Run your own
protocol reader.

Self-hosting brings read independence—but also disk, network, synchronization and security responsibilities. The built-in Genycaster remote-provisioning UI is a future feature, not a currently active installer.

Manual operator guide

Recommended baseline for Snapchain

Resource	Upstream reference requirement
CPU	4 vCPU / cores
RAM	16 GB
Storage	1.5 TB free, SSD strongly preferred
Network	Public IP and ports 3381–3383 open on TCP and UDP

These values come from the Snapchain upstream README as of October 2026, not a universal rule for every future node type. Review latest operator advice before provisioning production machines.

Install, sync and verify

Follow the official bootstrap, review scripts before execution, and avoid exposing administrative operations publicly. A new node may take substantial time to import historical state.

Acquire and inspect upstream bootstrap script

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/farcasterxyz/snapchain/refs/heads/main/scripts/snapchain-bootstrap.sh -o snapchain-bootstrap.sh
less snapchain-bootstrap.sh
bash snapchain-bootstrap.sh

Monitor your local node

curl --fail-with-body http://127.0.0.1:3381/v1/info
curl --fail-with-body 'http://127.0.0.1:3381/v1/castsByFid?fid=3&pageSize=1&reverse=true'

The /v1/info response can expose height and lag; the application probes additional actual data endpoints to confirm a compatible read contract. A read test alone does not prove fully synchronized state or correct validator submission.

Connecting a browser versus a native client

The hostname 127.0.0.1 always refers to the device running the browser or desktop executable—not the Genycaster hosting server. A hosted HTTPS web app may be blocked from reaching a private HTTP node by mixed-content, CORS or Private Network Access restrictions.

To use a remote node in a browser, publish a secure TLS origin with narrowly scoped CORS, protect administrative endpoints, and restrict access appropriately. A native client has a different CORS model.

Private and commercial node operation

A personal node emphasizes local independence. A private team node additionally requires access controls and network boundaries. A commercial deployment needs observability, upgrade strategy, incident response, sync-gap alerts, traffic shaping, rate limits and documented uptime commitments.

Managed provisioning: in development

The future Genycaster workflow is Server configuration → Install → Synchronize → Connect. It does not currently accept SSH credentials, install software onto your server, manage backups or operate validators for you.

Security checklist

Maintain network allowlists and OS patching; do not expose administrative endpoints as public APIs.
Keep signer keys and account recovery material separate from protocol reader infrastructure.
Monitor synchronization and disk free space. If a node falls behind, surface stale data honestly.
Never assume that a healthy read endpoint authorizes post submission.
Publish only documented API endpoints with approved TLS and CORS behavior.