🚀 Aztec Sequencer Node Setup (Alpha Testnet) 🟢

Running an Aztec node is very simple. You will require $11 if you want your node to run smoothly in one go using paid RPCs. Alternatively, you can use free public RPCs, but they often come with limitations and require more setup effort.

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💼 Requirements

1. A VPS to run the Aztec node (Ubuntu 20.04 or 22.04 recommended)
2. A Paid RPC (like from Alchemy) OR a Free Public RPC (with limitations)
3. A Paid Beacon RPC (or free option like drpc.org, Ankr)

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🧾 Steps Overview

1. Get a VPS (Use Google Cloud, Free for new users)
2. Install dependencies
3. Install Aztec tools
4. Setup Ethereum Wallet & RPC URLs
5. Run your node
6. Submit sync proof to get the Apprentice role on Aztec Discord

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☁️ Optional: VPS Setup Using GCP

If you want to run your node on a VPS and need help setting up a Google Cloud Platform (GCP) VPS, you can use the following repository for a step-by-step guide and scripts:

• GCP-VPS-Setup by rdkrr731

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🚀 Aztec Node Setup

1. Install Dependencies

Update packages:

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

Install Packages:

sudo apt install curl 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

Install Docker:

sudo apt update -y && sudo apt upgrade -y
for pkg in docker.io docker-doc docker-compose podman-docker containerd runc; do sudo apt-get remove $pkg; done

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install ca-certificates curl gnupg
sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings
curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg
sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg

echo \
  "deb [arch=\"$(dpkg --print-architecture)\" signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu \
  \"$(. /etc/os-release && echo \"$VERSION_CODENAME\")\" stable" | \
  sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

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

sudo apt-get install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin

Test Docker:

sudo docker run hello-world

Enable and Restart Docker:

sudo systemctl enable docker
sudo systemctl restart docker

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2. Install Aztec Tools

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

echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.aztec/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

Restart your Terminal now to apply changes.

Check if you installed successfully:

aztec --version

Tip:
For Local System: Open your docker first and make sure you're docker is running.
For VPS: If you face a docker permission denied error, add your user to the docker group with:

sudo usermod -aG docker $USER

Then log out and back in, or restart your terminal session.

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3. Update Aztec to the latest version

aztec-up latest

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4. Obtain RPC URLs

• L1 RPC: You can create a Sepolia RPC URL in Alchemy.
• Beacon RPC: Use https://rpc.drpc.org/eth/sepolia/beacon as a free BEACON RPC. (You can also run your own prysm/lighthouse nodes or find other 3rd party solutions.)

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5. Generate Ethereum Keys

• Use MetaMask or another tool to create a new Ethereum wallet.
• Save your EVM Wallet's Private Key and Public Address securely.

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6. Get Sepolia ETH

• Fund your Ethereum Wallet with ETH Sepolia. You can get Sepolia ETH from Alchemy Faucet.

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7. Find IP

curl ipv4.icanhazip.com

Save this IP address somewhere. You will need it later.

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8. Enable Firewall & Open Ports

# Firewall
sudo ufw allow ssh
sudo ufw enable

# Sequencer
sudo ufw allow 40400
sudo ufw allow 40500
sudo ufw allow 8080

Tip:
If facing Error: No command Found

sudo apt update
sudo apt install ufw -y

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9. Start Sequencer Node

Open screen or use Tmux:

screen -S aztec

Start the Node (replace the variables):

aztec start --node --archiver --sequencer \
  --network alpha-testnet \
  --l1-rpc-urls RPC_URL  \
  --l1-consensus-host-urls BEACON_URL \
  --sequencer.validatorPrivateKey YourPrivateKey \
  --sequencer.coinbase YourEvmAddress \
  --p2p.p2pIp IP

• RPC_URL & BEACON_URL: As per step 4
• YourPrivateKey: Your EVM wallet private key
• YourEvmAddress: Your EVM wallet public address
• IP: Your server IP (from step 7)

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10. Sync Node

Once the command is entered, your node starts running. It may take a few hours for your node to sync to the tip of the block, depending on your device's performance.

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11. Get Apprentice Role on Aztec Discord

Go to the Discord channel: Aztec Discord and get the below details before using the commands.

Open a New terminal and run (do NOT shut down your Node):

Step 1: Get the latest proven 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"

• Save this block number for the next steps.
• Example output: 23546
• If running on a server, replace http://localhost:8080 with your server's IP (keep port 8080).

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Step 2: Generate your sync proof

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"

• Replace both BLOCK_NUMBER with the number from Step 1.

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🟥Step 3: Register with Discord 🟥 [DEPRECATED]

Type the following command in the Discord server:

/operator start

• Fill out the required fields:
  • address: Your validator address (Ethereum Address)
  • block-number: Block number from Step 1
  • proof: Sync proof (base64 string from Step 2)

Once you submit, you'll obtain your Apprentice Role!

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🆕Step 4: Get your Peer ID & Check Status

• Get your Peer ID that starts with 16nlsdfl

sudo docker logs $(docker ps -q --filter ancestor=aztecprotocol/aztec:latest | head -n 1) 2>&1 | grep -i "peerId" | grep -o '"peerId":"[^"]*"' | cut -d'"' -f4 | head -n 1

• Go over here: Aztec P2P Explorer
• Input your Peer Id and keep track of it

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🆕Step 5: Get Guardian Role After running your node for atleast 3-4days

• Head over to Discord
• Type /checkip & enter your vps IP & your EVM address

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📝 Notes

• Always ensure your private key is kept secure.
• Do not share your private key with anyone.
• For troubleshooting and support, use the Aztec Discord.

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Happy Sequencing!