TL;DR - Quick Summary¶
This page gives you a fast overview of Ethereum on ARM. Read this first if you want to understand what the project does and how to get started quickly.
What is Ethereum on ARM?¶
Ethereum on ARM is a project that helps you run an Ethereum node on a small, cheap computer. These computers are called ARM boards (like Raspberry Pi or Rock 5B).
In simple words:
We give you a ready-to-use operating system (based on Ubuntu)
You flash it to a memory card
You plug it into your ARM board
Your node starts automatically
Why run your own node?¶
Running your own Ethereum node:
Helps the network - More nodes make Ethereum stronger
Gives you control - You don’t need to trust others
Saves money - No cloud server fees
Uses little power - ARM boards use 5-15 watts (like a light bulb)
What do you need?¶
To run a node, you need:
An ARM board with 16GB of RAM
NanoPC T6 (recommended)
Rock 5B (recommended)
Orange Pi 5 Plus
Raspberry Pi 5
A fast SSD - 2TB NVMe minimum, 4TB recommended (for storing blockchain data)
A MicroSD card - 16GB or more (for the operating system)
Ethernet cable - Wi-Fi is not recommended
Power supply - Check your board’s requirements
How to get started?¶
Step 1: Download the image
Go to our releases page and download the image for your board.
Step 2: Flash the image
Use a tool like balenaEtcher to write the image to your MicroSD card.
Step 3: Connect everything
Put the MicroSD card in your board
Connect the NVMe SSD
Connect the Ethernet cable
Connect the power
Step 4: Wait
The first boot takes 10-15 minutes. The system will:
Format your SSD
Install all the software
Set up your user account
Step 5: Log in
Find your board’s IP address on your router. Then connect with SSH:
ssh ethereum@<your-board-ip>
# Default password: ethereum
Step 6: Start your node
Start an Execution Layer client (like Geth):
sudo systemctl start geth
Start a Consensus Layer client (like Lighthouse):
sudo systemctl start lighthouse
That’s it! Your node is now running.
What clients can I use?¶
Execution Layer (choose one):
Geth
Nethermind
Reth
Erigon
Besu
Consensus Layer (choose one):
Lighthouse
Prysm
Teku
Nimbus
Lodestar
Grandine
We recommend using minority clients to help decentralization.
How do I check if it works?¶
Check your client status:
sudo systemctl status geth
sudo systemctl status lighthouse
View the logs:
sudo journalctl -u geth -f
sudo journalctl -u lighthouse-beacon -f
Common questions¶
How long does sync take?
Snap sync clients (Geth, Nethermind, Besu): 12-24 hours
Execution sync clients (Reth, Erigon): 3-6 days
Archive node: Several days to weeks
Can I stake?
Yes! See our staking guide.
Something is not working. What do I do?
See our troubleshooting guide.
Where can I get help?
Next steps¶
Now that you understand the basics: