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Staking Wallet Tips, Tricks & Safety

Connecting Metamask to the Betanet Staking Wallet ​

Once you have a Metamask account connected to the Ethereum Mainnet, we can connect to the Lamina1 Betanet.

  1. Click on the circular account image within Metamask and click on SETTINGS.
  2. Click on NETWORKS and then ADD NETWORK.
  3. You’ll see a list of built-in networks, ignore these and click ADD A NETWORK MANUALLY at the bottom.
  4. Enter in the information as displayed below using https\://rpc-betanet.lamina1.com/ext/bc/C/rpc for the RPC URL
  5. Hit SAVE and you should now be connected to the Lamina1 Betanet.

Importing an Existing Wallet to Your Metamask Account

You can import an existing wallet (including one generated by the Betanet Staking Wallet) to Metamask using a recovery phrase that you previously set up. This process looks different depending on whether you already have an account setup in Metamask and you’re adding a new one or if you’re adding an account to a fresh installation of Metamask.

Importing first wallet to new Metamask installation

The only way to import a wallet to a new Metamask installation is using a recovery phrase.

  1. On the “New to MetaMask screen” select IMPORT WALLET.
  2. You’ll now be faced with the unfortunate task of typing in each of the words in your recovery phrase. If you’re coming from the Betanet Staking Wallet, then you’ll likely have 24 recovery words and you’ll need to choose that from the drop down box. Once you enter in all the words, you’ll be asked to enter a password so that you can save your account and avoid doing this again within this browser. Make sure the password is not easily guessed and make sure you don’t lose or forget it, as nobody can help you recover it. This password is not tied to an email or to your identity. It is stored locally on the browser and ensures that anyone who gains access to your computer can’t easily access your wallet without it. If you lose it, you’ll need to use your recovery phrase to access your wallet in Metamask.
  3. If you entered your recovery phrase correctly, you should now be connected to the Ethereum Mainnet with your imported account. Next, you’ll want to connect to the Lamina1 Betanet.

Importing an Additional Wallet to an Existing Metamask Installation If you already have Metamask installed with an account set up you can easily add additional accounts using an exported private key. Learn how to export your private key from the Betanet Staking Wallet.

  1. Within Metamask, click on the circular account icon and select IMPORT ACCOUNT.
  2. Paste your exported private key into this field and select IMPORT and you’re done.
  3. You should take a second to copy some random text using COMMAND-V or CONTROL-V so that your private key isn’t sitting in your clipboard.

Exporting From Metamask

You can export your private key from Metamask to easily import it into the Betanet Staking Wallet or into a separate Metamask installation.

  1. Make sure you’re signed into you Metamask account
  2. Within Metmask, click on the three vertical dots in the top right of the window and select ACCOUNT DETAILS.
  3. Select EXPORT PRIVATE KEY and enter your password.
  4. Your private key should now be displayed. When you’re finished, make sure you close this window and clear your clipboard by copying some random text.

Pulling Your NodeID, Node PK and Node POP

  • To pull your NodeID: Run $ lamina1.get_my_nodeid.sh in the command line of your terminal. 

Your response should look something like this: 

NodeID-[string]

  • To pull your NodePK: Run $ lamina1.get_my_nodepk.sh in the command line of your terminal. 



Your response should look like a hexadecimal string, starting with the characters 0x….

  • To pull your Node POP\:T Run $ lamina1.get_my_nodepop.sh in the command line of your terminal. 

This response should look like a (longer) hexadecimal string, starting with the characters 0x….

Checking the status of your node or validator​

To check on your node to see if it is pending, actively validating, or to check on key stats like your node’s uptime, delegation stake amounts, potential delegation rewards and the total amount of accrued delegation rewards, run the following command in the terminal window of the computer running your node: 

$ lamina1.check_staking.sh

Sample output if validator is active: 

NodeID: [your node ID]

Start Time: 2023-08-10 00:23:40 UTC

End Time: 2024-08-09 00:23:40 UTC

Uptime: 100.0000%

Delegation fee: 10.0000%

Delegators: 1

Delegated stake: 125.348 K L1b

Potential Delegation Rewards: 1.494 K L1b

Accrued Delegation Rewards: 0 L1b

Delegation Rewards Destination: [your address]

Sample output if your validator is pending:

[your node ID] found in pending validators

Start Time: 2023-08-10 00:23:40 UTC

Sample output if validator is not active:

[your node ID] not staked yet

Allowing API Calls​

When setting up RPC access to a node, make sure you don't leave the http-port accessible to everyone! There are malicious actors that scan for nodes that have unrestricted access to their RPC port and then use those nodes for spamming them with resource-intensive queries which can knock the node offline. Only allow access to your node's RPC port from known IP addresses!

Also, you should disable all APIs you will not use via command-line arguments. Again, you should configure your network to only allow access to the API port from trusted machines (for example, your personal computer.)

To make API calls to your node from remote machines, allow traffic on the API port (9650 by default), and run your node with argument --http-host=

Betanet Staking Wallet Secret Management​

The only secret that you need on your validating node is its Staking Key, the TLS key that determines your node’s ID. The first time you start a node, the Staking Key is created and put in $HOME/.lamina1/staking/staker.key. You should back up this file (and staker.crt) somewhere secure. Losing your Staking Key could jeopardize your validation reward, as your node will have a new ID.

You do not need to have L1 Betanet Tokens on your validating node. In fact, it's best practice to not have a lot of funds on your node. Almost all of your funds should be in "cold" addresses whose private key is not on any computer.

Saving Your Private Keys

The Betanet Staking Wallet does not save your private key by default so if you want to avoid entering your private key or recovery phrase every time you use it, you should consider saving it. To do this, you’ll first need to have your wallet set up within the Staking Wallet. If you can see a section that says Balance at the top of the Staking Wallet then you’re all set to continue to the next section, otherwise you’ll need to access your wallet by importing the recovery phrase or using a private key.

Once your wallet is set up, go to the MANAGE KEYS section. From there are two primary ways to save your Staking Wallet. You can do both if you choose.

Save to Browser \ This approach works like a login by encrypting and saving your private key within the browser. Later, when you come back to the Staking Wallet within the same browser, you can easily access your wallet using just the password you set up. This approach only works when accessing the Staking Wallet from the same computer and browser every time. If you need an approach that you can take to different computers or browsers, then consider also creating a keystore file.

To do this, follow the instructions above until you’re at the MANAGE KEYS section of the Staking Wallet. From here, click on the SAVE KEYS button with the yellow caution symbol. The Staking Wallet will ask you to enter an account name and password.

You can enter whatever you’d like for the account name — this is saved locally so no one else will see it unless they’re on your computer. Your password should be strong and not re-used from somewhere else. If anyone gets the password and access to your computer, they’ll have complete access to your wallet. We generally recommend you use a good password manager. PAY ATTENTION TO THE WARNING on this screen. You must still secure your recovery phrase somewhere in case your browser cache is cleared or you lose access to the computer. Nobody can help you recover this username and password if you lose your recovery phrase.

Once you enter a valid username and password and press SAVE, you’ll be returned to the MANAGE KEYS page. If it was successful you should see your new username in the lower left corner of the wallet (if on desktop). If you click on your username you can change your password or delete the account from the browser. Your account is now saved to your browser.

The next time you visit the Betanet Staking Wallet you should see your local accounts at the top of the list.

Save to Encrypted File

Creating an encrypted keystore file is a convenient way to create a portable backup of your private key that you can take to other computers or browsers. This keystore file will be encrypted with a regular password, so make sure the password is not easily guessed and make sure you don’t lose or forget it.

To begin, make sure you’re logged into your account in the Betanet Staking Wallet and go to the MANAGE KEYS section. From here, click on the EXPORT KEYS button where you will be prompted for a password. Again, make sure the password is not easily guessed and make sure you don’t lose or forget it. Password managers are highly recommended.

Once you enter and confirm your password, you should download a .json file. This file is your encrypted key store and can be used to recover your account from any computer or browser. As long as you’ve used a secure password, it should be relatively safe to store on your computer, send via email, or backup on a USB stick or backup drive.

Linking to an Existing Wallet or Lamina1 Hub Betanet Account​

If you don’t want to set up a new wallet to access Betanet validating, staking & delegating capabilities, the Betanet Staking Wallet also allows import of an existing wallet via multiple methods, some of which are detailed below.

Export via the Lamina1 Hub \ To use your existing Betanet Hub address to set up a new Betanet Staking Wallet:

  1. Connect to the Lamina1 Hub using your preferred login method
  2. On the 'Settings' Page, go to the 'Account Management' section and select "Export Private Key."
  3. Go to the Betanet Staking Wallet and use the private key you just exported from the Hub to open up your account.

Note that if you link your Lamina1 Hub and Betanet Staking Wallet through the same Metamask wallet during set-up, they will also be connected. You can also choose to keep your Lamina1 Hub account and Betanet Staking Wallet separate, and simply transfer assets between them, whichever you prefer.

Import via Private Key \ The private key for your wallet can be used to gain access via the Betanet Staking Wallet, for example if it was created in another client such as Metamask. Metamask private keys can be retrieved via Account Details by using the Export Private Key button and providing your Metamask password.

  1. On the intro screen, choose ‘Access Wallet’ and select the Private Key method.
  2. Enter your wallet private key when prompted and click Access Wallet. If your private key is valid, you will be directed to the main wallet dashboard.

Import via Mnemonic

The Mnemonic Key Phrase is the phrase that you securely stored during wallet creation if the Betanet Staking Wallet was used. The phrase can be manually entered to regain access to your wallet.

  1. On the intro screen, choose ‘Access Wallet’ and select Mnemonic Key Phrase method.
  2. Enter all 24 words from the recovery phrase and click ‘Access Wallet’. If correct you will be directed to the main wallet dashboard.
  3. Import via Keystore File
  4. On the intro screen, choose ‘Access Wallet’ and select Keystore File method.
  5. Click Select File and navigate to the .json format keystore file. If valid you will be directed to the main wallet dashboard.

Export C-Chain Private Key

  1. In the Staking Wallet interface, choose Manage Keys from the sidebar.
  2. On the “My Keys” page, click the “View C Chain Private Key” link. A modal will appear with your C-Chain private key, which is compatible with Ethereum-based wallet clients and can be used to import your wallet. Do not disclose this key, it provides full access to import your wallet and access Assets to anyone with access.
  3. As an example of how to use your private key for access, it can be entered in Metamask via the User Avatar icon → Import Account option and choosing the Private Key method.

Export Keystore File

Creating an encrypted keystore file is a convenient way to create a portable backup of your private key that you can take to other computers or browsers. This keystore file will be encrypted with a regular password, so make sure the password is not easily guessed and make sure you don’t lose or forget it.

  1. To begin, make sure you’re logged into your account in the Betanet Staking Wallet and go to the MANAGE KEYS section.
  2. Click on the EXPORT KEYS button where you will be prompted for a password. Again, make sure the password is not easily guessed and make sure you don’t lose or forget it. Password managers are highly recommended.
  3. Once you enter and confirm your password, your browser should download a json file. This file is your encrypted key store and can be used to recover your account from any computer or browser. As long as you use a secure password, it should be relatively safe to store on your computer, send via email, or backup on a USB stick or backup drive.

Notes on Uptime​

If you’re running a validator, it’s important that your node is well connected to ensure that you receive a reward. A validator will receive a staking reward if they are online and responsive for more than 80% of their validation period, as measured by a majority of validators, weighted by stake. You should aim for your validator to be online and responsive 100% of the time.

You can call API method info.uptime on your node to learn its weighted uptime and what percentage of the network currently thinks your node has an uptime high enough to receive a staking reward. 

You can get another opinion on your node's uptime from Avalanche’s Validator Health dashboard. If your reported uptime is not close to 100%, there may be something wrong with your node setup, which may jeopardize your staking reward. If this is the case, please contact us on Telegram or Discord, so we can help you find the issue. Note that only checking the uptime of your validator as measured by non-staking nodes, validators with small stake, or validators that have not been online for the full duration of your validation period can provide an inaccurate view of your node's true uptime.

Why Is My Uptime Low?

Every validator on Lamina1 keeps track of the uptime of other validators. Every validator has a weight (that is the amount staked on it.) The more weight a validator has, the more influence they have when validators vote on whether your node should receive a staking reward. You can call API method info.uptime on your node to learn its weighted uptime and what percentage of the network stake currently thinks your node has an uptime high enough to receive a staking reward.

You can also see the connections a node has by calling info.peers, as well as the uptime of each connection. This is only one node’s point of view. Other nodes may perceive the uptime of your node differently. Just because one node perceives your uptime as being low does not mean that you will not receive staking rewards.

If your node's uptime is low, make sure you're setting config option --public-ip=[NODE'S PUBLIC IP] and that your node can receive incoming TCP traffic on port 9671.