> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.bitplanet.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.bitplanet.ai/node-operation/hardware-requirements.md).

# Hardware Requirements

## Recommended Specifications

To operate a Bitplanet validator node effectively, your infrastructure should meet the following minimum specifications:

| Component | Specification                                    |
| --------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| CPU       | 4+ cores (8+ cores recommended for production)   |
| RAM       | 16 GB minimum (32 GB recommended for production) |
| Storage   | 500 GB SSD (NVMe recommended)                    |
| Network   | 100 Mbps with stable connectivity                |

## Rationale for Requirements

**Processing Power:** Multi-core processors are essential for handling concurrent block validation, transaction processing, and EVM execution. The Bitplanet chain processes both BitSDK transactions and EVM smart contract calls simultaneously.

**Memory:** 16GB RAM is the minimum to prevent performance degradation during chain synchronization and normal operations. Production validators handling high transaction volumes should consider 32GB or more.

**Storage:** SSD storage is required for the database I/O operations needed for state storage and querying. NVMe drives provide optimal performance. The chain state grows over time, so plan for expansion beyond the 500GB minimum.

**Network Connectivity:** Stable network access with low latency ensures your validator remains synchronized with the network and doesn't miss block proposals. Validators missing blocks due to network issues risk being jailed.

## Operating System Support

Bitplanet validator nodes can run on multiple platforms:

* **Linux** (Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or later, Debian 11+) — **Recommended for production**
* **macOS** — Suitable for development and testing
* **Docker** — Cross-platform containerized deployment

## Network Port Requirements

| Port  | Purpose           | Exposure | Required    |
| ----- | ----------------- | -------- | ----------- |
| 26656 | P2P communication | Public   | Yes         |
| 26657 | Cosmos RPC        | Optional | Recommended |
| 1317  | REST API          | Optional | No          |
| 9090  | gRPC              | Optional | No          |
| 8545  | JSON-RPC (EVM)    | Optional | No          |
| 8546  | WebSocket (EVM)   | Optional | No          |

**Critical:** Port 26656 must be publicly accessible for peer connectivity and consensus participation. Validators that cannot accept inbound P2P connections will have difficulty maintaining peer connections and staying in sync.

## Software Prerequisites

Before installation, ensure you have:

* **Go 1.23.8+** — Required for building the binary from source
* **Git** — For cloning the repository
* **Build tools** — `make`, `gcc`, and standard build utilities
* **Basic knowledge** — Understanding of Cosmos SDK (used to build BitSDK), CometBFT consensus, and command-line operations

**Note:** The consensus engine is CometBFT (the successor to Tendermint). The CLI supports three interchangeable command aliases: `comet`, `cometbft`, and `tendermint` (e.g., `evmd comet show-validator`, `evmd cometbft show-validator`, or `evmd tendermint show-validator`). This documentation uses `tendermint` for consistency with existing examples.