How to Run a Node

A complete guide for running your own AICW network node. No technical experience required — just follow the steps.

Overview — What is a node?

A node is a computer program that connects to the AICW network. When someone creates a new wallet, the network picks a node to help with the process. That node earns a small fee as a reward.

Think of it like running a small business: your computer does a bit of work, and you get paid for it. The more your node helps, the more you earn.

Why run a node?

  • Earn SOL rewards for every wallet created through your node
  • Support the decentralized network
  • Low resource usage — runs on any modern computer

Requirements

Computer

Windows 10+, macOS 11+, or Linux. Any modern laptop or desktop works.

Internet

Stable internet connection. The node uses minimal bandwidth.

Solana Wallet

A wallet like Phantom or Solflare to receive your rewards.

Time

About 5-10 minutes for initial setup. Then it runs automatically.

Quick Start

The fastest way to get started. Follow these steps in order.

  1. 1

    Stake if required

    Connect your wallet on the Staking page. Once enough nodes are registered globally, you need active stake before registering a new node.

    Go to Staking
  2. 2

    Install the desktop app

    Download the AICW Node desktop app for Your OS from GitHub Releases. The desktop app handles install, wallet sign-in, node registration, local config files, and start/stop.

    Download for Your OS
  3. 3

    Register and start in the app

    Open the AICW Node app, sign in with Browser using the same wallet, click + Register Node, approve the wallet signature, then click Start.

    Open dashboard to verify
  4. 4

    Verify it's working

    Check your Dashboard — your node should show as "Active" within a minute or two. That means it's connected and ready to earn.

Detailed Steps

Step-by-step using the AICW Node desktop app on Windows, Linux, or macOS. Staking still happens on this website; everything else runs in the app.

1. Stake on the website (if required)

Open the Staking page and connect the same Solana wallet you will use in the desktop app. While fewer than 30 nodes exist globally, no stake is required. After that, you need active stake before the app will let you register a new node.

2. Install the desktop app

  1. Download the AICW Node desktop app for Your OS from GitHub Releases.
  2. Run the downloaded installer (aicw-node-setup-linux-amd64.zip) and follow the prompts.
  3. Open AICW Node from the Start menu or desktop shortcut and accept the license.
  4. Node files are stored in ~/.config/AICW Node.

3. Sign in with your wallet

  1. Open the AICW Node app and go to the Nodes tab.
  2. Click Sign in with Browser. Your browser opens the sign-in page.
  3. Connect Phantom (or another Solana wallet) and approve the sign-in message.
  4. Return to the app — your wallet address should appear in the top bar. Use the same wallet you used for staking.

4. Register a node in the app

  1. Click + Register Node and enter a node name (2–64 characters: letters, numbers, ._-).
  2. Approve the registration message in your wallet when the browser opens.
  3. The app creates your identity locally and registers the public key on the network. Your private key never leaves your computer.
  4. The app also writes network-config.yaml, password.txt, and operator-config.yaml if they are not already present.

AICW Node/ (default on your OS)

~/.config/AICW Node/

├── aicw-node

├── network-config.yaml

├── password.txt

├── operator-config.yaml

└── identity/

├── my_node_01_identity.json

└── my_node_01_private_key.txt

The desktop app creates these files when you register a node. Use Install Folder in the app to open this directory.

5. Start the node

  1. In the node list, expand your node and confirm badges show Local ready (and ideally Registered).
  2. Click Start.
  3. Open the Logs tab to see output from the node process.
  4. On the website Dashboard, the node should become Active within a minute or two.

One app instance can run up to 5 nodes at the same time.

6. Stop or repair

  • Stop — expand the node and click Stop, or sign out from the app header.
  • Install Folder — opens the folder where config and identity files live.
  • Repair Binary — reinstalls the bundled node engine from the app if the binary was deleted or corrupted.
  • Generate Config Files — if shared files (network-config.yaml, password.txt) are missing for an older registration, use this button in the yellow banner on the Nodes tab.

MPC Signing & TAICW Rewards

Besides wallet issuance (SOL), active committee nodes earn TAICW when they help sign AI wallet transactions through mpc-bridge. Wallet keygen is excluded from this list.

heartbeat

sign-solana-message

1 TAICW

AI liveness ping

create_will

10 TAICW

Create AI will (first activation)

update_will

5 TAICW

Update AI will

ai_transfer

2 TAICW

Send SOL from AI wallet

ai_reject

2 TAICW

Reject a transfer

close_wallet

2 TAICW

Close AI wallet and reclaim rent

Other TX

2 TAICW

Any other Solana transaction

will_execute

execute-will

50 TAICW

Distribute SOL to beneficiaries after AI death

Each successful MPC signature credits TAICW to the participating committee nodes. Track balances on the Node Rewards page.

Troubleshooting

Common problems when using the desktop app. Check the Logs tab first — error messages usually appear there.

Node doesn't show as Active on the Dashboard
  • Is the node running? — In the app, the node should show a Running badge and the status strip should name your node.
  • Check the Logs tab — Look for errors after Start. A healthy start shows connection messages, not repeated failures.
  • Local ready — If you see Files missing, register the node again or click Generate Config Files for shared config files.
  • Same wallet — The app wallet must match the wallet that owns the registered node on the Dashboard.
  • Internet / firewall — The node must reach AICW servers (NATS, Consul, node web ping). Allow outbound connections.
  • Wait up to 3 minutes — The first ping can take a little time to show as Active.
"Files missing" or Start is disabled
  • Expand the node row to see which files are missing (network-config.yaml, password.txt, identity files, etc.).
  • For a new node, use + Register Node — the app creates everything automatically.
  • For an older web-registered node without local identity files, you must register again in the app with a new name, or restore identity files from your backup into the identity/ folder.
  • Click Generate Config Files in the yellow banner if only shared config files are missing.
  • Use Install Folder to verify files on disk.
Registration fails or wallet sign-in fails
  • Staking — If required stake is not met, stake on the Staking page first.
  • Sign in with Browser — Use this before registering. Pasting a wallet address alone is not enough; the app needs a verified browser signature.
  • Approve both messages — One for sign-in, one for node registration. Use the same wallet for both.
  • Pop-up blockers — Allow the browser window opened from the app.
  • If registration succeeded on the network but local files failed, check the install folder permissions and try again.
Node was Active but now shows offline
  • Did you click Stop? — Or close the app? Start the node again from the Nodes tab.
  • Computer sleep — Sleep or shutdown stops the node. Disable sleep for 24/7 operation, or Start again after waking.
  • Internet drop — The node usually reconnects when network returns; if not, Stop then Start.
  • Check the Logs tab for crash or lock errors (for example, another copy of the node already using the local database).
How do I keep my node running 24/7?
  • Keep the app running — Leave AICW Node open with your node started. Closing the app stops the node.
  • Disable sleep — In Windows power settings, prevent the PC from sleeping while operating a node.
  • Use a always-on PC or VPS — For professional operation, run the desktop app on a machine that stays online.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much can I earn?
Nodes earn 0.001 SOL for each wallet created through them. Your earnings depend on how many wallets get created and how many active nodes are in the network (work is distributed randomly among active nodes).
Is staking required?
While fewer than 30 nodes are registered globally, staking is free. After that, new nodes need to stake SOL following a bonding curve — the more nodes exist, the more stake is required. Check the Staking page for current requirements.
Can I run multiple nodes?
Yes. Register each node separately in the desktop app (each needs its own name and identity). One app window runs one node process at a time — run multiple app instances if you need several nodes online at once. After the free tier, stake once on the Staking page for each new node at the current fee curve before registering it.
What if I lose my private key file?
Your node identity is tied to that private key file in the identity/ folder. If lost, create a new node with + Register Node in the app. Back up the install folder (especially identity/) in a safe place — never share the private key file.
How much bandwidth/CPU does the node use?
Very little. The node sends a small status ping every 3 minutes and only does real work when a wallet is being created through it. Most of the time it's idle. Each ping also updates your node's approximate location on the global map (from its network IP).

Ready to start?

Download the AICW Node desktop app for Your OS, register your node, and track status on the dashboard.

Download desktop app