Mine Testnet Stacks Tokens

Introduction

For more on the technical details of mining, please review the mining guide.

The following is an abridged version of the walkthrough here, written for a Linux system. If you're on Windows or MacOS, there will be some slight modifications needed (PR's welcome!).

If you're interested in mining on the Stacks testnet, you can find instructions on how to do that here:

Running a Bitcoin Node for the Stacks Testnet

The Stacks testnet does not run on the public Bitcoin testnet - it uses a Bitcoin regtest network operated by Hiro (bitcoin.regtest.hiro.so). To participate as a miner, you must have access to a bitcoin node on that network with a wallet (and the wallet's private key). One way to accomplish this is to run bitcoin locally, peered with the Hiro regtest node.

• Ensure your computer meets the minimum hardware requirements before continuing.

First, download a bitcoin binary, or build from source (there may be some extra requirements to building, defined here). Use Bitcoin Core 25.0 or newer - the wallet commands below are tested against every major version from 25 through 31 (latest minor of each).

Tip: It is recommended to use a persistent location for the chainstate, in the steps below we're using /bitcoin.

Update the Bitcoin Configuration File

Next, update the bitcoin configuration:

• Optional, but recommended: Use a persistent directory to store the Bitcoin chainstate, i.e. datadir=/bitcoin.
• Optional, but recommended: Update the rpcallowip value to only allow 127.0.0.1, or the stacks miner IPv4.
• Modify the rpcuser and rpcpassword values from the defaults below.
• Store the following configuration somewhere on your filesystem (ex: $HOME/bitcoin.conf).

server=1
regtest=1
disablewallet=0
datadir=/bitcoin
rpcuser=btcuser
rpcpassword=btcpass
rpcallowip=0.0.0.0/0
dbcache=512
banscore=1
rpcthreads=256
rpcworkqueue=256
rpctimeout=100
txindex=1

[regtest]
bind=0.0.0.0:18444
rpcbind=0.0.0.0:18443
rpcport=18443
addnode=bitcoin.regtest.hiro.so:18444

Start Bitcoin

Finally, start bitcoind as follows (adjust the conf path to where it was created in the previous step, i.e. $HOME/bitcoin.conf):

bitcoind -conf=$HOME/bitcoin.conf

Note: The testnet regtest chain is much smaller than the public Bitcoin testnet, so the node should synchronize within minutes.

While it's syncing, you can track the progress with bitcoin-cli or the logfile (will be located where the chainstate is stored, i.e. /bitcoin/regtest/debug.log):

$ bitcoin-cli \
 -rpcconnect=127.0.0.1 \
 -rpcport=18443 \
 -rpcuser=btcuser \
 -rpcpassword=btcpass \
getblockchaininfo | jq .blocks
7746

---

Running a Stacks Blockchain miner

First, download the stacks-core 4.0.2 binary, or build from source (there may be some extra requirements to building, defined here).

Tip: It is recommended to use a persistent location for the chainstate, in the steps below we're using /stacks-blockchain.

Generate a keychain

First, a keychain needs to be generated. With this keychain, we'll get some testnet BTC from a faucet, and then use that BTC to start mining.

To create a keychain, the simplest way is to use the stacks-cli with the make_keychain command.

npx @stacks/cli make_keychain -t 2>/dev/null | jq -r

After this runs, you should see some JSON printed to the screen that looks like this:

{
  "mnemonic": "spare decade dog ghost luxury churn flat lizard inch nephew nut drop huge divert mother soccer father zebra resist later twin vocal slender detail",
  "keyInfo": {
    "privateKey": "ooxeemeitar4ahw0ca8anu4thae7aephahshae1pahtae5oocahthahho4ahn7eici",
    "address": "STTXOG3AIHOHNAEH5AU6IEX9OOTOH8SEIWEI5IJ9",
    "btcAddress": "Ook6goo1Jee5ZuPualeiqu9RiN8wooshoo",
    "wif": "rohCie2ein2chaed9kaiyoo6zo1aeQu1yae4phooShov2oosh4ox",
    "index": 0
  }
}

Do not lose this information - we'll need to use the privateKey, btcAddress and wif fields in later steps.

The above wif (cPdTdMgww2njhnekUZmHmFNKsWAjVdCR4cfvD2Y4UQhFzMmwoW33) will then need to be imported into the bitcoin testnet network.

Next, a bitcoin wallet is created:

Required: the node never creates this wallet - it only loads the wallet named by burnchain.wallet_name and exits at startup if it does not exist. The name chosen here (miner) is the value to set for wallet_name in the node config below.

bitcoin-cli \
  -rpcconnect=127.0.0.1 \
  -rpcport=18443 \
  -rpcuser=btcuser \
  -rpcpassword=btcpass \
  -named createwallet \
  wallet_name="miner" \
  disable_private_keys=true \
  blank=true \
  descriptors=true \
  load_on_startup=true

The wallet only needs to watch the miner's addresses: the stacks node signs its bitcoin transactions itself, so no private key is ever stored in bitcoind (disable_private_keys=true above). Your wif (bitcoin private key) is used once, in the getdescriptorinfo call below, to derive the watch-only descriptor.

Note: Be sure to replace <wif from JSON above> with the wif value in the Generate a keychain step.

First, convert the wif into its public descriptor:

bitcoin-cli \
  -rpcconnect=127.0.0.1 \
  -rpcport=18443 \
  -rpcuser=btcuser \
  -rpcpassword=btcpass \
  getdescriptorinfo "combo(<wif from JSON above>)"

Then import the descriptor value returned above into the miner wallet - paste it verbatim, it already ends with its #checksum. A combo(...) descriptor covers both the legacy and the segwit address of the key, so the same wallet works whether or not the miner runs with segwit = true:

bitcoin-cli \
  -rpcconnect=127.0.0.1 \
  -rpcport=18443 \
  -rpcuser=btcuser \
  -rpcpassword=btcpass \
  -rpcwallet=miner \
  importdescriptors \
  '[{"desc":"<descriptor from output above>","timestamp":"now"}]'

The expected output is [{"success": true}] - importdescriptors reports failures inside this JSON rather than with a non-zero exit code.

Note: timestamp: "now" skips the rescan, which is what you want for a freshly generated keychain. If the key has already received coins, use "timestamp": 0 instead to rescan the chain for its history - this may take a while.

Note: to instead let bitcoind hold the private key - e.g. to manage the mined funds with bitcoin-cli - create the wallet without disable_private_keys=true and import combo(<wif from JSON above>)#<checksum>, using the top-level checksum field returned by getdescriptorinfo (not the checksum embedded in its descriptor field).

After the import has completed successfully, you can check that the address is imported with getaddressinfo - ismine should be true.

bitcoin-cli \
  -rpcconnect=127.0.0.1 \
  -rpcport=18443 \
  -rpcuser=btcuser \
  -rpcpassword=btcpass \
  -rpcwallet=miner \
  getaddressinfo <btcAddress from JSON above>

Once imported, we need to get some testnet BTC to that address. The public Bitcoin testnet faucets won't work here - the Stacks testnet runs on its own regtest network, so use the Hiro testnet BTC faucet with the btcAddress from the keychain step:

curl -X POST "https://api.testnet.hiro.so/extended/v1/faucets/btc?address=<btcAddress from JSON above>"

Update the Stacks Blockchain Configuration File

Now, we need to configure our node to use this Bitcoin keychain. Copy the sample testnet miner config to your local machine in a memorable location like $HOME/testnet-miner-conf.toml.

Next, update the stacks configuration:

• Optional, but recommended: Use a persistent directory to store the Stacks chainstate, i.e. working_dir = "/stacks-blockchain"
• From the make_keychain step, modify the seed value with privatekey
• Required: set wallet_name to the bitcoin wallet you created above (miner)
• Required: set username and password to match the rpcuser and rpcpassword from your bitcoin configuration
• Store the following configuration somewhere on your filesystem (ex: $HOME/testnet-miner-conf.toml)

[node]
working_dir = "/stacks-blockchain"
rpc_bind = "0.0.0.0:20443"
p2p_bind = "0.0.0.0:20444"
bootstrap_node = "03[e-mail]:20444"
prometheus_bind = "0.0.0.0:9153"
seed = "<privateKey from JSON above>"
miner = true
mine_microblocks = false
stacker = true

pox_5_sbtc_contract = "SN3VMHXEN64ZZF71JQ5VESXDWTR301XTTXGF4J8F1.sbtc-token"
pox_5_sbtc_registry_contract = "SN3VMHXEN64ZZF71JQ5VESXDWTR301XTTXGF4J8F1.sbtc-registry"
pox_5_bond_admin = "ST1V2ASRWGR81W7GBN1Z4W2JQKXJWCADPVZG30X45"

[burnchain]
mode = "krypton"
peer_host = "127.0.0.1"
username = "<bitcoin config rpcuser>"
password = "<bitcoin config rpcpassword>"
rpc_port = 18443
peer_port = 18444
# Required for miners: must name an existing bitcoin wallet (created above)
wallet_name = "miner"
pox_prepare_length = 100
pox_reward_length = 900
# Maximum amount (in sats) of "burn commitment" to broadcast for the next block's leader election
burn_fee_cap = 20000
# Amount (in sats) per byte - Used to calculate the transaction fees
satoshis_per_byte = 25
# Amount of sats to add when RBF'ing bitcoin tx  (default: 5)
rbf_fee_increment = 5
# Maximum percentage to RBF bitcoin tx (default: 150% of satsv/B)
max_rbf = 150

[connection_options]
# Must match your signer's auth_password
auth_token = "<YOUR_AUTH_TOKEN>"

# Signer event subscription.
# The endpoint must match your signer's endpoint config.
[[events_observer]]
endpoint = "127.0.0.1:30000"
events_keys = ["stackerdb", "block_proposal", "burn_blocks"]

[[ustx_balance]]
address = "ST2QKZ4FKHAH1NQKYKYAYZPY440FEPK7GZ1R5HBP2"
amount = 10000000000000000

[[ustx_balance]]
address = "ST319CF5WV77KYR1H3GT0GZ7B8Q4AQPY42ETP1VPF"
amount = 10000000000000000

[[ustx_balance]]
address = "ST221Z6TDTC5E0BYR2V624Q2ST6R0Q71T78WTAX6H"
amount = 10000000000000000

[[ustx_balance]]
address = "ST2TFVBMRPS5SSNP98DQKQ5JNB2B6NZM91C4K3P7B"
amount = 10000000000000000

[[ustx_balance]]
address = "ST31XHNM0GZ2K978FPP4QA3STNQ73Z8C9G9MJEPK2"
amount = 10000000000000000

[[ustx_balance]]
address = "ST1B38CGQRPXEMRH7B66VXTS22DQTNMSW4YJJ7QK1"
amount = 10000000000000000

[[ustx_balance]]
address = "STDMN71Z0H9EF8CRKAWTGBB5YS0BNV26HZ79QFFP"
amount = 1000000000000000

[[ustx_balance]]
address = "ST1E0PSCH72JMQH9QCH293ZTEEH7BPA40Y3F39XQ"
amount = 10000000000000

[[ustx_balance]]
address = "ST3QBTK0Q438YVNX8EG6Z85HN0WKQPXYT25H5SPPK"
amount = 10000000000000

[[ustx_balance]]
address = "ST10BX04F9PC6N1WBXKW3H7CG0NS0A3PK650T3P3R"
amount = 10000000000000

[[ustx_balance]]
address = "ST3AF1BBQAFSFCM8K4ZBR1FBXP3P8J1CKGSGDHWR5"
amount = 100000000000000

[[ustx_balance]]
address = "STHY13V44422NAN6D3NSJPY9CDR3ED1M6HH9WZ6Y"
amount = 10000000000000

[[burnchain.epochs]]
epoch_name = "1.0"
start_height = 0

[[burnchain.epochs]]
epoch_name = "2.0"
start_height = 0

[[burnchain.epochs]]
epoch_name = "2.05"
start_height = 1

[[burnchain.epochs]]
epoch_name = "2.1"
start_height = 2

[[burnchain.epochs]]
epoch_name = "2.2"
start_height = 3

[[burnchain.epochs]]
epoch_name = "2.3"
start_height = 4

[[burnchain.epochs]]
epoch_name = "2.4"
start_height = 5

[[burnchain.epochs]]
epoch_name = "2.5"
start_height = 6

[[burnchain.epochs]]
epoch_name = "3.0"
start_height = 1802

[[burnchain.epochs]]
epoch_name = "3.1"
start_height = 1803

[[burnchain.epochs]]
epoch_name = "3.2"
start_height = 1804

[[burnchain.epochs]]
epoch_name = "3.3"
start_height = 1805

[[burnchain.epochs]]
epoch_name = "3.4"
start_height = 1806

[[burnchain.epochs]]
epoch_name = "4.0"
start_height = 2702

The [connection_options] and [[events_observer]] sections connect the node to a Stacks signer: auth_token must match the signer's auth_password, and the events observer endpoint must match the signer's endpoint. See the signer quickstart for setting one up.

Start the Stacks Blockchain

To run your miner, run this in the command line:

stacks-node start --config $HOME/testnet-miner-conf.toml

Your node should start. It will take some time to sync, and then your miner will be running.

Enable Debug Logging

In case you are running into issues or would like to see verbose logging, you can run your node with debug logging enabled. In the command line, run:

STACKS_LOG_DEBUG=1 stacks-node start --config $HOME/testnet-miner-conf.toml

---

Optional: Running a Stacks Blockchain miner with Docker

Alternatively, you can run a Stacks testnet miner with Docker.

Ensure you have Docker installed.

Generate a Keychain and Get Some Tokens

Generate a keychain:

docker run -i node:20-alpine npx @stacks/cli make_keychain 2>/dev/null | jq -r

Now, we need to get some tBTC. Grab the btcAddress field and request funds from the Hiro testnet BTC faucet:

curl -X POST "https://api.testnet.hiro.so/extended/v1/faucets/btc?address=<btcAddress from JSON above>"

Update Stacks Blockchain Docker Configuration File

Use the steps outlined above to create the configuration file.

Start the Stacks Blockchain miner with Docker

Info: The ENV VARS RUST_BACKTRACE and STACKS_LOG_DEBUG are optional. If removed, debug logs will be disabled.

docker run -d \
  --name stacks_miner \
  --rm \
  --network host \
  -e RUST_BACKTRACE="full" \
  -e STACKS_LOG_DEBUG="1" \
  -v "$HOME/testnet-miner-conf.toml:/src/stacks-node/testnet-miner-conf.toml" \
  -v "/stacks-blockchain:/stacks-blockchain" \
  -p 20443:20443 \
  -p 20444:20444 \
  blockstack/stacks-core:4.0.2 \
/bin/stacks-node start --config /src/stacks-node/testnet-miner-conf.toml

You can review the node logs with this command:

docker logs -f stacks_miner

---

Optional: Running in Kubernetes with Helm

In addition, you're also able to run a Stacks miner in a Kubernetes cluster using the stacks-blockchain Helm chart.

Ensure you have the following prerequisites installed:

• Docker
• minikube (Only needed if standing up a local Kubernetes cluster)
• kubectl
• helm

Generate keychain and get some tokens

Use the steps outlined above

Install the chart and run the miner

To install the chart with the release name my-release and run the node as a miner:

minikube start # Only run this if standing up a local Kubernetes cluster
helm repo add blockstack https://charts.blockstack.xyz
helm install my-release blockstack/stacks-blockchain \
  --set config.node.miner=true \
  --set config.node.seed="privateKey-from-generate-keychain-step" \
  --set config.burnchain.wallet_name="miner"

The miner wallet must already exist on the bitcoind instance the chart points at (config.burnchain.peer_host and its RPC credentials).

You can review the node logs with this command:

kubectl logs -l app.kubernetes.io/name=stacks-blockchain

For more information on the Helm chart and configuration options, please refer to the chart's homepage.