Aztec Sequencer Node Guide

Server Requirements

Minimum: 8 CPU, 16 GB RAM, 100+ SSD

Server Rental

Pay for servers with crypto or Russian cards: play2go vdsiba

Preparation Before Installation

Funding Your Wallet

You will need a new EVM wallet with test ETH tokens on the Sepolia network. Use the faucet, but note that the required amount is currently quite high due to the validator registration quota (~50 ETH).

RPC

You need an Ethereum Sepolia RPC and Beacon endpoint for the node to work. It is recommended to deploy your own service or buy a private RPC (I can provide one if needed).

Node Installation

1. Open your terminal and connect to your server via SSH.

2. Update system components and install required utilities:

   sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y

   sudo apt install curl ufw iptables build-essential git wget lz4 jq make gcc nano automake autoconf tmux htop nvme-cli libgbm1 pkg-config libssl-dev libleveldb-dev tar clang bsdmainutils ncdu unzip libleveldb-dev  -y

3. Install Aztec tools, press y twice when prompted:

   bash -i <(curl -s https://install.aztec.network/)

4. Update your environment and check the tools:

   source ~/.bash_profile

   aztec-up alpha-testnet

5. Create files to manage your node: Create a directory and enter it:

   mkdir -p aztec && cd aztec

   Create a launch file:

   nano docker-compose.yml

   Paste the following snippet, change ports if needed:

   services:
     node:
       image: aztecprotocol/aztec:0.87.2
       environment:
         ETHEREUM_HOSTS: "${ETHEREUM_HOSTS}"
         L1_CONSENSUS_HOST_URLS: "${L1_CONSENSUS_HOST_URLS}"
         DATA_DIRECTORY: /data
         VALIDATOR_PRIVATE_KEY: "${VALIDATOR_PRIVATE_KEY}"
         P2P_IP: "${P2P_IP}"
         PXE_PORT: "${PXE_PORT}"
         TXE_PORT: "${TXE_PORT}"
         LOG_LEVEL: debug
       entrypoint: >
         sh -c 'node --no-warnings /usr/src/yarn-project/aztec/dest/bin/index.js start --network alpha-testnet start --node --archiver --sequencer'
       volumes:
         - /home/aztec/node:/data
       ports:
         - 40400:40400/tcp
         - 40400:40400/udp
         - 8080:8080

   Save with CTRL+S, CTRL+X

   Create a configuration file:

   nano .env

   Paste and fill in your values:

   L1_SEPOLIA_RPC_URL=<Your_Sepolia_RPC_URL>
   L1_BEACON_URLS=<Your_BEACON_URL>
   VALIDATOR_PRIVATE_KEY=<Your_Privat_Key_with_0x>
   P2P_IP=<Your_Server_IP>

   Save with CTRL+S, CTRL+X

6. Start the operator (node) and check logs:

   docker-compose up --build -d
   docker-compose logs -f --tail 20

Getting the Apprentice Role in Discord

1. After your node syncs, get the latest synced block number:

   curl -s -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
   -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"node_getL2Tips","params":[],"id":67}' \
   http://localhost:8080 | jq -r ".result.proven.number"

2. In the command below, replace <BLOCK_NUMBER> with your block number and port 8080 if you changed it:

   curl -s -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
   -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","method":"node_getArchiveSiblingPath","params":["<BLOCK_NUMBER>","<BLOCK_NUMBER>"],"id":67}' \
   http://localhost:8080 | jq -r ".result"

3. In the project Discord, in the #operators | start-here channel, use the /operator start command and provide the required data.

Validator Registration

You need to send a transaction at a specific time and hope for luck, as the number of applicants is growing and the daily quota is only 5.

Replace the data and run the command:

aztec add-l1-validator \
--l1-rpc-urls <Your_Sepolia_RPC_URL> \
--private-key <Your_Private_Key> \
--attester <Your_Wallet_Address> \
--proposer-eoa <Your_Wallet_Address> \
--staking-asset-handler 0xF739D03e98e23A7B65940848aBA8921fF3bAc4b2 \
--l1-chain-id 11155111