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Become a Staking Validator

Staking on Starknet provides an opportunity to contribute to network security and earn rewards by becoming a validator. Check out the Becoming a Validator guide to learn more about the validator process.

Prerequisites​

  • STRK Tokens: At least 20,000 STRK is required for staking on mainnet (1 STRK on Sepolia testnet). For the latest details, check out the Staking Protocol Details.
  • Node Setup: A connection to a Starknet node or RPC endpoint with support for the JSON-RPC 0.8.1 API specification. For reliability reasons we recommend stakers to host their own nodes. See Juno and Pathfinder.
  • Starknet Wallet: A compatible wallet, like Braavos or Argent.
  • Access to CLI/Block Explorer: Tools like Voyager for interacting with contracts.
  • An account with enough funds to pay for the attestation transactions.

1. Set up your Starknet node​

A reliable Starknet node is essential for validator operation. Follow the official Juno documentation to configure your node using Docker, binaries, source builds.

Example with Juno​

Once you have your own Juno node set either built from source or through docker.

Run it and be sure to specify both http and ws flags set. These prepare your node to receive both http and websocket requests, required by the validator for full communication with the node. One example using a Juno binary built from source:

./build/juno
  --db-path /var/lib/juno \
  --eth-node <YOUR-ETH-NODE>
  --http \
  --http-port 6060 \
  --ws \
  --ws-port 6061 \

The configuration file properties for internal signing will look like:

{
  "provider": {
      "http": "http://localhost:6060/v0_8",
      "ws": "ws://localhost:6061/v0_8"
  },
  "signer": {
      "operationalAddress": "your operational address",
      "privateKey": "your private key"
  }
}

2. Stake STRK tokens​

Register as a validator by staking STRK tokens through the Starknet staking contract. Check out the Becoming a Validator guide for complete instructions. The staking process includes:

  • Pre-approving STRK Transfer: Allow the staking contract to lock your tokens.
  • Calling the stake Function: Register operational and reward addresses, set commission rates, and enable pooling if desired.

3. Finalising your validator​

Once your node is running and your STRK tokens are staked:

  1. Install the validator: Follow the Installation guide to install the validator software.
  2. Configure and start the validator: Use your operational address in the Configuration guide.
  3. Monitor your validator's status via dashboards like Voyager.
info

You're now a staking validator! With your node running and tokens staked, you support Starknet's security and earn rewards. The network manages most operations, though future updates may require additional setup.