Teku

Note: Teku is configured to run both validator client and beacon chain client in one process.

WARNING: Do not import your validator keys into multiple validator clients and run them at the same time, or you might get slashed. If moving validators to a new setup or different validator client, ensure deletion of the previous validator keys before continuing.

Storing your keystore password in a text file is required so that Teku can decrypt and load your validators automatically.

Create a temporary file to store your keystore password. Type your password in this file.

sudo nano $HOME/validators-password.txt

To exit and save, press Ctrl + X, then Y, then Enter.

Confirm that your keystore password is correct.

sudo cat $HOME/validators-password.txt

When specifying directories for your validator-keys, Teku expects to find identically named keystore and password files.

For example keystore-m_12221_3600_1_0_0-11222333.json and keystore-m_12221_3600_1_0_0-11222333.txt

Run the following command to create a corresponding password file for every one of your validators.

for f in $HOME/staking-deposit-cli/validator_keys/keystore*.json; do sudo cp $HOME/validators-password.txt $HOME/staking-deposit-cli/validator_keys/$(basename $f .json).txt; done

Copy your validator_keys to the data directory.

sudo mkdir -p /var/lib/teku/validator_keys
sudo cp $HOME/staking-deposit-cli/validator_keys/keystore* /var/lib/teku/validator_keys

Setup ownership permissions, including hardening the access to this directory.

sudo chown -R consensus:consensus /var/lib/teku/
sudo chmod -R 700 /var/lib/teku/validator_keys

Verify that your validator's keystore .json files and validator's passwords .txt files are present by checking the following directory.

sudo ls -l /var/lib/teku/validator_keys

Example output of two validator's keystore.json files with matching password.txt files.

-rwx------ 1 consensus consensus 710 Sep 19 23:39 keystore-m_12381_3600_1_0_0-1695165818.json
-rwx------ 1 consensus consensus  43 Sep 19 23:39 keystore-m_12381_3600_1_0_0-1695165818.txt
-rwx------ 1 consensus consensus 710 Sep 19 23:39 keystore-m_12381_3600_2_0_0-1695165819.json
-rwx------ 1 consensus consensus  43 Sep 19 23:39 keystore-m_12381_3600_2_0_0-1695165819.txt

Delete the temporary keystore password file.

sudo rm $HOME/validators-password.txt

Finally, restart Teku to use the new validators.

sudo systemctl restart consensus

Check your logs to confirm that the validators are up and functioning.

sudo journalctl -fu consensus | ccze

For example when using 2 validators, logs will show the following:

INFO  - Loading 2 validator keys...
INFO  - Loaded 2 Validators: 95d3986, 82b225f

Press Ctrl + C to exit the logs.

Example of Synced Teku Validator Client Logs

• Once the validator is active and proceeded through the validator activation queue, attestation messages will appear indicating successful attestations.

• Notice the key words "Validator *** Published attestation".

teku[65367]: 03:50:51.761 INFO  - Validator cc1f3ade status is active_ongoing.
teku[65367]: 03:50:52.203 INFO  - Validator   *** Published attestation        Count: 1, Slot: 31362, Root: 90FC0DF4D5958E469134A015203B53B3FB94A0FC1038FB2462882906D4A729A2