@ -68,6 +68,78 @@ INFO [1588108047.585] [src/chainstate/stacks/index/marf.rs:732] First-ever block
Awesome! Your node is now connected to the Neon network. Your node will receive new blocks when they are produced, and you can use your [node's RPC API](/core/smart/rpc-api) to send transactions, fetch information for contracts and accounts, and more.
### Running a miner
Once you've followed the above steps to run a node, it's only a few more steps to run a Proof-of-burn miner on the Neon testnet.
First, we need to generate a keychain. With this keychain, we'll get some testnet BTC from a faucet, and then use that BTC to start mining.
To get a keychain, the simplest way is to use the `blockstack-cli`. We'll use the `make_keychain` command, and pass `-t` to indicate that we want a testnet keychain.
```bash
npx blockstack-cli@1.1.0-beta.1 make_keychain -t
```
After this runs, you'll probably see some installation logs, and at the end you should see some JSON that looks like this:
```json
{
"mnemonic": "exhaust spin topic distance hole december impulse gate century absent breeze ostrich armed clerk oak peace want scrap auction sniff cradle siren blur blur",
We need to get some testnet BTC to that address. Grab the `btcAddress` field, and head over to [the Stacks testnet website](https://testnet.blockstack.org/faucet). In the BTC faucet section, past in your `btcAddress`, and submit. You'll be sent 0.5 testnet BTC to that address. **Don't lose this information** - we'll need to use the `privateKey` field later on.
Now, we need to configure out node to use this Bitcoin keychain. In the `stacks-blockchain` folder, create a new file called `testnet/stacks-node/conf/neon-miner-conf.toml`.
Now, grab your `privateKey` from earlier, when you ran the `make_keychain` command. Replace the `seed` field with your private key. Save and close this configuration file.
Your node should start. It will take some time to sync, and then your miner will be running!
### Creating an optimized binary
The steps above are great for trying to run a node temporarily. If you want to host a node on a server somewhere, you might want to generate an optimized binary. To do so, use the same configuration as above, but run: