Become a Snowside Validator

Secure the Snowside L1 and process transactions for the eCash Drivechain. Setup takes under a minute with NodΞRunr.

What is a validator?

On Avalanche, an L1 (formerly called a subnet) is a sovereign network of validators that agree to process a set of blockchains. Validators are the backbone of the network — they stake AVAX, run nodes, and participate in consensus to secure the chain.

Snowside is an Avalanche L1. By running a validator, you help secure the network and process transactions for the eCash Drivechain.

Prerequisites

  • A server (VPS) with at least 4 CPU cores, 8 GB RAM, and 200 GB SSD
  • Ubuntu 22.04 or later (NodΞRunr also supports Debian 12+)
  • AVAX for the Avalanche Primary Network stake
  • SSH access to the server

Quick start with NodΞRunr

NodΞRunr handles deployment, monitoring, updates, and communication automatically — no manual config file editing, no SSH gymnastics, no babysitting.

1

Install NodΞRunr

Connect to your server via SSH and run the NodΞRunr installer:

This installs the NodΞRunr daemon and its dependencies.

2

Select the Snowside template

List available templates and select Snowside:

NodΞRunr downloads the latest Snowside L1 configuration, including genesis parameters, precompile settings, and validator keys.

3

Configure your validator

Set your validator name and stake address:

NodΞRunr generates the validator's node ID, BLS keys, and TLS certificates automatically.

4

Deploy

Start the validator with a single command:

NodΞRunr installs the Avalanche node, configures it for the Snowside subnet, registers the validator with the Primary Network, and begins block production.

5

Verify

Check that your validator is online and producing blocks:

You should see a green active indicator and a block height increasing. If any issues arise, NodΞRunr's encrypted alert system notifies you automatically.

Monitoring

NodΞRunr continuously monitors your validator's health:

  • Block production rate
  • Peer connections
  • Disk usage, memory, CPU
  • Uptime and response time

When an update is available, NodΞRunr can apply it automatically with zero downtime. Alerts are sent via encrypted channels (Telegram, Discord, or email) if intervention is required.

Stopping or removing a validator

Stop your validator temporarily:

Remove your validator and unstake:

Your AVAX stake will be returned after the unstaking period (typically 14 days on Avalanche).

Ready to run a validator?