Node Setup

How to set up a Tellor Layer Node.

Recommended Machine Specs

Running a node for development or as a personal RPC can be done using most modern computers with at least 16gb ram.

If operating a validator / reporter we recommend:

  • Modern cpu with at least 8 cores / threads

  • ram: 32 gb

  • storage: 500gb+ @ nvme gen3

  • network: 500mb/s DL, 100mb/s UL (the faster the better)

Pre-requisites

Commands shown should be used while logged in as a user (not root).

Golang is required for running layer. jq, yq, and sed are required for running the various config scripts:

  • jq : sudo apt install jq

  • yq : sudo apt install yq

  • sed : sudo apt install sed

  • curl: sudo apt install curl

  • wget: sudo apt install wget

If you would like to build the binaries from source, you will need Golang ≥ 1.22. Use the default install instructions here.

Choose How you will Sync your Node

There are Two different ways to get a node running on layertest-3. You can sync from a snapshot, or from genesis. Syncing from peer snapshot works best for most people. You should sync from genesis if you want to have the full chain history for analysis.

  • Snapshot sync: Your node is configured with seeds and peers from which it will try to download recent chain state snapshots. This sync method should take no more than one hour to complete, but you will not be able to query chain history before the day you synced.

  • Genesis sync: Your node will start with the genesis binary and sync the entire chain. A different binary will be needed for each upgrade since genesis. This sync method can take a long time depending on how long layertest-3 has been live.

1. Download and Organize the layerd Binary(s)

Be sure to select the tabs that work for your setup.

First, download the binary from the Tellor Github.

# current layertest-3 binary v3.0.3 (upgrade tag v3.0.2)
mkdir -p ~/layer/binaries && cd ~/layer/binaries && mkdir v3.0.2 && cd v3.0.2 && wget https://github.com/tellor-io/layer/releases/download/v3.0.3/layer_Linux_x86_64.tar.gz && tar -xvzf layer_Linux_x86_64.tar.gz

Initialize .layer folder in your home directory:

./layerd init layer --chain-id layertest-3

Note: don't forget to rename or remove any old installations (rm -rf ~/.layer)

2. Edit Chain Configuration for Layer.

These steps are the same if you are doing a snapshot sync or a genesis sync. Select the tab for your computer's architecture:

Download the latest setup script from the layer repo:

wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tellor-io/layer/refs/heads/main/layer_scripts/configure_layer_linux.sh

Give the script permission to execute, then run the script:

chmod +x configure_layer_linux.sh && ./configure_layer_linux.sh

3. Make a Local Account

Create a tellor address (account) for starting the node with various options. This should be done even if you're not going to run a validator.

It's best practice to always handle mnemonics/keys with extreme care, even if it’s just for the testnet, and never use an address that holds real funds for testing.

If you do not yet have an account / mnemonic phrase, generate a new key pair with the command below. Choose an account name that's easy to remember. Save the output in a safe place if you'd like to be able to import the account later:

./layerd keys add YOUR_ACCOUNT_NAME

If you already have an account, you can Import it with the command:

./layerd keys add YOUR_ACCOUNT_NAME --recover

4. Set System Variables

A Layer node uses the following variables:

  • TOKEN_BRIDGE_CONTRACT: the token bridge contract address.

  • ETH_RPC_URL: A reliable sepolia RPC url for calling the bridge contract.

If you are starting layer with a bash script, be sure to include export statements for these variables at the top of your start script. If running layerd as a system service, they can be added to your .service file. Commands shown are for running layer in a regular bash terminal or with tmux or screen.

Set the environment variables so that they are set in new terminal windows by default. Open your .bashrc or .zshrc file with a text editor like nano:

nano ~/.bashrc

Add these lines to the bottom of the file. Remember to replace the example URL with your Sepolia testnet RPC url:

export ETH_RPC_URL="wss://a.good.sepolia.rpc.url"
export TOKEN_BRIDGE_CONTRACT="0x6ac02f3887b358591b8b2d22cfb1f36fa5843867"

To load the variables into any open shell (terminal window):

source ~/.bashrc

Exit nano with ctrl^x then enter y to save the changes.

5. Sync the Node

Before starting your node, it's a good idea to think about how you want to run it so that the process does not get killed accidentally. This is not obvious for beginners. GNU screen is a great option for beginners. More advanced setups can be achieved using systemd.

Choose the tab depending on whether or not you are doing a genesis sync, or a state sync:

We need to make a few more config edits to make sure your state sync goes smoothly.

  1. Use curl to find a good TRUSTED_HEIGHT to use for downloading snapshots:

export LATEST_HEIGHT=$(curl -s tellorlayer.com:26657/block | jq -r .result.block.header.height); \
export TRUSTED_HEIGHT=$((LATEST_HEIGHT-8000)); \ 
export TRUSTED_HASH=$(curl -s "tellorlayer.com:26657/block?height=$TRUSTED_HEIGHT" | jq -r .result.block_id.hash); \
echo $TRUSTED_HEIGHT $TRUSTED_HASH

The command should output something like: 147139 0BCE40CD31D205453DA001780CBF765F3C64FCCB9DCB2F9825872D042780A288.

  1. Edit config.toml:

Open your config file:

nano ~/.layer/config/config.toml

Scroll or search (ctrl^w) the file and edit the state sync variables shown here:

# [statesync]
enable = true

#...
rpc_servers = "https://tellor.blkjy.io/,https://tellor.blkjy.io/"
trust_height = 147139
trust_hash = "F23E2ACAFF92FFEDE14CC9949A60F50E7C6D5A2D40BC9C838DF523944063294D"
trust_period = "168h0m0s"

Be sure to replace the trust_height and trust_hash with the block number and hash from the curl command above.

Exit nano with ctrl^x then enter y to save the changes.

  1. Start your node:

./layerd start --price-daemon-enabled=false --home ~/.layer --key-name YOUR_ACCOUNT_NAME

The node should start up quickly and begin downloading snapshots from peers.

Some errors related to peer connections can be expected even if the snapshot sync is working properly. (e.g. "we need more peers", or "Failed to reconnect")

To check if the node is fully synced, open a separate terminal window and run:

./layerd status

You should see a JSON formatted list of information about your running node. If you see catching_up":false that means that you're node is fully synced and ready to use!

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