UnovaUnova Nodes

Documentation

Everything you need to run a node on the Unova network.

What is Unova Nodes?

Unova Nodes is the self-service deployment interface for the Unova network. It lets you spin up a node — validator, data node, or Open Innovation Node — in a few clicks, with no DevOps required. You connect your wallet, pick a node type and a deployment target, and the launchpad handles the install and registration. You always retain custody of both your wallet and your hosting account.

Quick start

  1. Connect your wallet from any page using the Connect Wallet button. We support MetaMask, WalletConnect, Coinbase Wallet and most other EIP-1193 wallets via RainbowKit. You will be prompted to switch to the Unova Testnet — accept it.
  2. Go to Deploy a node and pick the node type that matches your goal (see Node types below).
  3. Pick a deployment target. Today only on-prem works end-to-end — bring your own Linux server and we hand you a one-line install command. Cloud auto- provisioning on DigitalOcean (planned primary), Hetzner (cheapest), and AWS (enterprise) is shipping next.
  4. On-prem: copy the curl one-liner and paste it into a fresh Ubuntu 22.04+ server running as root. The script installs Docker, pulls the official images, and starts the node in the background.
  5. For Type-1 validators, the only required field is your validator address — the address that will sign blocks. Org name, registration number, beneficial owner, and email are all optional but help the owner approve faster.

Node types

Type-3 — Open Innovation Node

Free

~$6/mo on DigitalOcean (or free on your own hardware)

A read/write peer that participates in the network without minting blocks. Ideal for app developers, dApps, indexers, and analytics. No approval needed — register and run instantly. Recommended specs: 2 vCPU / 4 GB RAM / 40 GB disk.

Type-1 — Validator

Earn UON

~$12/mo on DigitalOcean (or €5/mo on Hetzner)

A block-producing validator. Mints blocks, secures the network, earns rewards. Requires owner-wallet approval before joining the validator set (typical SLA: 48 business hours). Recommended specs: 4 vCPU / 8 GB RAM / 80 GB disk.

Type-2 — Data Node

Coming soon

~$24/mo on DigitalOcean

Distributes data bundles, hosts applications, serves supply-chain data. For organisations managing large amounts of on-chain assets. Phase 2. Recommended specs: 4 vCPU / 16 GB RAM / 200 GB disk.

How approval works (Type-1 only)

  1. You submit the application form at the end of the deploy wizard (just your validator address is required; KYC fields are optional but speed up review).
  2. A row is created in the launchpad database with status pending.
  3. The Unova owner wallet (0xc86fe16ccb1c…) sees your application in the admin queue.
  4. They click Approve & sign. Two transactions are submitted to the ValidatorSet contract: addValidator(yourAddress) followed by finalizeChange().
  5. Once both transactions mine, your node enters the validator set within a few blocks and starts producing.

Owner authority is enforced both in the UI and on-chain: only the address that owns the ValidatorSet contract can call addValidator. This is a single-signer model for v1; we will move to a Safe multisig with Hacken as a co-signer in Phase 2.

Installing on your own server

If you picked the on-prem target — or you want to install manually — paste this into a fresh Ubuntu 22.04+ server with at least 4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM and 80 GB disk:

curl -sSL https://nodes.unova.io/install/setup.sh | sudo bash

The script installs Docker, pulls the official Unova node image, generates an operator key locally on your VM (the launchpad never sees it), and starts the container with auto-restart enabled. You can override defaults with environment variables — see the script source at /install/setup.sh.

Network info

Network
Unova Testnet
Chain ID
3001
Native token
UON
Block time
~5 seconds
Head contract
0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000F10
ValidatorSet contract
0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000F00

Mainnet is on the roadmap but RPC and contracts are not deployed yet. Switching your wallet to Unova Mainnet inside the app will trigger a "coming soon" toast and switch you back to testnet.

FAQ

Does Unova hold my private key?

No. The launchpad uses your wallet (MetaMask, WalletConnect, etc.) for every signature. The node operator key is generated on your VM during install and never sent to the launchpad backend.

Does Unova bill me for hosting?

No. You pay your cloud provider directly using your own API token. Unova Nodes is free to use; your only cost is the VM rental from Hetzner / AWS / your hardware.

Can I migrate my existing node to be tracked here?

Soon. The /nodes/new wizard will get an "I already have a node" option that lets you register an existing validator address with your wallet and KYC info, so it shows up in your dashboard alongside any new ones.

What happens if I delete a node?

Today nothing on-chain. To remove a validator from the active set, the owner wallet calls removeValidator(yourAddress) followed by finalizeChange(). A self-service "leave the validator set" flow is a Phase 2 feature.

Where do node rewards (UON) go?

To whatever address you set as the validator address in the deploy wizard. Two patterns:• Use my wallet (one click in the form): rewards go straight to the wallet you connected with — same address you sign txs from.• Separate operator key: skip the "use my wallet" button and let the install script generate a fresh keypair on the VM. The operator key signs blocks and accumulates rewards there. You'd transfer them out periodically. Better for hot/cold separation, since the operator key sits on an internet-facing VM.Either way, the launchpad never holds your keys.

Reference