Aztec Public Testnet

Welcome to the official guide for participating in the Aztec Public Testnet. Whether you're a developer, validator, or Web3 enthusiast, this guide will help you deploy smart contracts, participate in governance, and run your own Aztec Sequencer Node.

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🔗 Quick Links

• 🌐 Aztec Alpha Testnet App

• 📚 Developer Documentation

• ⚙️ Sequencer Setup Guide

• 📽️ YouTube Tutorial

• 🧵 Official Announcement on X (Twitter)

• 📰 Blog Post: A New Era for Web3

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🧠 What is Aztec?

Aztec is a next-generation Layer 2 privacy-focused blockchain that combines the power of zero-knowledge cryptography and the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). It enables developers to build fully private applications with on-chain logic and off-chain confidentiality — offering programmable privacy for Web3.

With Aztec, smart contracts can execute in complete privacy, preserving confidentiality for both logic and data while maintaining Ethereum’s security and decentralization.

🔐 Privacy by default. 🧠 Programmability without compromise. 💡 Built with Noir, Aztec’s own zero-knowledge programming language.

Learn more at aztec.network/learn

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⚒️ Developer Actions

1. Visit the Aztec Developer Portal.

2. ➡️ Click on Deploy Smart Contract.

3. ➡️ Proceed to Voting.

4. ✅ You're done!

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🛠️ How to Run an Aztec Sequencer Node

🧰 Hardware Requirements

Minimum:

• 💻 8 Core CPU

• 🧠 16 GB RAM

• 💾 1 TB NVMe SSD

• 🌐 25 Mbps up/down internet connection

A modern desktop or laptop will work.

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1️⃣ Install Prerequisites

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y && \
sudo apt autoremove && \
screen -S Aztec-Sequencer

➡️ Install Docker (if not installed):

sudo apt install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl software-properties-common && \
curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg && \
echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null && \
sudo apt update -y && sudo apt-get install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin && \
sudo systemctl status docker

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2️⃣ Install Aztec Sandbox

bash -i <(curl -s https://install.aztec.network)

➡️ Update Aztec Tool:

aztec-up alpha-testnet
# or
/root/.aztec/bin/aztec-up alpha-testnet

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3️⃣ Node Configuration

mkdir ~/aztec-sequencer && cd ~/aztec-sequencer

Create .env file:

echo -e "VALIDATOR_PRIVATE_KEY=EDIT-WITH-ETH-PRIVATE-KEY\nP2P_IP=EDIT-WITH-YOUR-VPS-IP" > .env

🟢 Be sure to replace EDIT-WITH-ETH-PRIVATE-KEY and EDIT-WITH-YOUR-VPS-IP.

Create docker-compose.yml:

version: "3.8"

services:
  node:
    image: aztecprotocol/aztec:0.85.0-alpha-testnet.5
    container_name: aztec-sequencer
    environment:
      ETHEREUM_HOSTS: "https://ethereum-sepolia-rpc.publicnode.com"
      L1_CONSENSUS_HOST_URLS: "https://ethereum-sepolia-beacon-api.publicnode.com"
      DATA_DIRECTORY: /data
      VALIDATOR_PRIVATE_KEY: "${VALIDATOR_PRIVATE_KEY}"
      P2P_IP: "${P2P_IP}"
      LOG_LEVEL: debug
    entrypoint: >
      sh -c "node --no-warnings /usr/src/yarn-project/aztec/dest/bin/index.js start --network alpha-testnet --node --archiver --sequencer"
    network_mode: host
    volumes:
      - /home/my-node/node:/data
    restart: unless-stopped

Optional RPC & Port Customization:

    ports:
      - 50500:40400/tcp
      - 50500:40400/udp
      - 9090:8080

🔗 Official Docker Setup Reference

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4️⃣ Start the Sequencer Node

cd $HOME/aztec-sequencer && docker compose up -d

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📦 Node Management Commands

• View Logs:

  docker-compose logs -f

• Stop Node:

  cd $HOME/aztec-sequencer && docker compose down -v

• Restart Node:

  cd $HOME/aztec-sequencer && docker restart aztec-sequencer

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✅ You’re All Set!

You've successfully deployed and configured an Aztec Sequencer Node. Help secure the network and explore the next-gen private smart contract environment.

For updates and community discussion, follow Aztec on X.