How to sync a Stacks node

Running a Stacks node is crucial for developers aiming to interact directly with the Stacks blockchain. It allows for the verification of transactions, ensures decentralized operations, and enhances blockchain security.

In this guide, you will learn how to:

1. Clone the Stacks blockchain Docker repository.
2. Start the service.
3. Monitor the node's synchronization process.

Prerequisites

If you haven't already, refer to the how to install Docker guide to proceed.

Clone the Stacks blockchain Docker repository

Clone the Stacks blockchain Docker repository from GitHub:

git clone https://github.com/blockstack/stacks-blockchain-docker.git
cd stacks-blockchain-docker

Start the service

Inside of the stacks-blockchain-docker directory, run the following command to start the Stacks node:

./manage.sh -n <network> -a start

The <network> placeholder used below can be replaced with one of:

• mainnet
• testnet
• mocknet

Monitor the node's synchronization process

To follow the logs for the Stacks node, run the following command:

./manage.sh -n <network> -a logs

For networks other than mocknet, downloading the initial headers can take several minutes. Until the headers are downloaded, the /v2/info endpoints won't return any data.

Next steps