Create Your L1

Quick guide to creating a subnet and converting it to an L1 with required precompiles

This section provides a streamlined walkthrough for creating a new L1 from scratch.

You should already have a created L1 from the [Permissioned L1 course] with the Validator Manager Contract correctly set up that you can use to transform into a Permissionless L1.

Step 1: Create Subnet with necessary Precompiles

When creating your subnet, you must enable the Native Minter and Reward Manager precompiles in your genesis configuration. These are essential for native token staking:

Native Minter: Allows the staking manager to mint reward tokens
Reward Manager: Automates reward distribution to validators

Step 2: Add Initial Validator

Set Up Validator Node

Launch a node to track your Subnet. This node will become a validator for your Subnet, and later will be managed by the Validator Manager contract when we convert to L1.

Use our free managed testnet infrastructure - no Docker installation or AWS account required:

Managing Your Nodes

After creating nodes, you can view and manage them at the Testnet Infrastructure Console.

Managed nodes automatically shut down after 3 days. For production or extended testing, see the self-hosted option below.

Production & Extended Testing Environments

For production environments or extended testing periods, you should use Docker to run your nodes.

Step 3: Convert Subnet to L1

Once your subnet is running with a validator, convert it to a sovereign L1. This process:

Establishes Sovereignty: Your blockchain becomes independent
Transfers Authority: Validator management shifts from P-Chain to your Validator Manager Contract
Is Irreversible: Once converted, you cannot revert to subnet status

Key Conversion Parameters

Subnet ID: Your subnet's unique identifier
Validator Manager Blockchain ID: Where your VMC will be deployed (typically your L1)
Validator Manager Address: The proxy address (usually 0xfacade0000000000000000000000000000000000)
Initial Validators: The validator(s) from your subnet

Next Steps

Now that your L1 is created with the required precompiles, you're ready to deploy and configure your Validator Manager Contract.

For detailed information about subnet creation, see the Permissioned L1s course.