June 25th, 2021 - Before we share the various resource links on setting up Participation Nodes on the Algorand Network, it is important to re-state that the referendum requirement for running a node is a one-off activity. If the referendum passes, all future Governance votes will take place using a dedicated voting tool that will not require the running of a node. In addition, running a node in the referendum is not a requirement to participate in the future, long term Governance program. Finally, there are no Governance Rewards attached to participating in the referendum - the rewards will only apply once/if the actual Governance program itself is launched.
Running a node:
High-level description of the Algorand platform, as well as links to a few 3rd parties that can run nodes on your behalf, are available here.
Instructions on how to install and run an Algorand node on Mac or Linux are available here. You should use the fast catchup mechanism described here. Note that it still may take an hour or more for your node to catch up to the current state of the blockchain.
To run a node on a Windows machine, download the version that you want to run from the Github repository, and follow these instructions to install it. (You may also want to look at the tutorials for Algorand on Windows at: Algorand Studio Windows 10 WSL or Compile and run the Algorand Node natively windows.)
After the node is operational, follow the instructions here to start participating in the consensus. If you keep your key on a Ledger device and you are using a Mac, then you can follow the tutorial at https://developer.algorand.org/tutorials/participate-consensus-ledger-nano/.
To vote YES in the referendum, make sure to update your installation with the latest version on June 30th, 2021 (or shortly thereafter). To vote No, simply do not update your installation version.
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