How to Set Up a BlockDAG Node in Under 30 Minutes

What you'll need

Before we start, make sure you have the following:

A Linux server (Ubuntu 22.04 recommended) with at least 4 CPU cores, 8GB RAM, and 100GB SSD storage
A static IP address or dynamic DNS setup
Basic familiarity with the command line
About 30 minutes of uninterrupted time

Step 1: Download the node software

Head to the official BlockDAG GitHub repository and download the latest release binary for your architecture. For most servers, that's the linux-amd64 build.

wget https://github.com/blockdag/node/releases/latest/download/blockdag-linux-amd64.tar.gz
tar -xzf blockdag-linux-amd64.tar.gz
chmod +x blockdag

Step 2: Initialize the node

Run the initialization command to generate your node's configuration file and key pair:

./blockdag init --network mainnet --datadir ~/.blockdag

This creates a config.toml file in your data directory. Open it and review the default settings — most are fine for a standard node, but you may want to adjust the peer connection limits if you're on a metered connection.

Step 3: Configure your firewall

BlockDAG uses port 7777 for peer-to-peer communication. Open it in your firewall:

ufw allow 7777/tcp
ufw reload

Step 4: Start the node

You can run the node directly, but it's better to set it up as a systemd service so it restarts automatically:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/blockdag.service

Paste the following configuration, adjusting the user and paths as needed, then enable and start the service.

Step 5: Verify sync status

After starting the node, check its sync status with:

./blockdag status

You should see your node connecting to peers and beginning to sync the DAG. Full sync from genesis typically takes 2–4 hours depending on your connection speed.

Troubleshooting common issues

If your node isn't connecting to peers, check that port 7777 is open and that your firewall isn't blocking outbound connections. If sync is stalling, try adding a few bootstrap nodes manually in your config file — the community maintains an up-to-date list in the Discord.