Tutorial

Run your first ciphernode on Sepolia

This walkthrough is deliberately testnet-first. The goal is to understand the node lifecycle, validate your configuration, and get the process running before you put mainnet collateral at risk.

Sepolia caveat: the current Interfold Sepolia deployment uses mock proof verifiers that accept proofs. Use it to rehearse wiring and node operation, not to validate production proving correctness.

1. Check your machine

Interfold’s current operator baseline is Linux or macOS, 8+ CPU cores, 32GB+ DDR5 RAM, 500GB+ NVMe storage, stable connectivity, an open UDP port, and a WebSocket Ethereum RPC endpoint. Those are operator requirements, not just tutorial niceties.

You can quickly verify your machine resources using the following Linux command:

lscpu | grep -E '^CPU\(s\):' && free -h && df -h /

2. Install the Interfold CLI

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/theinterfold/interfold/main/install | bash
interfoldup install

Confirm the CLI is available and record the build revision you are testing before proceeding.

interfold --help
interfold rev

3. Initialize ciphernode configuration

interfold ciphernode setup

The setup creates the Interfold config under ~/.config/interfold/ and prompts for local encryption.

4. Create local credentials

interfold password set
interfold net keypair generate
interfold wallet set --private-key 0xYOUR_OPERATOR_PRIVATE_KEY

# Safe values to display after secret entry
interfold wallet get
interfold net get-peer-id

The network keypair is used for the node’s peer-to-peer identity. The wallet is the operator key used for onchain protocol actions. Treat it as a hot operational key, keep it out of screenshots and recordings, and never reuse the example value.

5. Point the node at Sepolia

Set the node network to sepolia, enable the Sepolia chain entry, use chain ID 11155111, and provide a WebSocket RPC. Keep the generated contract map synchronized with the current Interfold deployment rather than copying addresses from an old post or cached video.

node:
  network: sepolia

chains:
  - name: sepolia
    enabled: true
    rpc_url: 'wss://YOUR_SEPOLIA_RPC'
    chain_id: 11155111
    # Keep the current contract map below this point.

interfold config check --chain sepolia

This is a hard checkpoint. The command exits non-zero when a contract address is wrong. Do not start the node until the check passes; a stale deployment can otherwise leave a process syncing nothing without an obvious crash.

6. Start the node

# Foreground with INFO logging
interfold start -v

# Or use the supervisor
interfold nodes up --detach
interfold nodes ps
interfold nodes logs cn1

Watch logs for chain sync, P2P connectivity, committee requests, and protocol events. Replace cn1 with your configured node name when using the supervisor.

7. Prove to yourself that “running” is not “active”

interfold ciphernode status --chain sepolia

A process can be online while the onchain operator is unbonded, unregistered, or missing ticket collateral. At this point the software is running, but running a process does not yet make it an active ciphernode. The next guide handles the economic/operator state machine.

What you learned

The node has local keys, chain configuration, and a P2P identity.
Contract deployment data is operational configuration, not documentation trivia.
Sepolia is useful for rehearsing the operator workflow, but its current proof-verification setup is intentionally mocked.
Software uptime and protocol eligibility are separate states.

Primary sources

Tutorial commands and caveats checked against the current Interfold operator documentation on 3 Sep 2026. Re-check the release, deployment manifest, and network configuration before recording or operating.