Guide: How to Set Up a Cardano Stake Pool
This guide explains how to install and configure a Cardano stake pool from source code on Ubuntu/Debian in a two-node setup comprised of one block-producing node and one relay node. Every Cardano stak

🔧 About This Guide
The How to Set Up a Cardano Stake Pool guide is fully open source and fully powered by stake pool operators like you.
Available since 2021 and one of the first resources available online to support Cardano stake pool operations, the How to Set Up a Cardano Stake Pool guide provides open source educational content that continues to play an essential role in welcoming newcomers to the Cardano ecosystem while also serving as a valuable resource for experienced Cardano community members.
The guide offers complete, accurate and up-to-date information and step-by-step procedures on topics related to operating the Cardano Node and supporting software in practical, real-world stake pool configurations. The guide also explains in detail how to upgrade Cardano Node software.
The design of the guide allows you to scan ahead easily if you read something that you already know. Ongoing support and application of industry standards uniquely differentiate the guide amongst Cardano technical documentation.
Change Pool is the official stake pool of the How to Set Up a Cardano Stake Pool guide available on CoinCashew. Created in 2021 using the guide, Change Pool makes a commitment to maintaining the guide over time. Change Pool also shares a portion of pool fees received with CoinCashew.
As an alternative to contributing content or making a one-time donation, your delegation to Change Pool offers direct, ongoing financial support for development and maintenance of content for the How to Set Up a Cardano Stake Pool guide while you receive a return on your investment.
👍 Submitting a Technical Support Request
If you encounter issues when using the How to Set Up a Cardano Stake Pool guide, please contact CoinCashew including relevant details using one of the following channels:
🎉 Introduction
The How to Set Up a Cardano Stake Pool guide aims to give you complete, step-by-step instructions to implement a secure Cardano stake pool using the currently recommended software versions.
The guide also aims to give you the understanding and skills you need to perform administrative tasks related to managing and maintaining a stake pool successfully over time.
The guide includes the following parts:
Part I - Installation describes how to secure the Linux computers hosting your Cardano stake pool, as well as how to install Cardano node software and dependent software packages.
Part II - Configuration explains how to set up Cardano nodes to create a stake pool.
Part III - Operation discusses how to create your stake pool.
Part IV - Administration & Maintenance provides procedures that you need to manage your stake pool.
Part V - Tips contains additional procedures to simplify managing your stake pool.
📄 Change Log
April 26, 2025
Incorporating revisions to support Cardano Node 10.3.1 and Cardano CLI 10.7.0.0
April 21, 2025
Fixing error in the Generating Keys for the Block-producing Node topic
Improving general overview of Cardano network and stake pool architecture
Clarifying how users may submit technical support requests to CoinCashew
April 19, 2025
Revising the Benefits of Operating a Cardano Stake Pool topic
Updating the Prerequisites topic to discuss how to use Testnet environments
Updating the Starting the Nodes topic to mention the Mithril Client
Clarifying how to set the counter value in the topic Issuing a New Operational Certificate
Fixing minor bugs
January 31, 2025
Updating version numbers for Cardano Node software
Adding the Benefits of Operating a Cardano Stake Pool topic
Updating Appendix B - Cardano Resource Index
November 12, 2024
Updating version numbers for Cardano Node software
Updating secp256k1 installation procedure
Improving instructions for using the stake snapshot query
Incorporating minor fixes and improvements
October 12, 2024
Updating version numbers to Cardano Node 9.2.1
Adding version numbers for Cardano CLI
Updating jquery (jq) commands to reflect the JSON schema for results of the
cardano-cli conway query ledger-state
commandUpdating gLiveView dashboard image
September 20, 2024
Adding contributions by (Change Pool) and Latin Stake Pools
Incorporating revisions for Cardano Node 9.2.0
Removing references to legacy network topology
Revising material related to peer-to-peer networking
Creating the Delegating to a Representative topic
Creating the Implementing Peer Sharing topic
Increasing precision of transaction fee calculations
Updating the procedure to install pre-built binaries in the Upgrading a Node topic
Updating
cardano-cli
commands to specify a network eraAdding resources related to governance in the Cardano Resource Index
Including miscellaneous minor updates and improvements
July 8, 2024
Adding contributions by (Change Pool)
Incorporating revisions for Cardano Node 9.0.0
April 10, 2024
Adding contributions by (Change Pool)
Incorporating updates for Cardano Node 8.9.1
Creating the Enabling Peer-to-peer Network Topology topic
Adapting existing content to reflect peer-to-peer network topology
February 3, 2024
Adding contributions by (Change Pool)
Creating the Cardano Resource Index
Removing out-of-date information related to delegation strategies that founding entities no longer use
Distinguishing between legacy and peer-to-peer topologies
Updating system requirements
Incorporating miscellaneous minor improvements to procedures
Updating broken hyperlinks
January 2, 2024
Adding contributions by (Change Pool)
Updating prerequisites and procedures for Cardano Node 8.7.2
Updating information on Reducing Missed Slot Leader Checks and Improving Cardano Node Performance
June 29, 2023
Adding contributions by [FRADA] pool
May 18, 2023
Improving details on issuing a new operational certificate for stake pools prior to minting a first block
May 9, 2023
Updating procedures for Cardano Node 8.0.0
January 27, 2023
Updating procedures for Cardano Node 1.35.5
August 22, 2022
Updating procedures for Cardano Node 1.35.3 (Change Pool)
June 8, 2022
Testing and revising procedures in Part I - Installation and Part II - Configuration (Change Pool)
April 23, 2022
Updating Cardano Node installation procedures to reflect current software versions (Change Pool)
March 22, 2022
Updating the Upgrading a Node topic to reflect current software versions (Change Pool)
Re-organizing content to improve loading speed
Improving Table of Contents (massive contribution by Change Pool)
November 10, 2021
Adding high-level explanation of Topology API
Increasing the cardano-node service unit file timeout from 2 to 300 seconds
Adding a collection of Community Inspired Projects built by this amazing community
Adding cardano-node RTS flags to reduce chance of missed slot leader checks
Adding Leaderlog changes and improvements
Increasing minimum RAM requirements to 12GB
August 27, 2021
Updating guide for Alonzo release 1.29.0.
Incorporating various fixes to testnet / alonzo / storage requirements / cli commands
Adding the section Running Leaderlog Using the stake-snapshot Command
Adding the section Installing CNCLI
May 13, 2021
Updating guide for release cardano-node/cli v1.27.0 changes
Adding Stake Pool Operator's Best Practices Checklist
Adding the topic Monitoring Node Security Using OSSEC Server and Slack (contribution by Billionaire Pool)
Adding the topic how to Securing Your Stake Pool Using a Hardware Wallet
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