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Joining the Network

Becoming a Forge operator involves an approval process followed by on-chain registration.

Getting Approved

Operator approval is handled by Storacha. Before you can join the network, you'll need to:

  1. Contact Storacha to express interest in becoming an operator
  2. Demonstrate capability — Storacha evaluates prospective operators for reliable infrastructure, adequate resources, and operational readiness
  3. Receive approval — Once approved, you'll be authorized to register on-chain

This vetting process ensures the network maintains quality and reliability for users who depend on it.

After Approval

Once approved, you complete these steps to join the network:

1. Register with the Provider Registry

Your operator address must be registered in the Provider Registry smart contract. This establishes your identity on-chain as an authorized storage provider.

2. Pay the Registration Fee

Registration requires a 5 FIL fee. This fee:

  • Commits you as a serious participant in the network
  • Is paid to the smart contract during registration
  • Is a one-time cost per operator

3. Create Your Dataset

A dataset (also called a proof set) is your on-chain commitment to store data. It:

  • Has a unique ID assigned by the smart contract
  • Tracks the data roots you've committed to prove
  • Defines your proving schedule (challenge windows, proving periods)

The piri init command handles dataset creation as part of node initialization, but the concept is important: your dataset is what ties your stored data to your on-chain obligations.

Setting Up Your Node

With approval in hand, you're ready to set up infrastructure. The detailed setup guides cover each step:

Step Guide
Hardware, OS, network requirements Prerequisites
Downloading and verifying the binary Installation
Creating your node identity (DID) and wallet Key Generation
Configuring HTTPS with a reverse proxy TLS Termination
Initializing and running your node Piri Server

Before starting setup, ensure you have a Lotus node ready. See Lotus Node Setup for requirements.

Network Selection

Forge operates on two networks:

Network Chain Use Case
forge-prod Filecoin Mainnet Production — real data, real payments
warm-staging Filecoin Calibration Testing — validate your setup before production

Start on warm-staging to verify everything works, then move to forge-prod for production operation.

See Concepts > Networks for service endpoints and contract addresses.