Run a Validator Node

This manual offers a detailed, step-by-step approach for establishing and operating a full validator node on the Junction.

1. Download the junctiond binary

Use the wget command to download the junctiond executable from the Airchains Network GitHub release page.

wget https://github.com/airchains-network/junction/releases/download/v0.1.0/junctiond

2. Make the binary executable

Apply the chmod +x command to add executable permissions to the junctiond file, allowing it to be run as a program.

chmod +x junctiond

3. Move the binary to a system-wide directory

Employ the sudo mv command to transfer the junctiond binary to /usr/local/bin, enabling it to be accessed and executed from any location on the system.

sudo mv junctiond /usr/local/bin

4. Initialize the Node with the Moniker

junctiond init <moniker>

5. Update Genesis Configuration

To ensure your node is configured correctly for the testnet, follow these steps to update the genesis configuration

Download the Testnet Genesis File

Begin by downloading the latest genesis file from the GitHub repository.

wget https://github.com/airchains-network/junction/releases/download/v0.1.0/genesis.json

Replace the Existing Genesis File

After downloading the new genesis file, you need to replace the existing file in your Junction node configuration directory. This step ensures your node starts with the correct testnet settings.

cp genesis.json ~/.junction/config/genesis.json

6. Update Configuration

Edit ~/.junction/config/config.toml to set persistent_peers:

persistent_peers = "de2e7251667dee5de5eed98e54a58749fadd23d8@34.22.237.85:26656"

7. Start the Node

Before starting, it's crucial to set the minimum gas price in your app configuration. Locate the app.toml file at ~/.junction/config/app.toml and ensure you set the minimum-gas-prices to 0.00025amf to start the node. This ensures smooth operation and fair transaction processing.

junctiond start

8. Wait For the Node the to Sync

Run the Command to check the status of the Node.

junctiond status

Should the 'catching_up' field return 'true', it's important to wait until the Node completes its synchronization. Do not proceed with further steps until this process is finished.

9. Creating New Account for the Validator

junctiond keys add <validator-name>

This command will generate your wallet's mnemonic and address. It's crucial to write these down and store them securely.

10. Fund you Account

You need to ensure that your validator account holds a minimum of 58 tokens. If your account doesn't have enough tokens, you can acquire testnet tokens from our discord faucet channel. The faucet is accessible at Airchains Faucet.

11. Stake Token to become a Validator

Before executing the command junctiond tx staking create-validator path/to/validator.json --from keyname, you need to create a validator.json file with the following details. Below is an example:

To obtain the pubkey, you can use the command:

junctiond comet show-validator

The output will be something like this:

{"@type":"/cosmos.crypto.ed25519.PubKey","key":"ZXONS7NNjLWH4HePBOoHKDAYeLXQO5iUwpCRQSi1poI="}

You'll need to paste the pubkey value into the pubkey section of the JSON file.

Please adjust the staking amount and other keys as you see fit.

{
	"pubkey": <validator-pub-key>,
	"amount": "1000000amf",
	"moniker": "<validator-name>",
	"identity": "optional identity signature (ex. UPort or Keybase)",
	"website": "validator's (optional) website",
	"security": "validator's (optional) security contact email",
	"details": "validator's (optional) details",
	"commission-rate": "0.1",
	"commission-max-rate": "0.2",
	"commission-max-change-rate": "0.01",
	"min-self-delegation": "1"
}

junctiond tx staking create-validator path/to/validator.json --from <key-name> --chain-id junction --fees 500amf

A prompt will appear in the CLI. To proceed, type 'y' and press enter.

It will return Transaction hash Like this

code: 0
codespace: ""
data: ""
events: []
gas_used: "0"
gas_wanted: "0"
height: "0"
info: ""
logs: []
raw_log: '[]'
timestamp: ""
tx: null
txhash: 3068ED7C9867D9DC926A200363704715AE9470EE73452324A32C2583E62B1D79

12 Query Validator Set

To See if you were accepted as a validator,

junctiond query tendermint-validator-set

If your address is visible, it indicates successful inclusion in the validator set. Please note that this process may take some time.