Skip to main content
This tutorial walks you through launching a private local network and promoting one of the nodes in that network to a full validator.
Some features like native dApps, contracts, and more are still a work in progress.
This guide results in a simple deployment of a few validators and one RPC. If you want more control over the network, and additional services such as block explorers and PoL backends, refer to Local Devnet with Kurtosis.

​
Requirements

Before starting, ensure that you have the following installed on your computer:

​
Launch local devnet

You will launch multiple Docker containers that contain execution and consensus clients for a test chain initialized from genesis.

​
Step 1 - Obtain and build source

# FROM: ~

git clone https://github.com/berachain/guides;
mv guides/apps/local-docker-devnet ./devnet;
rm -rf guides;
cd devnet;
Review the env.sh file, which contains important variables for running the docker-devnet and deposit testing. CHAIN_SPEC and CHAIN_ID are used to influence the configuration of the deployed beacond. Valid values for CHAIN_SPEC are mainnet, testnet and file. The file specification uses the CHAIN_ID to look up a chainspec file in templates/beacond. Build the Docker devnet images: 
# FROM: ~/devnet

./build.sh;

# [Expected Result]:
# ...
# *** Build complete

​
Step 2 - Start containers and monitor chain activity

Start the devnet: 
# FROM: ~/devnet

./start.sh;

# [Expected Output]:
# Starting Beacond...
# 0 - Creating config folders...
# 1 - Creating node configurations...
# ...
# Started!
Use docker ps to view the launched containers and verify that the services are running: 
docker ps --format "table {{.Names}}\t{{.Image}}\t{{.Status}}\t{{.Ports}}";

# [Expected Output]:
# NAMES           IMAGE            STATUS         PORTS
# el-node-rpc-0   reth-docker      Up 2 minutes   0.0.0.0:8545-8546->8545-8546/tcp
# el-node-val-2   reth-docker      Up 2 minutes
# el-node-val-1   reth-docker      Up 2 minutes
# el-node-val-0   reth-docker      Up 2 minutes
# cl-node-rpc-0   beacond-docker   Up 2 minutes   0.0.0.0:3500->3500/tcp, 0.0.0.0:26657->26657/tcp
# cl-node-val-2   beacond-docker   Up 2 minutes
# cl-node-val-1   beacond-docker   Up 2 minutes
# cl-node-val-0   beacond-docker   Up 2 minutes
Monitor beacond logs for deposits, withdrawals, and blocks: 
docker logs -f cl-node-rpc-0 | egrep '(Commit|deposit|withdraw|exit)';

# [Expected Output]:
# INFO Committed state ... height=10
# INFO Building block body ... num_deposits=1
# INFO Processing partial withdrawal ...

​
Step 3 - Generate deposit scripts

Invoke the deposit script to generate the deposit transactions (but do not transmit them). The script provides two cast calls and a command to view the current validator set. There are two types of deposits: 1) initial registration and 2) top-up. 
# FROM: ~/devnet

./generate-deposit-tx.sh;

# [Expected Output]:
# Generating Signature for Parameters: ...
#
# Send this command to register the validator + deposit 10000 BERA:
# cast send ..
#
# Send this command to activate the validator by depositing 240000 BERA:
# cast send..
Do not send these transactions as-is on mainnet, or you will burn your funds. The devnet genesis root differs from mainnet’s, and the signature will be invalid on mainnet. Study the registration and activation process in generate-deposit-tx and the Deposit Guide to understand how to apply this process to mainnet.

​
Step 4 - Run registration deposit transaction

Transmit the first cast call, which calls deposit() for the first time with an initial stake of 10,000 $BERA.

​
Step 5 - Run activation deposit transaction

Send the second suggested cast call, which stakes an additional 240,000 $BERA, sufficient to put the validator into the activation queue.

​
Step 6 - Observe activation

Continue to monitor the chain’s progress for three complete 10-block epochs. Upon activation, the validator status will change to active_ongoing — fully active and eligible to propose blocks.

​
Step 7 - Send withdrawal transaction

Generate the withdrawal transactions: 
# FROM: ~/devnet

./generate-withdraw-tx.sh

# [Expected Output]:
# RPC validator pubkey is 0xaee37...
# Determined withdrawal fee: 1
#
# To send withdrawal request for 10000 BERA:
# cast send ...
#
# To exit the validator and return BERA stake:
# cast send ...

​
Step 8 - Send exit transaction

Using the provided call to exit the validator, you will see the validator state immediately changes to exited_unslashed state, meaning the validator can no longer produce blocks. After the required delay in epochs, the validator’s remaining stake is returned, and the status rests at withdrawal_done.

​
Cleanup

This action will destroy all running Docker containers on your system when executed. 
# FROM: ~/devnet

./clean.sh

# [Example Similar Output]:
# Shutting down docker containers:
# el-node-val-0
# cl-node-val-0
# ...