How to Become an Eth2 Medalla Testnet Validator

Main content of this article

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Hardware requirements

Based on the decentralized design goal of Eth2, validators are expected to be able to use a number of different infrastructure setups (on-premises or in the cloud, etc.).

Participating in the testnet can not only practice combat, but also give yourself plenty of time to choose which equipment and method are the most suitable and have the most reliable performance. And right now that's the only thing we can do.

Here are some hardware configurations, resource links, and helpful tutorials.

Recommended configuration

Operating System: 64-bit Linux, Mac OS X, Windows

Processor: Intel Core i7-4770 or AMD FX-8310 (and above)

Memory: 8GB RAM

Capacity: 100GB free space SSD

Internet: Broadband Internet (10 Mbps)

Power source: Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)

Digital Ocean (eligible cloud service provider)

Standard Droplet

Memory: 8GB RAM

Capacity: 160GB free space SSD

Uptime: 99.99%

Availability: 8 data centers

Fees: $0.060/hour; $40/month

Eligible Hardware Devices:

ZOTAC ZBOX CI662 Nano Silent Passive-Cooled Mini PC 10th Gen Intel Core i7

SanDisk Ultra 3D NAND 2TB Internal SSD

Corsair Vengeance Performance SODIMM Memory 16GB (2x8GB)

Minimum required configuration

Operating System: 64-bit Linux, Mac OS X, Windows

Processor: Intel Core i5-760 or AMD FX-8110 (and above)

Memory: 4GB RAM

Capacity: 20GB free space SSD

Network: Broadband network (10Mbps)

Power source: Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)

Digital Ocean (eligible cloud service provider)

Standard Droplet

Memory: 4GB RAM

Capacity: 80GB free space SSD

Uptime: 99.99%

Availability: 8 data centers

Fees: $0.030/hour; $20/month

Eligible Hardware Devices:

ZOTAC ZBOX CI642 Nano Silent Passive-Cooled Mini PC 10th Gen Intel Core i5

SanDisk Ultra 3D NAND 2TB Internal SSD

Corsair Vengeance Performance SODI

Choose and install the client

As the first multi-client large-scale public testnet for Eth2, the launch of Medalla provides validators with different client options to run their nodes.

In the Medalla testnet, 4 client teams have provided product implementations that can be tried out:

Client team

● Prysm by Prysmatic Labs (Discord)

Prysm is an implementation of the Eth2.0 protocol based on the Go language, focusing on usability, security and reliability. Prysm is written in Go and released under the GPL-3.0 license.

● Lighthouse by Sigma Prime

Lighthouse is an Eth2.0 client in Rust with a focus on speed and security. Lighthouse's research team is Sigma Prime, an information security and software engineering company. Lighthouse is implemented under the Apache 2.0 license.

● Teku by ConsenSys (Discord)

PegaSys Teku is a Java-based Eth2.0 client designed to meet institutional needs and security requirements. Teku is licensed under Apache 2 and written in Java, a language known for its maturity and ubiquity.

● Status's Nimbus (Discord)

The research project Nimbus is also a client implementation of Eth 2.0, designed for use in embedded systems and personal mobile devices, including older smartphones with limited hardware resources.

Set up an Eth1 node

A validator running a node on Eth2 needs to run an Eth1 node first in order to monitor validator deposits of 32 ETH. Users have several options when it comes to running an Eth1 node, here are some of the most commonly used tools.

Self-hosted:

OpenEthereum

Geth

Besu

Nethermind

Escrow:

Infura

Running an Eth2 validator node on Medalla

First step

Staking ETH on the Goerli testnet

If readers are new to Ethereum, the main way to join the network is to participate in staking. The Medalla testnet for Eth2 requires each validator to stake 32 GöETH (except for the use of the Goerli test coin, the other steps are no different from the real Eth2!)

If users want to participate in the testnet, here are some very useful tools to simplify the participation process.

➤ Prysmatic's Discord (access to goerli test coins)

The Prysmatic team has automated the process

Just leave a message "!send (your ethereum address)" in discord

➤ EthStaker's Discord (access to goerli test coins)

This bot is run and maintained by Beaconcha.in

Just leave a message "!goerliEth (your ethereum address)"

➤ Goerli Authenticated Faucet

Just copy and paste your ETH address and select 'Request'

Second step

Go to Eth2 Launchpad

Over the past few months, the Ethereum Foundation, CoDeFi Activate, and Deep Work Studio have all been working on an interface that makes it easier for users to stake and become Eth 2.0 validators.

The result of the research is the Eth2 Launch Pad, an app that allows users to securely complete the following steps: generate an Eth2 key pair, and stake 32 ETH in formal deposit contracts on the Eth2 testnet and mainnet.

Launch Pad is designed for validators running nodes from home. These Ethereum enthusiasts want to run their own nodes and easily run commands on their own computer terminal screens.

Second step (a)

Due Diligence (Overview Section)

You should take the time to read these before engaging in staking. The "Overview section" provides some educational information about some of the risks associated with staking ETH.

Third step

Generate key pair and mnemonic

Each validator node must generate its own validator key pair and mnemonic to generate a withdrawal key later.

In the first step, the user needs to choose the number of validator nodes they want to run, and on which operating system.

The first option is to run the ./deposit command in your own terminal using the binary executable downloaded from the ethereum/eth2.0-deposit-cli page.

The second option is to build the deposit-CLI tool from the Python source code. Participants need to follow the instructions below to ensure all required development libraries and deposit-CLI tools are installed.

After that, run the.\eth2deposit\deposit.pycommand in your terminal.

After users have installed the deposit-CLI tool and run it in a terminal window, they will be prompted with the following:

Determine the number of validator nodes to run
Determine which language to use to generate the mnemonic
Determine which testnet to run the validator node on

Please select the Medalla testnet for this tutorial.

Now the user will be asked to set a password, and once the password is confirmed, the user's mnemonic will be generated. Make sure to keep it in a safe place and store it offline.

If the user successfully completes this step, they will see the screen shown below:

If you have any questions about deposit-cli, please visit the following GitHub repository:

Fourth step

Upload your deposit file

Almost there! The next step is to upload the deposit json file you generated in the previous step. The file is located in the /eth2.0-deposit-cli/validator_keys directory and is titled deposit-data-[timestamp].json.

Fifth step

Connect your own wallet

The next step is to connect your Web3 wallet and click Continue. Make sure the Goerli testnet is selected in the wallet settings.

Do not send real ETH to the deposit contract on the Medalla testnet.

Sixth step

Confirm transaction & initiate deposit

Once you've connected and confirmed your wallet address, you'll be taken to a summary page that shows the total amount of GoETH that needs to be sent to the deposit contract, based on the number of validators the user has run.

"Agree" to the warning option, click OK to navigate to the last step - Actual Deposit.

Click "Start Trading" to deposit your GoETH into the Medalla testnet contract.

Next, you need to confirm your own GoETH deposit through the wallet, and each validator node needs to confirm 32 GoETH. Once the transaction is confirmed, it means that your pledge is successful! It's time to call yourself an official staker on the most monumental Web3 testnet!

Additional Content & Resources

After reviewing the steps above, we recommend validators review the guidelines for each client below before starting staking. According to the different clients selected, the above steps will have different order of operations.

Below is the most in-depth guide I've seen in the industry, giving readers an insight into the nuances of the process.