Configuring Local Validator with Bitcoin Testnet4

This guide covers how to configure your Arch Network local validator to connect to Bitcoin testnet4, which provides access to additional tools and features for development and testing, including ordinals and runes functionality.

Overview

Bitcoin testnet4 is the latest Bitcoin test network that provides:

• Ordinals Support: Create and test Bitcoin ordinal inscriptions
• Runes Protocol: Test BRC-20 and rune token functionality
• Enhanced Tooling: Access to advanced Bitcoin testing tools
• Real Network Conditions: More realistic testing environment than regtest

When to Use This Setup:

• Testing ordinals/runes integration
• Developing Bitcoin-native features
• Testing with external Bitcoin services
• Preparing for mainnet deployment

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

• Arch Network CLI installed - Download Latest
• Docker installed and running - Install Docker
• Bitcoin Core (optional, for advanced users) - Install Guide

Quick Start (Recommended)

The easiest way to run a local validator with testnet4 connectivity:

# Start validator connected to hosted testnet4 infrastructure
arch-cli validator-start --network-mode testnet

This connects to Arch’s hosted testnet4 infrastructure including:

• Bitcoin testnet4 node
• Titan indexer
• Network coordination services

Configuration Options

Basic Testnet4 Configuration

arch-cli validator-start \
  --network-mode testnet \
  --data-dir ./.arch_data \
  --rpc-bind-ip 127.0.0.1 \
  --rpc-bind-port 9002 \
  --titan-endpoint titan-node.test.aws.archnetwork.xyz \
  --titan-socket-endpoint titan-node.test.aws.archnetwork.xyz:49332

Custom Network Configuration

If you want to run your own Bitcoin testnet4 node:

# Start your Bitcoin testnet4 node
bitcoind \
  -testnet4 \
  -server \
  -rpcuser=bitcoin \
  -rpcpassword=bitcoinpass \
  -rpcbind=0.0.0.0 \
  -rpcallowip=0.0.0.0/0 \
  -fallbackfee=0.00001 \
  -zmqpubrawblock=tcp://0.0.0.0:28332 \
  -zmqpubrawtx=tcp://0.0.0.0:28333

# Start validator with custom Bitcoin node
arch-cli validator-start \
  --network-mode testnet \
  --bitcoin-rpc-endpoint http://localhost:48332 \
  --bitcoin-rpc-username bitcoin \
  --bitcoin-rpc-password bitcoinpass

Configuration Parameters

Core Settings

Bitcoin Integration

Titan Indexer

Advanced Setup: Standalone Binary

For advanced users who want more control over the validator process:

Download and Setup

1. Download Required Files:

   # Create working directory
   mkdir arch-testnet4-validator
   cd arch-testnet4-validator
   
   # Download validator binary and system program
   wget https://github.com/Arch-Network/arch-node/releases/latest/download/local_validator
   wget https://github.com/Arch-Network/arch-node/releases/latest/download/system_program.so
   
   # Create required directory structure
   mkdir ebpf
   mv system_program.so ebpf/
   chmod +x local_validator
   

2. Verify Directory Structure:

   arch-testnet4-validator/
   ├── ebpf/
   │   └── system_program.so
   └── local_validator
   

Run Standalone Validator

RUST_LOG=info ./local_validator \
  --network-mode testnet \
  --rpc-bind-ip 127.0.0.1 \
  --rpc-bind-port 9002 \
  --titan-endpoint titan-node.test.aws.archnetwork.xyz \
  --titan-socket-endpoint titan-node.test.aws.archnetwork.xyz:49332

Testing Your Setup

Health Check

Verify your validator is running correctly:

curl -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{
    "jsonrpc":"2.0",
    "id":1,
    "method":"is_node_ready",
    "params":[]
}' http://localhost:9002/

Expected Response:

{
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "result": true,
    "id": 1
}

Deploy Test Program

Test program deployment to verify everything works:

# Using CLI (automatic endpoint detection)
arch-cli deploy --network-mode testnet

# Using CLI with explicit endpoint
arch-cli deploy --network-mode testnet --rpc-url http://localhost:9002

Check Validator Status

arch-cli validator-status --rpc-url http://localhost:9002

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Connection Refused

# Check if validator is running
curl -X POST http://localhost:9002/ \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"is_node_ready","params":[]}'

2. Reset Validator State

# Stop validator first (Ctrl+C or docker stop)
rm -rf .arch_data

# Restart validator
arch-cli validator-start --network-mode testnet

3. View Logs

Docker Logs:

# Find container name
docker ps

# View logs
docker logs -f <container_name>

Standalone Binary Logs:

# Redirect logs to file
RUST_LOG=info ./local_validator \
  --network-mode testnet \
  [other options] > validator.log 2>&1

# Monitor logs in another terminal
tail -f validator.log

4. Network Connectivity Issues

# Test connection to Titan endpoint
curl -I https://titan-node.test.aws.archnetwork.xyz

# Test WebSocket endpoint (requires wscat)
wscat -c wss://titan-node.test.aws.archnetwork.xyz:49332

Development Workflow

1. Development Cycle

# Start validator
arch-cli validator-start --network-mode testnet

# Build your program
cd your-program
cargo build-sbf

# Deploy and test
arch-cli deploy --network-mode testnet
arch-cli invoke [program-id] [account] --data [instruction-data]

2. Reset Between Tests

# Quick reset
arch-cli orchestrate reset

# Full reset (if needed)
rm -rf .arch_data
arch-cli validator-start --network-mode testnet

3. Working with Testnet4 Features

Ordinals Testing:

# Your program can interact with ordinal inscriptions
# Use the Bitcoin testnet4 ordinals APIs

Runes Integration:

# Test rune token operations
# Integrate with runes protocol via Bitcoin transactions

Production Considerations

Security

• Never expose RPC ports publicly in production
• Use strong credentials for Bitcoin RPC connections
• Monitor validator health continuously

Performance

• Allocate sufficient resources (4+ GB RAM recommended)
• Use SSD storage for data directory
• Monitor disk usage (logs can grow large)

Networking

• Configure firewalls appropriately
• Use SSL/TLS for external connections
• Monitor network latency to Bitcoin and Titan nodes

Next Steps

1. Deploy Your First Program: Follow the Writing Your First Program guide
2. Test Thoroughly: Use the Testing Guide for comprehensive testing
3. Explore Examples: Check out advanced examples for complex scenarios
4. Join the Community: Get help on Discord if you run into issues

Additional Resources

• Arch Network CLI Reference
• Bitcoin Testnet4 Faucet
• Ordinals Documentation
• Runes Protocol Guide

Need Help? Join our Discord community or file issues on our GitHub.