Developers post live apps, integrations, or demos.

Ecosystem Showcase & Launches

This is not just a tutorial. This is the story of getting an Arc Testnet node running on a Windows machine with all the real obstacles, wrong turns, and eventual victories that came with it.

I already had my DApp fajucar.xyz live on Arc Testnet. But running a local node felt like the next real step  not just as a builder contribution, but to understand the network from the inside.

Stack: Windows 11, WSL2 + Ubuntu 22.04, arc-node v0.6.0, NVMe SSD (C:) + SATA HDD (D:)

 Ubuntu 22.04 (via Microsoft Store or wsl --install)

 ~150 GB free on an NVMe SSD (avoid SATA or HDD for the snapshot)

curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh

git clone https://github.com/circlefin/arc-node

The build takes a while this is Rust compiling three binaries. Go make a coffee. ☕

mkdir -p ~/.arc/execution ~/.arc/consensus

The snapshot is ~72 GB. Simple, right? Not quite.

The first two attempts ended in corrupted downloads. The real problem: WSL2's virtual disk (ext4.vhdx) had ballooned to 210 GB on C: — even after deleting data inside WSL. The VHDX grows but never shrinks automatically.

The fix — compact the VHDX using diskpart:

select vdisk file="C:\Users\YourUser\AppData\Local\wsl\{your-id}\ext4.vhdx"

💡 Key lesson: always compact the VHDX before retrying a failed snapshot download.

Step 5 — Running the Execution Layer (Terminal 1)

  --http --http.addr 0.0.0.0 --http.port 8545 \

  --http.api eth,net,web3,txpool,trace,debug \

  --rpc.forwarder https://rpc.quicknode.testnet.arc.network/

Step 6 — Running the Consensus Layer (Terminal 2)

arc-node-consensus init --home ~/.arc/consensus

  --follow.endpoint https://rpc.drpc.testnet.arc.network,wss=rpc.drpc.testnet.arc.network \

  --follow.endpoint https://rpc.quicknode.testnet.arc.network,wss=rpc.quicknode.testnet.arc.network \

  --follow.endpoint https://rpc.blockdaemon.testnet.arc.network,wss=rpc.blockdaemon.testnet.arc.network

⚠️ Without --follow, consensus starts but never gets peers and blocks never advance. This flag is mandatory.

tail -f ~/.cache/reth/logs/arc-testnet/reth.log | grep "Block added"

This shows only new blocks in real time — one clean line every ~500ms.

Press Ctrl+S to freeze, Ctrl+Q to resume.

The blockchain engine on your machine. It executes transactions, stores state, and serves the RPC at localhost:8545 so your DApp can connect to Arc.

Key log: Block added to canonical chain number=41290588 txs=29 elapsed=37ms ⚡

Terminal 2 — Consensus Layer (Malachite)

The negotiator  connects to Arc validators, verifies block signatures, and delivers blocks to Terminal 1.

Key log: 🎉 Consensus has decided on value height=41289993 signatures=15 duration=254ms

Not a new process  just a filtered live view of Terminal 1's logs. One clean line per block.

Arc node running on Windows via WSL2  execution and consensus live, DApp fajucar.xyz connected to the local node.

Running an Arc Testnet Node on Windows: a builder's journey from zero to sync.

Home

Forum

Events

Content

Courses

People

Contributors

Albums

Groups

Chat

Channels

Not being used

Help

Join the global network of builders developing the Economic OS for the internet. We’re reimagining how value moves, creating the tools that make the economy work for everyone.

Arc House

Profession

Join a global network of builders developing the Economic OS for the internet. We’re reimagining how value moves, creating the tools that make that economy work for everyone. 

Arc House | Build the economic OS for the internet with us

Copyright

Terms of Service

Privacy

Code of Conduct

Your Privacy Choices

It looks like there is no account associated with the email you provided. The event is for members only. Please complete the application to join our community first.

Thank you for your interest in joining us

Thanks for your interest in joining the event. However, your account is still pending. Once it's approved, you'll be able to register for the event. Please contact us via noreply@arc.network if you need support.

Pending Approval

Login to the The Arc Community Hub community to connect with others, attend community events, and more!

Login or Sign Up for even more

To unlock all parts of the community complete your profile using verifiable and real information.

Hey, complete your profile

It looks like there is no account associated with the email you provided. Please complete the application to join our community.

Thank you for your interest in joining Arc House.

Thanks for your interest in joining Arc House. We will review your request shortly and email you once it's approved. Meanwhile, please feel free to contact us via noreply@arc.network for any questions.

Accounts are unapproved when profile information cannot be verified or when activity patterns indicate spam, inorganic participation, or behavior that undermines trust in the program.

To strengthen your profile for future consideration, sign in with a verified LinkedIn account, use real and current profile information, and participate constructively in other community spaces.

Commercial customers should raise concerns through their support channel.

https://www.arc.network/community-guidelines