Snapshots

You can quickly set up a GIWA node using a snapshot.

A GIWA node snapshot is a compressed archive of recent node data. By starting from a snapshot and syncing from that point, you can set up a node much faster than syncing from genesis.

Snapshot data is updated once per week.

A snapshot does not contain the chain tip (the latest block).

After restoring from a snapshot, your node must catch up by syncing the blocks produced after the snapshot was created until it reaches the latest tip.

Set up a node using a snapshot

This guide assumes you are running a node using the Docker-based setup provided in the giwa-io/node repository.

1. Clean up existing resources

Stop your existing node and remove (or back up) the node data directory.

Geth:

docker compose down && rm -rf ./geth_data

Reth:

docker compose down && rm -rf ./reth_data

2. Prepare the node data directory

Geth:

mkdir ./geth_data

Reth:

mkdir ./reth_data

3. Download the snapshot

Depending on the execution client and pruning mode you plan to run, execute one of the commands below.

Before downloading, make sure you have sufficient disk space available.

Network	Client	Pruning	Command
GIWA Sepolia	Geth	Full	curl -sL https://sepolia-snapshot.giwa.io/download.sh | sh -s -- -c geth -p full -o ./geth_data
GIWA Sepolia	Geth	Archive	curl -sL https://sepolia-snapshot.giwa.io/download.sh | sh -s -- -c geth -p archive -o ./geth_data
GIWA Sepolia	Reth	Full	curl -sL https://sepolia-snapshot.giwa.io/download.sh | sh -s -- -c reth -p full -o ./reth_data
GIWA Sepolia	Reth	Archive	curl -sL https://sepolia-snapshot.giwa.io/download.sh | sh -s -- -c reth -p archive -o ./reth_data

4. Extract the snapshot

Extract the downloaded snapshot archive into your data directory.

Geth:

tar --zstd -xf <snapshot-file.tar.zst> -C ./geth_data​

Reth:

tar --zstd -xf <snapshot-file.tar.zst> -C ./reth_data

5. Start your GIWA node

Follow the instructions in the giwa-io/node repository and start your node using docker compose.