Registration & Licensing

This guide walks you through the complete registration process to become an active ciphernode operator. Make sure your node is already running before proceeding.

Prerequisites

Before registering, ensure your wallet has:

Registration Steps

Step 1: Check Current Status

First, verify your current on-chain status:

enclave ciphernode status

Example output:

Ciphernode status on sepolia:
  Address: 0x70997970C51812dc3A010C7d01b50e0d17dc79C8
  Registered: false
  Active: false
  Exit pending: false
  Ticket balance: 0 (0 available)
  License bond: 0
  Pending exits: tickets=0, license=0
  Requirements: minTickets=1, ticketPrice=10 EKT, licenseBond=100 ENCL

Step 2: Bond Your License

Bond ENCL tokens to meet the license requirement:

enclave ciphernode license bond --amount 100

This command:

• Approves the BondingRegistry to spend your ENCL (if needed)
• Calls bondLicense(100e18) on the BondingRegistry contract

You can bond more than the minimum for a buffer against slashing. The active license floor is 80% of the required bond.

Step 3: Register as an Operator

Register your address in the CiphernodeRegistry:

enclave ciphernode register

After registration, your node will be added to the registry's Merkle tree and can participate in committee formation once you have tickets.

Step 4: Add Ticket Balance

Purchase tickets by depositing the underlying stablecoin:

enclave ciphernode tickets buy --amount 100

This deposits 100 USDC (or fee token units) and mints the equivalent in non-transferable ETK (EnclaveTicketToken).

The number of usable tickets is calculated as:

availableTickets = floor(ticketTokenBalance / ticketPrice)

With a ticket price of 10 USDC and a 100 USDC deposit, you get 10 available tickets.

Step 5: Verify Active Status

Confirm your registration is complete:

enclave ciphernode status

Expected output for an active operator:

Ciphernode status on sepolia:
  Address: 0x70997970C51812dc3A010C7d01b50e0d17dc79C8
  Registered: true
  Active: true
  Exit pending: false
  Ticket balance: 100 (10 available)
  License bond: 100
  Pending exits: tickets=0, license=0
  Requirements: minTickets=1, ticketPrice=10 EKT, licenseBond=100 ENCL

CLI Command Reference

License Commands

# Bond ENCL tokens
enclave ciphernode license bond --amount <AMOUNT>
 
# Unbond ENCL (moves to exit queue)
enclave ciphernode license unbond --amount <AMOUNT>
 
# Claim unlocked exits
enclave ciphernode license claim
enclave ciphernode license claim --max-ticket 50 --max-license 100

Ticket Commands

# Buy tickets (deposit stablecoin)
enclave ciphernode tickets buy --amount <AMOUNT>
 
# Burn tickets (withdraw stablecoin)
enclave ciphernode tickets burn --amount <AMOUNT>

Lifecycle Commands

# Register as an operator
enclave ciphernode register
 
# Deregister (requires IMT proof)
enclave ciphernode deregister --proof <SIBLING_NODES>
 
# Force activation check
enclave ciphernode activate
 
# Deactivate by withdrawing stake
enclave ciphernode deactivate --tickets <AMOUNT> --license <AMOUNT>
 
# Check status
enclave ciphernode status

Multi-Chain Support

Specify a chain when operating on multiple networks:

enclave ciphernode status --chain mainnet
enclave ciphernode license bond --amount 100 --chain sepolia

The --chain parameter matches the name field in your config's chains array.

Economic Parameters

Current Sepolia defaults (verify on-chain before depositing):

Query these values on-chain:

# Using cast (foundry)
cast call $BONDING "ticketPrice()" --rpc-url $RPC
cast call $BONDING "licenseRequiredBond()" --rpc-url $RPC
cast call $BONDING "minTicketBalance()" --rpc-url $RPC
cast call $BONDING "exitDelay()" --rpc-url $RPC

Best Practices

Maintain Buffer Amounts

• License bond: Keep 10-20% above the minimum to absorb potential slashing without losing active status
• Tickets: Maintain extra tickets so you're not deactivated if one is consumed or slashed

Monitor Your Status

Set up alerts for:

• isActive changing to false
• SlashProposed events targeting your address
• Low ticket balance approaching minimum

Backup Your IMT Proof

When you register, save the sibling nodes from the CiphernodeAdded event. You'll need these to deregister:

# Store the proof when you register
enclave ciphernode deregister --proof 0x123...,0x456...,0x789...

Troubleshooting

Next Steps

Once registered and active:

1. Tickets & Sortition - Learn how committee selection works
2. Exits & Slashing - Understand rewards and exit procedures