Start Operator

Setup Checklist

Before starting the Operator Service, confirm that everything is in place:

I've deployed my Vault and copied the address I've fully synced my execution client I've fully synced my consensus client I've configured MEV-Boost I've installed the Operator Service I've generated validator keys and uploaded them into my validator client I've set the fee recipient address in my validator client I've set up the Validators Manager

Start Operator Service

Run the Operator Service using the start command with your Vault address and node endpoints. By default, the Operator Service runs with locally stored keystores created during key creation. For alternative key management methods (Remote Signer, HashiCorp Vault, API Mode), see the Alternative Key Management → section. Choose the format matching your installation method:

Binary

./operator start \
  --vault=0x834F27bC8670491b75af512d943f01D5383F87Cf \
  --consensus-endpoints=https://consensus-node \
  --execution-endpoints=https://execution-node

Docker

For Docker, you first need to mount the folder containing validator keystores and include the --data-dir flag alongside the start command:

docker run --restart on-failure:10 \
-u $(id -u):$(id -g) \
-v ~/.stakewise/:/data \
europe-west4-docker.pkg.dev/stakewiselabs/public/v3-operator:v4.1.10 \
src/main.py start \
--vault=0x834F27bC8670491b75af512d943f01D5383F87Cf \
--data-dir=/data \
--consensus-endpoints=http://localhost:5052 \
--execution-endpoints=http://localhost:8545

Source Files

PYTHONPATH=. poetry run python src/main.py start \
--vault=0x834F27bC8670491b75af512d943f01D5383F87Cf \
--consensus-endpoints=http://localhost:5052 \
--execution-endpoints=http://localhost:8545

The examples above use the start command, which runs the Operator Service with local keystores. For other modes, see Alternative Key Management → (start-remote-signer, start-hashi-vault, start-relayer).

Optional Flags

Keystore & Wallet

Only needed if you didn't use the Operator Service to generate keys and wallet.

Flag	Description
--keystores-dir	Directory with validator keys in EIP-2335 ↗ format. Must contain a single password.txt or per-keystore password files (e.g., keystore1.json, keystore1.txt)
--keystores-password-file	Path to the password file for decrypting keystores
--wallet-file	Path to the wallet file. Default: file generated by create-wallet
--wallet-password-file	Path to the wallet password file. Default: file generated by create-wallet

Additional Capabilities

Flag	Description
--harvest-vault	Syncs Vault state every 12 hours via updateState, reducing gas costs for users
--claim-fee-splitter	Periodically claims fees to shareholder addresses. See Fee Claiming →
--run-nodes	Starts and manages local Reth and Lighthouse nodes. Requires node-install first. See Automated Node Setup →

Tuning & Limits

Flag	Description
--min-deposit-amount-gwei	Minimum Vault balance to trigger registration or top-up. Default: 10 ETH
--vault-min-balance-gwei	ETH to keep in the Vault and not stake. Default: 0
--max-validator-balance-gwei	Maximum validator balance for top-ups. Default: 1945 ETH (Ethereum), 1800 GNO (Gnosis)
--max-withdrawal-request-fee-gwei	Maximum fee per withdrawal request. Default: 1000 Gwei
--min-deposit-delay	Minimum delay between registration transactions. Default: 1 hour
--max-fee-per-gas-gwei	Maximum gas fee per transaction. Default: 10 Gwei (Ethereum), 2 Gwei (Gnosis)
--validator-type	Register 0x01 instead of default 0x02 validators
--concurrency	Number of processes in a pool. For optimal performance, set it to half your CPU cores (e.g., --concurrency=4 for 8-core systems) to prevent overloading during keystore operations

Disable Functions

Flag	Description
--disable-validators-registration	Disables registering new validators
--disable-validators-funding	Disables topping up existing 0x02 validators
--disable-withdrawals	Disables submitting withdrawals. Oracles will handle exits using signatures from registration

Logging

Flag	Description
--verbose	Enable debug mode
--log-level	Set logging level: ERROR, WARNING, INFO, DEBUG

Monitor the logs to confirm the Operator Service is running and validators are being registered successfully.