🐻⛓️ Berachain Docs

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Berachain Nodes Overview ​

Depending on your goals, there are different node configurations you may be interested in running yourself. If you haven't already started the Berachain node, please review the documentation for Running a Local Validator Node before proceeding with different configurations.

If you want to govern Proof of Liquidity:

Start a Validator Node

If you want to send transactions or query the chain directly from your own Berachain node:

Start an RPC / WS Node

If you want to query historical chain data since block 0:

Start an Archive Node

If you want to help node operators sync up quickly with the network:

Start a Snapshot Node

Details

Technically, all of these features are available on the same node software. We choose to split these features out as it's seen as best practice to not overload a single node for too many purposes simultaneously as it can create high demand on a node, requiring deeper infrastructure work.

Ultimately, it's up to your needs what the best setup will be. If you're new to running nodes, we recommend keeping it simple.

Validator Overview ​

Validators make the world chain go round.

Without validators and their nodes, you don't have a blockchain. So it's critical that running one is easy and accessible to everyone. Even if you've never ran a node before, these docs will get you up to speed on everything you need to know.

What is a validator? ​

A validator can refer to three things:

  1. A blockchain node being run to validate transactions, produce blocks and come to consensus with other validators in the network
  2. The entity that owns and operates the validator node
  3. The blend of points #1 and #2 that manages a portion of Proof of Liquidity & Governance votes

Why would I want to run a node? ​

There are many reasons an individual may wish to run a node whether to help reach their personal goals or the goals of the ecosystem. Running a Berachain node can enable teams and individuals to:

  • Participate in Proof of Liquidity and its rewards
  • Participate as a governance delegate
  • Access the network directly instead of via a third-party
  • Improve network decentralization
  • Improve network stability
  • Assist in network archival & data recovery

How Do I Get Started? ​

Thankfully, no matter what type of node you're looking to run, you'll be using the same Berachain node software with the same initialization instructions.

First, you'll want to setup your node by following our node instructions to Run A Local Validator Node.

What is the difference between an "operator" address and a "consensus" address? ​

The Cosmos SDK has two types of validator addresses: Operator and Consensus. These addresses serve different purposes and are used in different contexts.

Operator Address:

  • The operator address is tied to an application key and uses the cosmosvaloper and cosmosvaloperpub prefixes, which are reserved solely for this purpose.
  • Validator operator application keys are used to create transactions that create or modify validator nodes.
  • Operator addresses identify the operators of validator nodes.

Consensus Address:

  • Consensus addresses are used in the CometBFT consensus algorithm to sign blocks on an ongoing basis.
  • Both consensus addresses and account addresses are Bech32 encoded addresses with different prefixes named human-readable parts.

Generation and Contexts:

  • Operator addresses are generated from the validator's private key and are used for creating or modifying validator nodes.
  • Consensus addresses are derived from the CometBFT consensus key, which is used to sign blocks during the consensus process.

In summary, operator addresses are used to manage validator nodes, while consensus addresses are used in the consensus process to sign blocks. Both types of addresses are Bech32 encoded with different prefixes to distinguish their roles within the Cosmos Network.