Running a Node

FreezeDry nodes index the Solana blockchain for inscribed data and serve it to peers over HTTP. The chain is the source of truth; nodes are a discovery and caching layer.

Prerequisites

• Node.js v18+

• Helius API key — Free at helius.dev

Writer nodes also need:

• Funded Solana wallet (~0.1 SOL for testing, ~1 SOL for production)

Quick Start

git clone https://github.com/freezedry-protocol/freezedry-node.git
cd freezedry-node
npm run setup    # guided wizard — generates identity key, hot wallet, .env
npm start

The setup wizard walks you through:

1. Role selection — reader, writer, or both

2. Helius key — paste your API key

3. Identity keypair — generated automatically (peer auth + reputation)

4. Hot wallet — generated automatically (writer: TX signing + escrow earnings)

5. Network config — domain URL or IP:port for peer discovery

Roles

Role	What it does	Helius plan	Wallet needed?
reader	Index chain + serve artwork to peers	Free works	No
writer	Accept inscription jobs, earn fees	Developer+	Yes (funded)
both	Reader + writer (default)	Developer+	Yes (funded)

Reader-only is the simplest way to help the network. No wallet, no SOL, just a Helius key.

Verify It's Working

curl http://localhost:3100/health

{
  "status": "ok",
  "indexed": { "artworks": 19, "complete": 19 },
  "peers": 2,
  "identityPubkey": "Bh174g...",
  "displayName": "brave-tiger"
}

Network Connectivity

Choose one method for peers to reach your node:

Option A: Domain (HTTPS)

# In .env
NODE_URL=https://node.yourdomain.com

Requires DNS + SSL certificate + reverse proxy (nginx). See Deployment Modes for nginx config.

Option B: IP:port (simplest)

# In .env
NODE_ENDPOINT=203.0.113.5:3100

No domain, no SSL, no reverse proxy. Just your public IP and port. Identity signatures provide authentication.

Writer Economics

Your hot wallet needs SOL as working capital to send memo transactions. You get reimbursed from the job escrow:

• 5,000 lamports/chunk — TX cost reimbursement (pass-through)

• 1,000 lamports/chunk — Writer margin (40% of profit split)

• Total: 6,000 lamports/chunk earned per chunk inscribed

Start with ~0.1 SOL for testing, ~1 SOL for production.

Next Steps

• Peer Authentication — How nodes prove identity to each other

• Deployment Modes — Private, public, and hybrid setups