Cutter 16
$ 62 /month
- vCPU
- 6 × dedicated
- RAM
- 16 GB
- Storage
- 320 GB NVMe SSD
- Transfer
- 15 TB
- IPv4 / IPv6
- 1 / /64 routed
Solution
VPS for blockchain nodes and validators
Cutter 16 · $62/moClipper 32 · $174/mo
Short answer
Blockchain nodes are storage and IO monsters. A Bitcoin full node needs about 700 GB and grows; an Ethereum archive node needs several terabytes. Validators additionally need uptime, because downtime is slashable. Use NVMe without exception — HDD cannot keep up with chain sync — and pick a jurisdiction that will not compel you to identify yourself as an operator.
What you need
| Resource | What you actually need |
|---|---|
| CPU | 4–8 dedicated cores |
| RAM | 16 GB for most full nodes, 32 GB for Ethereum with a full mempool |
| Disk | NVMe only. 1 TB for Bitcoin with headroom, 2 TB+ for Ethereum |
| Uptime | 99.99% SLA — validator downtime is a direct financial penalty |
Recommended plans
Clipper 32
$ 174 /month
- vCPU
- 12 × dedicated
- RAM
- 32 GB
- Storage
- 800 GB NVMe Gen4 SSD
- Transfer
- 40 TB
- IPv4 / IPv6
- 1 / /64 routed
Hold 8
$ 39 /month
- vCPU
- 4 × shared
- RAM
- 8 GB
- Storage
- 4 TB Enterprise HDD
- Transfer
- 30 TB
- IPv4 / IPv6
- 1 / /64 routed
Recommended locations
Location is usually the decision that matters most for this workload — either because latency dominates, or because jurisdiction does.
Why OnionVPS for this
- NVMe Gen4 on the Clipper line keeps initial sync in hours rather than days.
- A published 99.99% uptime SLA with credits, which matters when downtime is slashable.
- No-KYC provisioning means running a node does not create an identity record tying you to it.
- Locations outside the alliances, for operators who would rather not be enumerable.
How to set it up
-
Choose storage before anything else
Check the chain's current size, then double it — chains only grow.
-
Deploy a Clipper or Cutter with NVMe
Never run a node on HDD; initial sync will not finish in a reasonable time.
-
Run the client under systemd with restart on failure
And monitor peer count, not just process liveness.
-
Open only the p2p port
RPC should never face the internet without authentication and an IP allowlist.
-
Snapshot before every client upgrade
A failed upgrade on a validator is expensive; a snapshot makes it a five-minute rollback.
Frequently asked questions
What specs does an Ethereum node need?
A full node needs 4 cores, 16 GB of RAM and at least 2 TB of NVMe with room to grow. An archive node needs several times that storage. HDD is not viable for either.
Can I run a validator on a VPS?
Yes, and many do. Uptime and disk latency are what matter; use a location with a published SLA and never share the withdrawal key with the box.
Do you allow mining?
Proof-of-work mining is not permitted on shared infrastructure — it degrades every neighbour on the host. Validators, full nodes and RPC endpoints are all welcome.