cosmoshub-4, secured by 180 validators and the ATOM holders who delegate to them. These pages are written for the people who keep it running. Pick the path that matches your job.
Pick your path
Run a validator
Install gaiad, sync a node, create a validator, protect the signing key, monitor it, and survive upgrades.
Run infrastructure
Serve RPC, REST, and gRPC endpoints, seed nodes, snapshots, and IBC relayers for the network.
Delegate and govern
Stake ATOM safely, pick validators, vote on proposals, and use the CLI without running a node.
The validator onboarding path
Follow these pages in order if you are new. Each page ends with a Verify section and a link to the next step.- What is gaia: the software, the chain, and what has changed in it.
- Versions: the exact stack the Hub runs today and which upstream docs apply.
- System requirements: sizing by node type.
- Install gaiad: signed binaries, the container image, or a source build.
- Join mainnet: initialize, configure, sync, and start a full node.
- Run gaiad as a service: systemd units for gaiad and Cosmovisor.
- Validator setup: create the validator and manage its keys.
- Upgrade a node: the Cosmovisor runbook for Hub upgrades.
What the Hub runs today
The Hub currently runs gaia v28.3.1 on Cosmos SDK v0.53.4 and CometBFT v0.38.23, with ibc-go v10.7.0 and wasmd v0.60.9. The full list, the testnet version, and the routing to the matching Cosmos SDK, CometBFT, and Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) pages are on the Versions page. Check the live version from any public remote procedure call (RPC) endpoint before you build:How these pages are verified
Every command page carries a box like the one at the top of this page. It names the gaia version the commands were run on and the date. Commands were run by agent testing on a local devnet or against the release binary, then reviewed. Values that change over time (gas prices, peers, trust heights, snapshot providers) carry the date they were checked. If a page says “checked 2026-10-15” and today is much later, confirm the value from the query shown next to it before relying on it. Operators and ATOM holders who find a wrong command or a stale value should open an issue or pull request at cosmos/docs.Sources operators use every day
- Releases and release notes: gaia releases on GitHub
- Chain registry entry (seeds, peers, endpoints, fees): cosmoshub/chain.json
- Upgrade history: Upgrade history
- Block explorer: Mintscan
- Discord: Interchain Discord server, validator and node operator channels
- Forum: Cosmos forum