Attention Node Operators

Important info regarding your Node light client:

  • Following the passage of Avail Improvement Proposal 6 (AIP 6), all Node operators must upgrade their light node client to the latest version before February 25th to avoid missing out on any rewards.

Operators have until February 25th to upgrade to the latest version.

  • Light clients that are not running the latest version may see issues and crashes.
  • During these days, any light client failures will not impact uptime and rewards.
  • After Feb 25th, we will enforce use of the latest version. Any crashes and issues that occur at that point will negatively affect uptime and rewards.

You can find the latest Docker image here.

Node operators, please make sure you upgrade your light client in a timely manner!

If you are a Guardian who has delegated your NFT to an existing Node: you do not need to do anything. However, be aware that if the Node you delegated to has not upgraded to the latest version by February 25th, it may affect your rewards.

Important

  • Anyone can set up and run a Light Node.
  • Node Operators set a % commission (usually 1%-3%).
  • Guardian Membership NFTs allow members to earn their full rewards allocation (20% of total $SOPH supply).
  • Light Node Operators without a Guardian NFT only earn a % commission from the rewards of members who delegate their NFTs to them.
  • Light Node Operators with a delegated Guardian NFT can earn $SOPH rewards as well as a % commission from their delegators’ rewards.

Sophon Light Nodes present the most cost-effective way to participate in the Sophon network. Unlike traditional blockchain nodes that require specialized hardware and constant processing of hundreds of gigabytes of data, Light Nodes are designed for efficiency and accessibility.

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Avail’s Light Clients

Light Nodes leverage Avail’s light client technology to perform data availability sampling - a critical step that ensures all data remains accessible while enabling chain state reconstruction. The process works as follows:

  • When new blocks are produced on Avail, Light Nodes request random samples (cells) from each block
  • After verification, block confidence is calculated as a percentage (%)
  • Data is considered available when the confidence factor exceeds the certainty threshold defined by the user

This sampling approach is like quality assurance inspection - verifying data availability without downloading entire blocks, making the process much more efficient than traditional node operation.

For more info on Avail’s light clients, see their docs.
Sophon Light Nodes will continue to evolve in order to carry out more work within the Sophon network.

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Decentralization Through Accessibility

Sophon’s Light Nodes allow users with average hardware and technical knowledge to perform valuable work for the ecosystem. This democratizes network operations, ensuring they aren’t centralized among a fortunate few.

Light Node operators earn rewards based on their individual contributions, and since they simply perform spot checks of the network, they can run their nodes for a fraction of the cost required for traditional nodes.

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Deployment

Deploying a Light Node is one of the most accessible ways to help maintain the Sophon Network. Light Nodes are easy to set up, require minimal resources, and are suitable for anyone with basic knowledge of technology, engineering, or DevOps.

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System Requirements

ComponentMinimumRecommended
RAM512 MB1 GB
CPU (amd64/x86 architecture)2 cores4 cores
You don’t need to deploy a node yourself if you don’t want to. You can use a Node-as-a-Service (NaaS) provider that supports Sophon Light Nodes, or leverage the Guardians app for a one-click setup with a provider.

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Current Node as-a-Service (NaaS) Providers

Additional providers coming soon!

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Deployment Options

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Easiest Path - Railway

We provide a Railway template for automatic deployment. This method simplifies the process and provides you with full control of your light node.

Steps:

  1. Visit the Railway template.
  2. Follow the guided instructions within Railway to deploy your environment.
  3. Once complete, your Light Node will be up and running.

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For Tech-Savvy Users

If you prefer to manage your own environment, use our Docker files to deploy your Light Node:

Steps:

  1. Download the Docker files from the links above.
  2. Follow the provided instructions to configure and run the light node.
  3. Customize configurable variables as needed for your setup.

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Monitoring Your Light Node

Regardless of how you deploy your Light Node, you can use the Guardians app to:

  • Monitor the status of your node.
  • Track rewards and performance.
This dashboard ensures you stay informed about your node’s operational state and contributions to the Sophon Network.

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