An RP1 validator runs the custom consensus server and the Cosmos SDK application together. The role value is active-validator; observer is a separate non-voting role.
If the goal is to join the public or shared testnet as an external partner, start with Join the testnet as a validator. That page covers bootstrap, software packaging, and admission into the live validator group.
Prerequisites
- A release-matched
rp1dartifact obtained through the validator join guide - Genesis/config artifacts or a bootstrap manifest for the target network
- Stable disk for application and consensus stores
- Publicly reachable consensus transport according to the network plan
- A validator key and node identity provisioned through the supported operator workflow
- RPC, REST, gRPC, and optional EVM listeners bound to the intended interfaces
Startup mental model
rp1d startrp1d start assembles the release-owned consensus, application, RPC, gRPC, API, EVM, genesis, validator, and runtime services. It is not a vanilla CometBFT block-production path; use the release-matched runbook for flags, identity, peers, and recovery rather than recreating internal startup stages in an operator wrapper.
Readiness checks
Before advertising a validator:
- Query
/statusand confirm the expected chain ID and node identity. - Check that the consensus role is active and the node is connected to the expected validator set.
- Query a current complete
block_headerfrom every declared endpoint and compare height, hash, app hash, and retained time. - Confirm RPC, REST, gRPC, and EVM requests are served from the intended home and network.
- Submit a small testnet transaction only after readiness succeeds.
Shutdown and maintenance
Use the release’s bounded shutdown and drain settings. Accepted transactions and certified work have ownership lifecycles; force-killing a process during a drain can turn a recoverable maintenance event into a startup repair or replay event. Preserve the consensus and application homes until the release-specific recovery procedure says they are safe to replace.