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Staking Nodes

Your Vault is created but not yet operational. You need to set up the following node infrastructure before installing the Operator Service.

Automated Node Setup Available

A new experimental feature allows the Operator Service to automatically set up execution and consensus clients (Reth and Lighthouse). See Automated Node Setup for details.

Execution Client​

Your execution node must be fully synced and running. Any client that supports the ETH Execution API specification ↗ can be used:

Configure execution client

The Operator Service needs event logs from a network checkpoint onward. If your execution client prunes history, retain receipts and logs from at least the following blocks:

NetworkRequired from blockRecommended setting
Ethereum25,933,93825,900,000
Hoodi3,583,8073,580,000
Gnosis48,127,04248,100,000

The recommended value rounds down to leave a safety margin; any block at or below it works.

Nethermind must be run in FastSync mode. The barrier flags set the first block whose bodies and receipts are kept, and --History.Pruning=UseAncientBarriers removes older history from an already synced node:

# Ethereum Mainnet
nethermind --Sync.FastSync=true \
  --Sync.AncientBodiesBarrier=25900000 \
  --Sync.AncientReceiptsBarrier=25900000 \
  --History.Pruning=UseAncientBarriers

For other networks, use the recommended setting from the table above.

Operator Service versions before v5.1.1 still require the full event log history since the Keeper contract deployment. Upgrade the Operator Service before pruning.

Consensus Client​

Your consensus node must be fully synced and running. Any client that supports the ETH Beacon Node API specification ↗ can be used:

Validator Client​

Set the suggested-fee-recipient flag in your validator client to the correct fee recipient address. This is the Block reward recipient shown in the Details section at the bottom of your Vault page. An incorrect value will result in penalties for your Vault in the Smoothing Pool and will trigger a warning on the Vault page, alerting users to an invalid validator setup.

MEV-Boost​

Set up MEV-Boost ↗ to capture execution layer rewards. MEV-Boost is open source middleware that connects your validator to a network of block builders competing to produce the most profitable block, maximizing your Vault's execution-layer revenue.

If your Vault uses the Smoothing Pool, you must use one of the StakeWise DAO-approved MEV relays.

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