3rd party validator service like Allnodes on Goerli (Allnodes appears to not ask for your validator seed phrase to prevent stealing your staked 32 ETH). 🛰️

https://goerli.launchpad.ethereum.org/en/

To start validator once you follow all of these steps:

https://docs.prylabs.network/docs/install/install-with-script#step-5-run-a-validator-using-prysm

run:

cd ethereum/consensus/prysm
./prysm.sh validator --wallet-dir=/home/<USER>/ethereum/consensus  --prater

📬 Guide to withdraw validator stake 📬 :

https://launchpad.ethereum.org/en/withdrawals

🐮 Wagyu GUI Tool To Update Withdraw Address 🐮 :

https://github.com/stake-house/wagyu-key-gen

Client diversity

Running different CL and EL also helps decentralize the network.

https://clientdiversity.org/

Prysm shows how to setup other clients easily by selecting which clients you want to use:

https://docs.prylabs.network/docs/install/install-with-script

⛰️ This guide turns a weird mountain man fantasy into reality ⛰️

Tweet: https://twitter.com/vitalikbuterin/status/873177382164848641