Nym Node Guide

This guide walks you through setting up and running a Nym Mix Node on the mainnet. You will:

1. Set up server with required specifications
2. Install and configure Nym node software
3. Bond your node to the network
4. Monitor and maintain your node

Nym is a privacy infrastructure protocol that provides strong network-level privacy against sophisticated end-to-end attackers. The network consists of mixnodes that provide privacy for users by mixing traffic through multiple nodes.

1. Hardware requirements

a. Minimum specifications

b. Server recommendations

Looking for a server provider? Check our Server Provider List for recommended options.

2. Prerequisites

Before starting the installation, ensure you have:

a. Token requirements

• NYM Tokens: Minimum 100 $NYM for bonding your node
• Node Client Account: Keep at least 1 NYM in the separate client Nyx account to avoid the config score penalty introduced in v2026.17-djibouti. Nym recommends funding it with 10 NYM for transaction fees. Follow the client account funding steps after initializing your node.

b. Server access

• Root Access: Root or sudo
• Network Ports: Ensure ports 1789, 1790, and 8080 are open

c. Delegation alternative

If you don’t have a server or can’t find a suitable machine to run Nym nodes, you can delegate to my nodes:

3. Installation

a. Download the Nym binaries

Download the latest Nym binaries from the official repository & Make the binary executable:

curl -L "https://github.com/nymtech/nym/releases/download/nym-binaries-v2026.20-glasgow/nym-node" -o nym-node && \
chmod +x nym-node

Move the binary to the system path:

mv nym-node /usr/local/bin

Verify the installation:

nym-node --help

b. Initialize the node setup

Initialize your Nym node with the following command. Replace 6969 with your preferred node ID:

nym-node run --mode mixnode --id 6969 --init-only \
  --public-ips "$(curl -4 https://ifconfig.me)" \
  --accept-operator-terms-and-conditions

4. Configuration

a. Edit node configuration

Open the configuration file for editing:

nano /root/.nym/nym-nodes/6969/config/config.toml

Find the access_token field and replace it with a secure token:

access_token = 'your_generated_token_here'

Generate a secure token using OpenSSL:

openssl rand -hex 35

b. Add node description

Create a description file to provide information about your node:

nano /root/.nym/nym-nodes/6969/data/description.toml

Add your node details:

moniker = "Starfish"
website = "https://starfrich.me"
security_contact = "[email protected]"
details = "Not your financial advisor"

c. Create a systemd service

Create a systemd service file for automatic startup and management:

nano /etc/systemd/system/nym-node.service

Add the following configuration:

[Unit]
Description=Nym Node
StartLimitInterval=350
StartLimitBurst=10

[Service]
User=root
LimitNOFILE=65536
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/nym-node run -w --id 6969 --accept-operator-terms-and-conditions
KillSignal=SIGINT
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=30

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Enable and start the service:

systemctl enable nym-node && systemctl start nym-node

5. Node details and verification

Verify your node details before bonding:

nym-node node-details --id 6969

Example Output:

      _ __  _   _ _ __ ___
     | '_ \| | | | '_ \ _ \
     | | | | |_| | | | | | |
     |_| |_|\__, |_| |_| |_|
            |___/

             (nym-node - version 1.42.0)

current mode: NodeModes {
    mixnode: true,
    entry: false,
    exit: false,
}
moniker: 'Starfish'
website: 'https://starfrich.me'
security contact: '[email protected]'
details: 'Not your financial advisor'
ed25519 identity: XXXXXXXXXXXXX
x25519 primary sphinx: XXXXXXXXXXXXX (rotation: 71)
x25519 noise: XXXXXXXXXXXXX
exit network requester address: XXXXXXXXXXXXX
exit ip packet router address: XXXXXXXXXXXXX
exit authenticator address: XXXXXXXXXXXXX

6. Bonding process

a. Prepare bonding information

Get bonding information from your node:

nym-node bonding-information --id 6969

Get your public IP address:

echo "$(curl -4 https://ifconfig.me)"

b. Download and set up the Nym Wallet

1. Download the Nym Wallet from the official releases page: Nym Wallet v1.2.23

2. After installation, open the wallet and navigate to the Bonding page

c. Bond your node

1. In your wallet, click the Bond button

2. Input your node information gathered from previous steps

   

3. Click “Show advanced options” and verify the HTTP port settings:

   Node type	Port name	Port value
   Mixnode	Mix port	1789
   Mixnode	Verloc port	1790
   Mixnode	HTTP API port	8080
   Gateway (entry & exit)	Mix port	1789
   Gateway (entry & exit)	Client WS API port	9000

4. Set Operating Parameters:

   • Amount: minimum 100 NYM

   • Operating Cost: recommended 800 NYM

   • Profit Margin: recommended 20%

     Delegation Program

     If you’re part of the Nym Delegation Program or Service Grants Program, ensure your values comply with the program rules:

     • Nym Delegations Program
     • Program Rules

d. Sign the transaction with your node

1. The wallet will generate a signing payload. Copy the entire command and run it on your server:

   nym-node sign --contract-msg <PAYLOAD_GENERATED_BY_THE_WALLET> --id 6969

   Example:

   nym-node sign --contract-msg 2Z9wt4PyiBCbMiErxj5bBadVCCF5jNawZ1KnLyMeV9pMUOGvksRO... --id 6969

   

2. Copy the resulting signature and paste it into the wallet:

   >>> The base58-encoded signature is:
   2bbDJSmSo9r9qdamTNygY297nQTVRyQaxXURuomVcRd7EvG9oEC8uW8fvZZYnDeeC9iWyG9mAbX2K8rWEAxZBro1

3. Press Next and confirm the transaction in your wallet

7. Service management

a. Common service commands

Start Nym Node Service:

systemctl start nym-node

Restart Nym Node Service:

systemctl restart nym-node

Stop Nym Node Service:

systemctl stop nym-node

Check Status Nym Node Service:

systemctl status nym-node

Check Logs Nym Node Service:

journalctl -fu nym-node

b. Monitoring your node

Monitor your node’s performance through:

• Node Status: Check with systemctl status nym-node
• Logs: Monitor with journalctl -fu nym-node
• Nym Explorer: Track your node at nym.com/explorer

8. Resources

• Documentation: Official Nym Documentation
• Explorer: Nym Explorer
• Community: Nym Discord
• Delegation: Delegation Program