Kaspa NG on Windows guide

Before you start

Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit
8 processor cores
16 GB of memory, 32 GB recommended
640 GB free on an SSD, 1 TB recommended
A steady connection of 80 Mbit/s (10 MB/s) or more
An administrator account

Download Kaspa NG

Get the newest release from the official GitHub page.

Open the Kaspa NG releases page.
Take the newest release, at the top.
Under Assets, download kaspa-ng-vX.X.X-windows-x64.zip.

Install it

There is no installer. Unzip it into a folder that stays put.

Right-click the .zip in Downloads, choose Properties, tick Unblock if it is there, and choose OK.
Right-click it again and choose Extract All.
Move the folder it makes somewhere permanent, such as your Documents folder. Inside are kaspa-ng.exe, the app, and kaspa-ng-console.exe, the same app with a log window.
Right-click kaspa-ng.exe and choose Pin to Start, so it is easy to find.

Open it the first time

Double-click kaspa-ng.exe. Windows may warn about apps from outside the Microsoft Store. This is expected.

If Windows says it protected your PC, choose More info, then Run anyway.
If Windows Firewall asks, choose Allow access.

It worked when

Kaspa NG opens on its welcome screen

Set up the node

The welcome screen asks for a few settings the first time.

Under Kaspa Network, choose Mainnet, the live network. Testnet is for developers.
Under Kaspa p2p Node & Connection, keep Integrated Daemon. Remote uses someone else's node, and Disabled runs none.
Pick a language and theme, then choose Apply. The node starts.

The node keeps the chain in %LOCALAPPDATA%\rusty-kaspa. To keep it on a larger drive, open Settings, then Data Storage, and set a custom data storage folder.

Let it sync

The node downloads the chain from other nodes and checks every block itself. It only has to do this once.

The main window shows progress, block height against the network's, and peers. On a machine that meets the requirements it usually takes one to two hours, longer on a slower disk or connection. You can keep using the computer; just leave Kaspa NG open.

It has synced when

Progress reaches 100%, or it says Synced
Your block height matches the network's
New blocks arrive many times a second

Create a wallet

Kaspa NG includes a wallet for sending, receiving and keeping KAS. Optional for running a node.

Write the seed phrase on paper. Never photograph it, store it on a computer or share it. It is the only way to get the wallet back. The password only protects the wallet on this computer; lose the seed phrase and the funds are gone.

Open Wallet, then create a new wallet.
Write down the 12 or 24 words, in order. Kaspa NG asks for some of them back.
Choose a strong password.
Your address appears, starting kaspa:.

Check it is working

A running node shows all of these.

It is working when

It says Synced, or 100%
8 or more peers are connected
The block height keeps rising
The log shows no repeating errors

Make it public

Optional, and the most useful thing you can do. Your node reaches out to others already; a public one also lets them reach it, which helps new nodes join and sync.

Kaspa NG asks your router to open port 16111 by itself (UPnP), so it may be public already. Check with Check my node after an hour. If it isn't, forward the port by hand:

Find this computer's local address (Settings, Network & internet, your connection, Properties), for example 192.168.1.42.
Open your router's admin page, usually at 192.168.1.1 or 192.168.0.1.
Add a port forwarding rule: TCP, external port 16111, to that address, port 16111. Save it.

If inbound connections still don't arrive, allow Kaspa NG in Windows Security, Firewall & network protection, Allow an app through firewall, for both Private and Public networks.

Router menus differ. portforward.com has steps for most models.

It is public when

Kaspa NG shows inbound peers, often 20 to 50 or more
It appears on KasNodes after the next crawl

Troubleshooting

The usual problems and what fixes them.

There is no Run anyway button

Choose More info first. If it still isn't there, right-click kaspa-ng.exe, open Properties, tick Unblock, and try again.

I want to see the log

Open kaspa-ng-console.exe instead of kaspa-ng.exe. It is the same app, with a window showing what the node is doing.

My antivirus blocks Kaspa NG

Some antivirus software flags blockchain apps. Add Kaspa NG to its exclusions; the code is open on GitHub if you want to check it.

The sync is stuck

It has usually lost its peers. Check the connection, quit and reopen Kaspa NG, turn off any VPN while syncing, and check the firewall isn't blocking it. Still stuck after ten minutes? Ask in the Kaspa Discord.

It shows 0 peers

It can't reach the network. Check the connection and the firewall; work networks often block peer-to-peer traffic. Restart Kaspa NG first.

The computer is slow while it runs

Syncing works the computer hard, and it passes. With less than 16 GB of memory, close other apps while it syncs, and expect trouble later: the node needs 16 GB. You can quit and reopen it; the sync carries on where it stopped.

The disk is filling up

Free some space, or move the chain to a larger drive with a custom data storage folder in Kaspa NG's settings. Keep 640 GB free for it; 1 TB is better.

I forgot my wallet password

With the seed phrase you can restore it: remove the wallet in Kaspa NG, add it again from the seed phrase and set a new password. Without the seed phrase the funds can't be recovered.

It isn't public after forwarding the port

Check this computer's local address hasn't changed, the rule is TCP not UDP, and try your router's Virtual Servers section if it has one. Restart the router. Some internet providers block inbound connections at home.

Running? Put your name on it.

Once the node shows up in a crawl you can claim it, pick a public name and follow its rank.

All setup methods Claim my node