# Set up the Pigeon Relayer
Pigeon is a Golang cross-chain message relayer system for Paloma validators to deliver messages to any blockchain. Pigeon is actively maintained by the Volume Finance team.
Validators must run Pigeon
palomad
requires pigeon to be running. If you're a validator with stake you additionally need to keep the minimum amount of the native token of each supported target chain to avoid getting jailed. This ensures that all validators maintain the core functionality of cross-chain messaging.
Validators running pigeon are expected to support all chains that Paloma is targeting. Target chains are added when they pass governance. Pigeons must have a wallet for each supported chain and have a balance in the native denomination for each chain high enough to pay gas for remote message execution on the target chains. Validators who don’t have a sufficient balance will be jailed. However, Pigeons are reimbursed for their gas expenses.
# Installation
Start by installing the binary on your validator environment:
# Mainnet
On mainnet tumbler
the latest tag is v2.1.0
wget -O - https://github.com/palomachain/pigeon/releases/download/v2.1.0/pigeon_Linux_x86_64.tar.gz | \
tar -C /usr/local/bin -xvzf - pigeon
chmod +x /usr/local/bin/pigeon
mkdir ~/.pigeon
# Testnet
On testnet paloma-testnet-16
the latest tag is v2.1.0
wget -O - https://github.com/palomachain/pigeon/releases/download/v2.1.0/pigeon_Linux_x86_64.tar.gz | \
tar -C /usr/local/bin -xvzf - pigeon
chmod +x /usr/local/bin/pigeon
mkdir ~/.pigeon
# Set up your keys
Next, set up your EVM keys. You will need a different key for each supported live target chain.
# Create a new key
Ethereum mainnet
pigeon evm keys generate-new ~/.pigeon/keys/evm/eth-main
Binance Smart Chain mainnet
pigeon evm keys generate-new ~/.pigeon/keys/evm/bnb-main
Polygon mainnet
pigeon evm keys generate-new ~/.pigeon/keys/evm/matic-main
Optimism Mainnet
pigeon evm keys generate-new ~/.pigeon/keys/evm/op-main
Base Mainnet
pigeon evm keys generate-new ~/.pigeon/keys/evm/base-main
Gnosis Mainnet
pigeon evm keys generate-new ~/.pigeon/keys/evm/gnosis-main
Arbitrum Mainnet
pigeon evm keys generate-new ~/.pigeon/keys/evm/arbitrum-main
Blast Mainnet
pigeon evm keys generate-new ~/.pigeon/keys/evm/blast-main
# Import existing EVM private keys:
Ethereum mainnet
pigeon evm keys import ~/.pigeon/keys/evm/eth-main
Binance Smart Chain mainnet
pigeon evm keys import ~/.pigeon/keys/evm/bnb-main
Polygon mainnet
pigeon evm keys import ~/.pigeon/keys/evm/matic-main
Optimism Mainnet
pigeon evm keys import ~/.pigeon/keys/evm/op-main
Kava Mainnet
pigeon evm keys import ~/.pigeon/keys/evm/kava-main
Base Mainnet
pigeon evm keys import ~/.pigeon/keys/evm/base-main
Gnosis Mainnet
pigeon evm keys import ~/.pigeon/keys/evm/gnosis-main
Arbitrum Mainnet
pigeon evm keys import ~/.pigeon/keys/evm/arbitrum-main
Blast Mainnet
pigeon evm keys import ~/.pigeon/keys/evm/blast-main
Ensure that your keys are stored safe and securly.
# Configuration
Ensure your Paloma Cosmos-SDK keys are stored and available on your environment.
palomad keys add "$VALIDATOR" --recover
Set the VALIDATOR env variable:
export VALIDATOR="$(palomad keys list --list-names | head -n1)"
In the pigeon directory, create your validator's configuration file
~/.pigeon/config.yaml
.
loop-timeout: 5s
health-check-port: 5757
paloma:
chain-id: <paloma chain id>
call-timeout: 20s
keyring-dir: ~/.paloma
keyring-pass-env-name: PALOMA_KEYRING_PASS
keyring-type: os
signing-key: ${VALIDATOR}
base-rpc-url: http://localhost:26657
gas-adjustment: 3.0
gas-prices: 0.01ugrain
account-prefix: paloma
evm:
eth-main:
chain-id: 1
base-rpc-url: ${ETH_RPC_URL}
keyring-pass-env-name: ETH_PASSWORD
signing-key: ${ETH_SIGNING_KEY}
keyring-dir: ~/.pigeon/keys/evm/eth-main
gas-adjustment: 2
tx-type: 2
bnb-main:
chain-id: 56
base-rpc-url: ${BNB_RPC_URL}
keyring-pass-env-name: BNB_PASSWORD
signing-key: ${BNB_SIGNING_KEY}
keyring-dir: ~/.pigeon/keys/evm/bnb-main
gas-adjustment: 1
tx-type: 0
matic-main:
chain-id: 137
base-rpc-url: ${MATIC_RPC_URL}
keyring-pass-env-name: MATIC_PASSWORD
signing-key: ${MATIC_SIGNING_KEY}
keyring-dir: ~/.pigeon/keys/evm/matic-main
gas-adjustment: 2
tx-type: 2
op-main:
chain-id: 10
base-rpc-url: ${OP_RPC_URL}
keyring-pass-env-name: OP_PASSWORD
signing-key: ${OP_SIGNING_KEY}
keyring-dir: /root/.pigeon/keys/evm/op-main
gas-adjustment: 2
tx-type: 2
kava-main:
chain-id: 2222
base-rpc-url: ${KAVA_RPC_URL}
keyring-pass-env-name: KAVA_PASSWORD
signing-key: ${KAVA_SIGNING_KEY}
keyring-dir: /root/.pigeon/keys/evm/kava-main
gas-adjustment: 2
tx-type: 2
base-main:
chain-id: 8453
base-rpc-url: ${BASE_RPC_URL}
keyring-pass-env-name: BASE_PASSWORD
signing-key: ${BASE_SIGNING_KEY}
keyring-dir: /root/.pigeon/keys/evm/base-main
gas-adjustment: 2
tx-type: 2
arbitrum-main:
chain-id: 42161
base-rpc-url: ${ARB_RPC_URL}
keyring-pass-env-name: ARB_PASSWORD
signing-key: ${ARB_SIGNING_KEY}
keyring-dir: /root/.pigeon/keys/evm/arbitrum-main
gas-adjustment: 2
tx-type: 2
gnosis-main:
chain-id: 100
base-rpc-url: ${GNOSIS_RPC_URL}
keyring-pass-env-name: GNOSIS_PASSWORD
signing-key: ${GNOSIS_SIGNING_KEY}
keyring-dir: /root/.pigeon/keys/evm/gnosis-main
gas-adjustment: 2
tx-type: 2
blast-main:
chain-id: 81457
base-rpc-url: ${BLAST_RPC_URL}
keyring-pass-env-name: BLAST_PASSWORD
signing-key: ${BLAST_SIGNING_KEY}
keyring-dir: ~/.pigeon/keys/evm/blast-main
gas-adjustment: 2
tx-type: 2
Once the setup of Pigeon is successful, you can start sending messages. Before that, Pigeon must know the actor relaying message across the network by defining its keys:
cat <<EOT >~/.pigeon/env.sh
PALOMA_KEYRING_PASS=<your Paloma key password>
ETH_RPC_URL=<Your Ethereum mainnet RPC URL>
ETH_PASSWORD=<Your ETH Key Password>
ETH_SIGNING_KEY=<Your ETH SIGNING KEY>
BNB_RPC_URL=<Your Ethereum mainnet RPC URL>
BNB_PASSWORD=<Your ETH Key Password>
BNB_SIGNING_KEY=<Your ETH SIGNING KEY>
MATIC_RPC_URL=<Your Binance mainnet RPC URL>
MATIC_PASSWORD=<Your BNB Key Password>
MATIC_SIGNING_KEY=<Your BNB SIGNING KEY>
BASE_RPC_URL=<Your Base mainnet RPC URL>
BASE_PASSWORD=<Your Base Key Password>
BASE_SIGNING_KEY=<Your Base SIGNING KEY>
GNOSIS_RPC_URL=<Your Gnosis mainnet RPC URL>
GNOSIS_PASSWORD=<Your Gnosis Key Password>
GNOSIS_SIGNING_KEY=<Your Gnosis SIGNING KEY>
VALIDATOR=<VALIDATOR NAME>
EOT
Ensure that the new variables are avaible for use:
source ~/.pigeon/env.sh
You can then, start pigeon with:
pigeon start
# Register pigeon as a service
You can run Pigeon as a systemd process on your node so that it will automatically restart on server reboots or crashes. Validators are responsible for actively maintaining relayed messages and verifying the state of the chain.
Make sure you have configured ~/.pigeon/env.sh
as above. Then create a systemctl configuration:
cat <<EOT >/etc/systemd/system/pigeond.service
[Unit]
Description=Pigeon daemon
After=network-online.target
ConditionPathExists=/usr/local/bin/pigeon
[Service]
Type=simple
Restart=always
RestartSec=5
User=${USER}
WorkingDirectory=~
EnvironmentFile=${HOME}/.pigeon/env.sh
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/pigeon start
ExecReload=
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOT
Start Pigeon:
service pigeond start
# Check that it's running successfully:
service pigeond status
# Or watch the logs:
journalctl -u pigeond.service -f -n 100