How to sync a Stacks node

Running a Stacks node is crucial for developers aiming to interact directly with the Stacks blockchain. It allows for the verification of transactions, ensures decentralized operations, and enhances blockchain security.

In this guide, you will learn how to:

1. 1Clone the Stacks blockchain Docker repository.
2. 2Start the service.
3. 3Monitor the node's synchronization process.

Clone the Stacks blockchain Docker repository

Clone the Stacks blockchain Docker repository from GitHub:

$ 
git clone https://github.com/blockstack/stacks-blockchain-docker.git
Copy
$ 
cd stacks-blockchain-dockerCopy

Start the service

Inside of the stacks-blockchain-docker directory, run the following command to start the Stacks node:

$ 
./manage.sh -n <network> -a startCopy

The <network> placeholder used below can be replaced with one of:

• mainnet
• testnet
• mocknet

Monitor the node's synchronization process

To follow the logs for the Stacks node, run the following command:

$ 
./manage.sh -n <network> -a logsCopy

For networks other than mocknet, downloading the initial headers can take several minutes. Until the headers are downloaded, the /v2/info endpoints won't return any data.

Next steps