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Guide

Run a Dogecoin node on a VPS.

Dogecoin Core is the reference client for Dogecoin. This guide sets up a full node on Ubuntu 24.04 and runs it as a service.

Updated 2026-11-11 · Published by AnonVPS

What you need

A VECTOR plan or larger (4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 120 GB NVMe). Choose Dogecoin Node in the configurator.
The chain was roughly 70 GB or more and grows steadily, so leave room.
The minimum plan is indicative: check the Dogecoin Core documentation before ordering.

1. Update the server and create a user

Log in as root over SSH or the in-browser console, then update the system and create an unprivileged user for daily work. The node itself will run under its own service account, never as root.

Update and create an admin user

apt update && apt full-upgrade -y
adduser admin
usermod -aG sudo admin
rsync --archive --chown=admin:admin ~/.ssh /home/admin
# log out, then log back in as admin

2. Open only the port the node needs

Allow SSH and the Dogecoin peer-to-peer port. Keep the RPC and API ports closed to the internet: they are not meant to face the public network.

Firewall

sudo apt install -y ufw
sudo ufw default deny incoming
sudo ufw default allow outgoing
sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow 22556/tcp
sudo ufw enable
sudo ufw status

3. Create the service account

Account and directories

sudo useradd --system --create-home --home-dir /var/lib/dogecoind --shell /usr/sbin/nologin dogecoin
sudo install -d -m 755 /etc/dogecoin

4. Download and verify Dogecoin Core

Releases are published on the Dogecoin Core GitHub releases page. Download the Linux x86_64 archive and compare its checksum with the one listed with the release.

Download

VER=VERSION_FROM_THE_RELEASES_PAGE   # example format: 1.14.9
cd /tmp
wget https://github.com/dogecoin/dogecoin/releases/download/v$VER/dogecoin-$VER-x86_64-linux-gnu.tar.gz

Verify (compare with the checksum on the release page)

sha256sum dogecoin-$VER-x86_64-linux-gnu.tar.gz

Install

tar -xzf dogecoin-$VER-x86_64-linux-gnu.tar.gz
sudo install -m 0755 -o root -g root -t /usr/local/bin dogecoin-$VER/bin/dogecoind dogecoin-$VER/bin/dogecoin-cli
dogecoind --version | head -1

5. Configure

/etc/dogecoin/dogecoin.conf

sudo tee /etc/dogecoin/dogecoin.conf >/dev/null <<'EOF'
datadir=/var/lib/dogecoind
dbcache=1000
maxconnections=40
listen=1
server=1
rpcbind=127.0.0.1
rpcallowip=127.0.0.1
rpcuser=doge
rpcpassword=CHANGE-THIS-TO-A-LONG-RANDOM-STRING
EOF
sudo chown root:dogecoin /etc/dogecoin/dogecoin.conf
sudo chmod 640 /etc/dogecoin/dogecoin.conf

Generate a strong RPC password

openssl rand -hex 24

6. Run it with systemd

/etc/systemd/system/dogecoind.service

sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/dogecoind.service >/dev/null <<'EOF'
[Unit]
Description=Dogecoin Core daemon
After=network-online.target
Wants=network-online.target

[Service]
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/dogecoind -conf=/etc/dogecoin/dogecoin.conf
User=dogecoin
Group=dogecoin
Type=simple
Restart=on-failure
TimeoutStopSec=600
PrivateTmp=true
NoNewPrivileges=true

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now dogecoind
sudo systemctl status dogecoind --no-pager

7. Check sync

Status

alias doge='sudo -u dogecoin dogecoin-cli -conf=/etc/dogecoin/dogecoin.conf'
doge getblockchaininfo | grep -E 'blocks|headers|verificationprogress'
doge getconnectioncount
journalctl -u dogecoind -n 30 --no-pager

FAQ

Common questions

Which port does Dogecoin use?

22556/tcp for peers. Keep RPC closed to the internet.

Can I run it pruned?

This guide runs a full node. Check the Dogecoin Core documentation for pruning support in your version before relying on it.

How long does it take to sync?

Hours to a couple of days, depending on the plan and peers.

Where are the wallet files?

In the node's data directory. Keep funds in a wallet on a device you control, not on the server.

Keep reading

Blockchain node setup guide

How to run your own blockchain node on a VPS from scratch: choose a plan, secure the server, verify downloads, run a systemd service and check sync.

Bitcoin node setup guide

Run a pruned Bitcoin Core node on a VPS: install, verify, configure, run with systemd, open the firewall and check sync. Copy-and-paste commands.

VPS hardening checklist: secure a new Linux server in 15 minutes

A practical checklist for a new Linux VPS: SSH keys, a non-root user, firewall, automatic updates and backups, with the commands.

Order a server with the right plan preselected.

Open the configurator