Registering a Pool

version reference

This document was written in May 2026 with reference to cardano-node and cardano-cli v11

Pool registration requires:

1. A metadata JSON file hosted at a public HTTPS URL
2. A pool registration certificate (signed with cold keys on the air-gapped machine)
3. A delegation certificate (pledging your stake to your own pool)
4. A transaction submitting both certificates

This page assumes you have completed Generating Wallet Keys, Registering a Stake Address, and Key Generation. You will need your cold keys (cold.vkey, cold.skey), which live on your air-gapped machine.

Create pool metadata

cat > poolMetaData.json << EOF
{
  "name": "Your Pool Name",
  "description": "Your pool description",
  "ticker": "TICK",
  "homepage": "https://yourpool.example.com"
}
EOF

• ticker: 3–9 characters, A–Z and 0–9 only
• description: 255 characters maximum
• homepage: your pool's website

Hash the file:

cardano-cli stake-pool metadata-hash \
    --pool-metadata-file poolMetaData.json \
    --out-file poolMetaDataHash.txt

Host poolMetaData.json at a public HTTPS URL with no redirects. The URL must be 64 characters or fewer. Verify the hosted file matches your local hash:

cardano-cli stake-pool metadata-hash \
    --pool-metadata-file <(curl -s -L https://YOUR_METADATA_URL)

cat poolMetaDataHash.txt

Both hashes must be identical. If they differ, re-upload the file (extra whitespace or encoding differences are common causes).

SPO identity — Calidus keys

After registering your pool, consider registering a Calidus key. It lets explorers (Cardanoscan, Cexplorer, AdaStat), governance tools, and APIs verify your SPO identity with a hot key — without ever touching your cold key again.

Generate the pool registration certificate

Do this on your air-gapped machine where cold.skey lives.

Fetch current protocol parameters on an online node first:

cardano-cli query protocol-parameters --out-file protocol.json
minPoolCost=$(jq -r '.minPoolCost' protocol.json)
echo "Minimum pool cost: $minPoolCost lovelace"

Transfer protocol.json, vrf.vkey, stake.vkey, and poolMetaDataHash.txt to the air-gapped machine, then generate the certificate:

cardano-cli stake-pool registration-certificate \
    --cold-verification-key-file cold.vkey \
    --vrf-verification-key-file vrf.vkey \
    --pool-pledge 10000000000 \
    --pool-cost 340000000 \
    --pool-margin 0.01 \
    --pool-reward-account-verification-key-file stake.vkey \
    --pool-owner-stake-verification-key-file stake.vkey \
    --single-host-pool-relay relay1.yourpool.example.com \
    --pool-relay-port 3001 \
    --metadata-url https://YOUR_METADATA_URL \
    --metadata-hash $(cat poolMetaDataHash.txt) \
    --out-file pool.cert

Parameter	Notes
--pool-pledge	Amount in lovelace you commit to keep delegated. Higher pledge improves desirability.
--pool-cost	Fixed fee per epoch in lovelace taken before margin. Minimum is minPoolCost (currently 170 ADA on mainnet).
--pool-margin	Your variable fee as a fraction (e.g. 0.01 = 1%).
--single-host-pool-relay	DNS name of your relay. Add one --single-host-pool-relay + --pool-relay-port pair per relay. For IP-based relays use --pool-relay-ipv4.

Multiple relays

Add one flag pair per relay:

    --single-host-pool-relay relay1.yourpool.example.com --pool-relay-port 3001 \
    --single-host-pool-relay relay2.yourpool.example.com --pool-relay-port 3001 \

Generate the delegation certificate

Also on the air-gapped machine, create a delegation certificate that pledges your stake to your pool:

cardano-cli stake-address delegation-certificate \
    --stake-verification-key-file stake.vkey \
    --cold-verification-key-file cold.vkey \
    --out-file deleg.cert

Transfer pool.cert and deleg.cert back to your online machine.

Submit the certificates

Query the current slot:

currentSlot=$(cardano-cli query tip | jq -r '.slot')

Build the transaction:

cardano-cli conway transaction build \
    --tx-in $(cardano-cli query utxo --address $(cat payment.addr) --out-file /dev/stdout | jq -r 'keys[0]') \
    --change-address $(cat payment.addr) \
    --certificate-file pool.cert \
    --certificate-file deleg.cert \
    --invalid-hereafter $(( currentSlot + 1000 )) \
    --witness-override 3 \
    --out-file tx.raw

Sign with payment, cold, and stake keys. The cold signing key must be available — bring it from the air-gapped machine for this step only, or sign in two passes using --signing-key-file once per key on separate machines:

cardano-cli conway transaction sign \
    --tx-body-file tx.raw \
    --signing-key-file payment.skey \
    --signing-key-file cold.skey \
    --signing-key-file stake.skey \
    --out-file tx.signed

Submit:

cardano-cli conway transaction submit --tx-file tx.signed

Verify registration

Get your pool ID:

cardano-cli stake-pool id \
    --cold-verification-key-file cold.vkey \
    --output-format hex \
    > stakepoolid.txt

cat stakepoolid.txt

Check it has appeared on-chain:

cardano-cli query stake-snapshot --stake-pool-id $(cat stakepoolid.txt)

A non-empty result means registration was successful. It may take one epoch boundary to appear in tools and explorers. You can also verify on a block explorer.