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This guide will help you quickly set up and run an SSV Node. For detailed configuration options, see the Configuration Reference.

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Before You Begin

Ensure you have:
  • Completed the installation
  • Access to an Ethereum Beacon node
  • Access to an Ethereum Execution node (ETH1)

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Quick Setup

1

Generate operator keys

First, generate your operator private key. This uniquely identifies your operator node.
./bin/ssvnode generate-operator-keys
Production Use: Always use the encrypted format with --password-file for production. The raw format can expose sensitive data.
The command will generate:
  • encrypted_private_key.json (keystore file)
  • Operator public key (displayed in terminal)
2

Create configuration file

Copy the example configuration and customize it:
cp config/config.example.yaml config/config.yaml
Edit config/config.yaml with your settings:
global:
  LogLevel: info
  LogFilePath: ./data/debug.log

db:
  Path: ./data/db

ssv:
  Network: mainnet  # or holesky for testnet

eth2:
  BeaconNodeAddr: http://your-beacon-node:5052

eth1:
  ETH1Addr: ws://your-eth1-node:8546/ws

# Add your operator private key (Option 1: Encrypted keystore)
KeyStore:
  PrivateKeyFile: ./encrypted_private_key.json
  PasswordFile: ./password.txt

# Enable metrics
MetricsAPIPort: 15000
3

Start your node

Run the SSV Node:
./bin/ssvnode start-node --config ./config/config.yaml
Your node will start syncing with the network!
4

Verify node is running

Check node logs to confirm it’s running correctly:
# Logs are written to ./data/debug.log
tail -f ./data/debug.log
You should see log entries indicating:
  • Connection to beacon node
  • Connection to execution node
  • P2P network discovery
  • Event synchronization

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Network Ports

Ensure the following ports are accessible:
PortProtocolPurposeRequired
13000TCPP2P communicationYes
12000UDPP2P discoveryYes
15000TCPMetrics APIOptional
16000TCPSSV APIOptional
Configure your firewall to allow incoming connections on TCP 13000 and UDP 12000.

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Monitoring Your Node

The metrics API provides Prometheus-compatible metrics at http://localhost:15000/metricsView metrics with:
curl http://localhost:15000/metrics
Key metrics to monitor:
  • ssv_validator_status - Validator status
  • ssv_beacon_status - Beacon node connectivity
  • ssv_p2p_peers - Connected peers

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Register Your Operator

After your node is running, register it on the SSV Network:
1

Visit SSV Network Web App

Go to app.ssv.network and connect your wallet.
2

Register as operator

Navigate to “Join as Operator” and submit your operator public key generated in Step 1.
3

Set operator fee

Configure your annual operator fee (in SSV tokens).

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Running a Local Test Network

For development and testing, run a local 4-node network:
1

Prepare local configuration

# Generate configuration for 4 local operators
./scripts/generate_local_config.sh 4 \
  ./keystore.json \
  "keystore-password" \
  0x1234567890123456789012345678901234567890 \
  0
2

Move config files

mv share*.yaml events.yaml ./config/
3

Update config for local network

Add to config/config.yaml:
LocalEventsPath: ./config/events.yaml
p2p:
  Discovery: mdns
4

Start local network

make docker-all
This starts 4 SSV nodes that communicate via mDNS discovery.

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Common Commands

Useful commands for managing your node:
CommandDescription
./bin/ssvnode versionDisplay version information
./bin/ssvnode start-node --config <path>Start the node
./bin/ssvnode generate-operator-keysGenerate operator keys
make docker-allRun local 4-node network
make docker-debugRun local network with debugging

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Next Steps

Configuration Reference

Explore all configuration options

Operator Guide

Learn about operator responsibilities

Key Management

Secure your operator keys

Monitoring

Set up comprehensive monitoring

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Troubleshooting

Verify your beacon node is running and accessible:
curl http://your-beacon-node:5052/eth/v1/node/health
Check that the BeaconNodeAddr in your config is correct.
Ensure ports 13000 (TCP) and 12000 (UDP) are open in your firewall:
# Check if ports are listening
netstat -tulpn | grep -E '12000|13000'
Verify your HostAddress is set correctly if behind NAT.
Ensure your password file contains the correct password without extra whitespace:
cat password.txt | tr -d '\n\r' > password_clean.txt
mv password_clean.txt password.txt
If the database is corrupted, you may need to resync:
# Backup and remove database
mv ./data/db ./data/db.backup

# Restart node to resync
./bin/ssvnode start-node --config ./config/config.yaml

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