Plasma Docs - Build on Plasma

Plasma supports multiple node types based on architecture roles and operational goals.

Non-Validator Nodes

Monitor network state and serve RPC requests. Available now.

RPC Providers

Professional hosted endpoints with enterprise features. Available now.

Consensus Nodes

Validate blocks and secure the network. Coming post-mainnet.

Node Types

Non-Validator Nodes

Non-validator nodes are read-only participants that follow the blockchain without participating in consensus decisions. They provide a lightweight way to access blockchain data without the overhead of consensus participation. For a more in-depth explanation of the design, see the Overview page.

Availability: Non-validator nodes are available for permissionless participation. See the Non-Validator Node Setup guide to get started.

Key Capabilities

Capability	Description
Block reception	Receive and process blocks from the network
Chain synchronization	Maintain an up-to-date copy of the blockchain
Catchup mechanism	Automatically detect and recover missing blocks
API access	Provide the same API endpoints as validators for querying blockchain state

Technical Characteristics

Characteristic	Detail
Configuration	Simplified with node ID (string identifier)
Validator keys	Read-only access to validator public keys
Peer discovery	Connect through bootstrap nodes
Limitations	Cannot propose blocks, vote, or trigger view changes

Setup: Follow the Non-Validator Node Setup guide.

RPC Providers

Hosted RPC infrastructure with production-grade availability and support.

QuickNode

High-performance global infrastructure with monitoring and alerting.

Tenderly

Managed access with built-in observability, simulations, and incident tooling.

RPC providers offer immediate production-ready access with SLAs and support included, and scale with application demand. They’re ideal for production applications requiring high availability, teams prioritizing development over infrastructure, and projects needing enterprise support and guarantees. Full list of providers: See the RPC Providers page.

Consensus Nodes

Consensus nodes are the core participants in the Plasma consensus layer, implementing the Fast-Hotstuff Byzantine Fault Tolerant (BFT) protocol. The network can tolerate up to f faulty nodes in a system of 3f+1 total validators.

Availability: Not yet available. External participation will begin post-mainnet.

Key Responsibilities

Responsibility	Description
Block production	Validators take turns proposing blocks using round-robin selection based on the current view
Voting	Validate incoming blocks and cast votes that are aggregated into Quorum Certificates (QCs)
Consensus participation	Actively participate in view changes, timeouts, and the 2-chain finalization rule
State management	Maintain full consensus state including vote aggregation, view tracking, and block finalization

Technical Requirements

Requirement	Detail
Cryptography	BLS keypair for cryptographic operations and vote aggregation
Configuration	Full node configuration with validator ID (numeric identifier)
Execution layer	Access to execution layer (Reth) for block production
Networking	P2P networking capabilities for unicast and broadcast messaging

Preparation: Follow the Consensus Node Preparation page.

Getting Started

Non-Validator Operators

Step	Action
Review requirements	Check hardware requirements and ensure you meet specifications
Set up infrastructure	Follow the non-validator node setup guide for detailed instructions
Configure monitoring	Implement monitoring using the monitoring guide
Join community	Connect with other operators in Discord
Stay updated	Monitor announcements for consensus participation timeline

Application Developers

Step	Action
Choose provider	Select between non-validator nodes or professional RPC providers
Configure network	Add Plasma testnet to your development environment
Test integration	Deploy and test your applications on testnet
Monitor performance	Track RPC performance and adjust as needed
Plan production	Prepare for mainnet launch and scaling requirements

Future Consensus Operators

Step	Action
Start with non-validator nodes	Gain operational experience with the non-validator node setup guide
Build infrastructure	Design and test your consensus-ready infrastructure
Engage community	Participate in governance discussions and provide feedback
Prepare economics	Understand staking requirements and reward structures
Monitor timeline	Stay informed about consensus participation opening

Setup & Configuration

Maintenance

Consensus Node

Node Types

Non-Validator Nodes

RPC Providers

Consensus Nodes

Node Types

Non-Validator Nodes

RPC Providers

QuickNode

Tenderly

Consensus Nodes

Getting Started

Non-Validator Nodes

RPC Providers

Consensus Nodes

​Node Types

​Non-Validator Nodes

​RPC Providers

QuickNode

Tenderly

​Consensus Nodes

​Getting Started

Node Types

Non-Validator Nodes

RPC Providers

Consensus Nodes

Getting Started