akash-network/akash-node

Akash Node & Validator Operations

This skill covers running an Akash full node and (optionally) operating it as a validator: installation, state sync, validator setup, security, and day-to-day operations.

For deploying workloads to Akash, use the akash-network:akash skill. For running an Akash provider (the compute supply side), use akash-network:akash-provider.

Terminology (node/validator perspective)

• Full node — a node that holds the full chain state and participates in p2p gossip. Required substrate for both validators and query-serving infrastructure.
• Validator — a full node that also participates in consensus (signing blocks). Identified by an operator address (akashvaloper1...) and a consensus public key.
• Operator key — the wallet that owns the validator (akash1... → akashvaloper1...). Used for staking, claiming rewards, editing the validator description.
• Consensus key — the key the node uses to sign blocks (ed25519). Stored in priv_validator_key.json. Compromise = double-sign risk.
• Self-bond — AKT staked by the validator itself, as opposed to delegations.
• Commission rate — fraction of delegator rewards the validator keeps.
• Slashing — penalty for double-signing (5% of stake, permanent jail) or downtime (0.01%, unjailable). Both burn AKT.
• Sentry node — a non-validating full node that fronts your validator on the p2p layer. Hides the validator's IP from DDoS / direct attack.
• State sync — fast bootstrap method: download a recent state snapshot rather than replaying every block from genesis.
• AKT (uakt) — chain token. What validators care about. All gas (--gas-prices, minimum-gas-prices), staking (create-validator --amount, delegate, redelegate, unbond), self-bond, slashing, and validator rewards are denominated in uakt. 1 AKT = 1,000,000 uakt.
• ACT (uact) — deployment-payment token. Used by deployers for SDL pricing and lease payments; validators normally don't touch this directly. Mentioned here only so you don't confuse it with uakt when reading deployer-side docs.

For deployer-side terminology, see akash-network:akash's rules/terminology.md.

What this skill covers

Full node

• @rules/full-node/requirements.md — Hardware, network, OS
• @rules/full-node/installation.md — akash binary install, genesis, config
• @rules/full-node/state-sync.md — Bootstrap from a recent snapshot

Validator

• @rules/validator/becoming-validator.md — create-validator transaction, initial bond, configuration
• @rules/validator/operations.md — Day-to-day: editing description, withdrawing rewards, unjailing, signing
• @rules/validator/security.md — Sentry nodes, key management, HSM/KMS, double-sign protection

Overview

• @rules/overview.md — Architecture, when to run a node, choosing the right setup

Critical rules

• Never run two validators with the same consensus key. Double-signing burns 5% of your stake and jails the validator permanently. If you migrate to a new host, securely move the key — don't copy it. Use a tombstone file or hardware KMS.
• Back up priv_validator_key.json. But also: protect it like a private key. Encrypt at rest, restrict to one user, never log it.
• Watch your peer count and block height. A validator that falls more than ~10,000 blocks behind risks downtime jailing. Set up alerts.
• Sentry node your validator if you accept external delegations. Direct exposure of the validator's RPC/p2p ports is a DDoS target.
• Test upgrades on a sandbox network first. Cosmos chain upgrades occasionally require new binaries with specific migration logic; running the wrong binary can corrupt state.
• Set minimum-gas-prices correctly. Validators that accept zero-fee transactions get spammed.

Architectural patterns

Single full node (querying / development)

peers ──► full node ──► RPC clients

Simple. No consensus, no validator. Good for query-serving infrastructure or local development.

Validator with sentries

peers ──► sentry 1 ──┐
peers ──► sentry 2 ──┼──► validator (no public p2p)
peers ──► sentry 3 ──┘         │
                              consensus

Sentries proxy p2p; the validator only connects to its own sentries. Hides validator IP, reduces attack surface.

Validator with HSM/KMS

validator host ──► tmkms (signing service) ──► HSM / YubiHSM

priv_validator_key.json is never on disk; signing requests are proxied to a hardware module. Industry standard for high-stake validators.

Quick reference

# Install (Linux x86_64)
curl -sSfL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/akash-network/node/main/install.sh | sh

# Initialize a node
akash init <moniker> --chain-id akashnet-2

# Start
akash start

# Check status
akash status

# Validator info
akash query staking validator <akashvaloper1...>

# Stake more
akash tx staking delegate <akashvaloper1...> 1000000uakt \
  --from <key-name> --gas auto --gas-adjustment 1.3

# Unjail (after downtime)
akash tx slashing unjail --from <operator-key>

Companion skills

• akash-network:akash — Deployer skill. Useful background if you also use deployments on the network you operate.
• akash-network:akash-provider — Provider operations. Different role, but providers must be able to talk to a full node (their own or another's).

Additional resources

• Akash Network Docs — Nodes & Validators
• akash-network/node repo
• Cosmos SDK validator guide
• tmkms — signing service