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This guide will walk you through everything you need to start earning token rewards by running a verifier bot. The entire setup process takes about 15-30 minutes.

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Prerequisites

Before you begin, you’ll need:
  • A VPS or cloud instance (2 CPU, 4GB RAM minimum) - $5-10/month
    • Recommended: DigitalOcean, Linode, AWS EC2, or any Linux VPS
  • Docker installed on your server
  • 10-20 USDC for initial stake pool
  • Internet Identity for dashboard authentication

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Step 1: Set Up Your Verifier Dashboard Account

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1.1 Create Your Account

  1. Visit prometheusprotocol.org/verifiers
  2. Click the “Login” button and log in with Internet Identity
  3. Complete the verifier onboarding flow

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1.2 Deposit Your Initial Stake

Your stake pool is used as collateral for reserving bounties. We recommend starting with 10-20 USDC:
  1. In the dashboard, click “Deposit Stake”
  2. Enter the amount (e.g., 10 USDC)
  3. Confirm the deposit transaction
The deposit is processed automatically—no manual approvals needed. How much to stake?
  • 10 USDC = ~30 concurrent verifications (beginner)
  • 20 USDC = ~60 concurrent verifications (active)
  • 50+ USDC = 150+ concurrent verifications (professional)
Each verification requires 0.30 USDC collateral, which is returned upon completion.

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1.3 Generate API Credentials

Your bot will use API credentials to interact with the protocol:
  1. In the dashboard, navigate to “API Credentials”
  2. Click “Generate New API Key”
  3. Give it a descriptive name (e.g., “Production Bot 1”)
  4. Copy and save the API key securely - it won’t be shown again
Why use separate API keys?
  • Selective revocation: If a bot is compromised, revoke only that specific key without affecting other bots
  • Per-key metrics: Monitor performance and earnings separately for each bot (coming soon)
  • Multi-bot management: Run bots on different servers with isolated credentials
Security Note: API keys can reserve bounties and submit attestations, but cannot withdraw funds without WebAuthn confirmation in the dashboard.

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Step 2: Set Up Your Server

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2.1 Install Docker

If Docker isn’t already installed on your VPS: 
# For Ubuntu/Debian
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh
sudo sh get-docker.sh
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
# Log out and back in for group changes to take effect

# Verify installation
docker --version
docker-compose --version

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2.2 Clone the Verifier Bot Repository

# Clone the Prometheus Protocol repository
git clone https://github.com/prometheus-protocol/prometheus-protocol.git
cd prometheus-protocol/packages/apps/verifier-bot
Alternative: Use the Public Docker Image If you prefer not to build from source, you can use the pre-built public Docker image: 
# Pull the latest verifier bot image
docker pull ghcr.io/prometheus-protocol/verifier-bot:latest

# Run directly with environment variables
docker run -d \
  --name verifier-bot \
  -e VERIFIER_API_KEY=your_api_key_here \
  -e NETWORK=ic \
  ghcr.io/prometheus-protocol/verifier-bot:latest
This image is automatically built and published from the main repository.

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2.3 Configure Environment Variables

Create your .env file with your API credentials: 
cd deployment
cp .env.example .env
nano .env  # or use your preferred editor
Edit the .env file and set: 
# Your API key from the dashboard
VERIFIER_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

# Network configuration (local for testing, ic for production)
NETWORK=ic

# Optional: GitHub token for private repos (if needed)
GITHUB_TOKEN=your_github_token_here
Save and close the file.

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Step 3: Build and Run Your Verifier Bot

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3.1 Build Docker Images

First, build the base Docker images for reproducible builds: 
# From the deployment directory
docker-compose build --no-cache
This builds the deterministic Docker environment that will be used for all verifications.

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3.2 Start Your Verifier Bot

docker-compose up -d
What this does:
  • Starts your verifier bot in the background (daemon mode)
  • Bot begins polling for pending verifications every 60 seconds
  • Automatically reserves bounties, performs builds, and claims rewards

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3.3 Monitor Your Bot

Check that your bot is running correctly: 
# View logs in real-time
docker-compose logs -f

# Check running containers
docker ps

# View recent logs
docker-compose logs --tail=100
You should see output like: 
verifier-bot | Found 3 pending verification(s)
verifier-bot | Reserving bounty 12345...
verifier-bot | Building WASM from https://github.com/example/repo.git @ abc123...
verifier-bot | Build completed in 8.3 seconds
verifier-bot | Hash match: ✅ 0x1234abcd...
verifier-bot | Filing attestation...
verifier-bot | Claiming bounty...
verifier-bot | ✅ Reward transferred to verifier

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Step 4: Monitor Your Earnings

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4.1 Dashboard Overview

Return to the Verifier Dashboard to monitor your operations: Real-time Metrics:
  • Total verifications completed
  • Active stakes and locks
  • Earned rewards (available for withdrawal)
  • Performance metrics and uptime
  • Recent verification history

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4.2 Withdraw Earnings

When you’re ready to withdraw your earnings:
  1. In the dashboard, navigate to “Earnings”
  2. Click “Withdraw”
  3. Enter the amount you want to withdraw
  4. Confirm with WebAuthn
  5. USDC is transferred to your wallet
Note: You can withdraw anytime. Withdrawn funds are immediately available in your wallet.

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Step 5: Scaling Your Operation

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5.1 Running Multiple Bots

To increase throughput, you can run multiple bots on different servers:
  1. Set up additional VPS instances
  2. Follow steps 2-3 for each instance
  3. Use the same API key - all bots share your dashboard stake pool
  4. Monitor all bots from one centralized dashboard

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5.2 Optimizing Performance

Tips for maximizing earnings:
  • Use SSD storage for faster git clones and builds
  • Place VPS in regions close to GitHub servers (US-East, EU-West)
  • Monitor the dashboard for peak verification times
  • Add more stake during high-demand periods
  • Keep Docker images up to date

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5.3 Auto-Restart on Failure

Configure automatic restarts if your bot crashes: 
# Edit docker-compose.yml and add:
restart: unless-stopped

# Then restart:
docker-compose down
docker-compose up -d

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Troubleshooting

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Bot Not Finding Verifications

Check:
  • API key is correctly set in .env
  • Network is set to ic (not local)
  • Bot has internet connectivity
  • Docker containers are running: docker ps

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Insufficient Stake Errors

Solution:
  • Check your available stake in the dashboard
  • Deposit more USDC to your stake pool
  • Each verification requires 0.30 USDC collateral

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Build Failures

Check:
  • Docker has sufficient disk space: df -h
  • Docker images are up to date: docker-compose pull
  • Logs for specific error messages: docker-compose logs --tail=500

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Stake Not Returning

Possible causes:
  • Verification is still in progress (check dashboard)
  • Network issues prevented claim transaction (bot will retry)
  • 1-hour timeout expired (stake was slashed for abandonment)
Fix:
  • Check “Active Stakes” in dashboard for details
  • Ensure bot is running and connected
  • Contact support if stake appears stuck

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Advanced Configuration

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Custom Polling Interval

Edit packages/apps/verifier-bot/src/index.ts: 
// Change polling interval (default: 60 seconds)
setInterval(pollAndVerify, 30_000); // 30 seconds
Rebuild and restart: 
docker-compose build --no-cache
docker-compose up -d

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Monitoring with External Tools

Set up Prometheus/Grafana monitoring:
  1. Export metrics from your bot
  2. Configure Prometheus to scrape metrics
  3. Create Grafana dashboards for:
    • Verifications per hour
    • Success rate
    • Earnings over time
    • Stake utilization

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Security Best Practices

Protect Your API Key

  • Never commit .env files to git - Use separate API keys for testing and production - Rotate API keys periodically - Revoke compromised keys immediately in the dashboard

Server Security

  • Keep your VPS updated: sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade - Use SSH keys instead of passwords - Configure firewall rules (only necessary ports open) - Enable automatic security updates

Monitor Regularly

  • Check dashboard daily for anomalies - Set up alerts for failed verifications
  • Review bot logs weekly - Monitor stake utilization

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Getting Help

🎉 Congratulations! You’re now earning passive income by securing the open agent economy. Your bot will continue verifying builds automatically while you monitor earnings in the dashboard.