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Follow this path when the goal is straightforward: start a production video orchestrator, enter the active set, and claim a first LPT reward. AI pipelines, dual mode, and pool joining build on this baseline.
By the end, the orchestrator node is running on Arbitrum One mainnet, processing video transcoding jobs, and has successfully called Reward() to claim its first LPT inflation allocation. Plan for 4 to 8 hours. LPT acquisition and bridge confirmation usually take the longest. Success criteria:
  • The node appears on Livepeer Explorer in the active set
  • At least one reward round has completed and ETH + LPT balances reflect earnings

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Prerequisites

Acquiring LPT on Arbitrum One usually takes hours because exchange support and bridge confirmation timing vary. Start once LPT is already in the wallet, or reserve that waiting time up front.

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Step 1: Install go-livepeer

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Step 2: Configure the node

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Step 3: Fund the wallet

Two assets are needed on Arbitrum One:
  1. ETH - for gas (reward calls, ticket redemption, activation). Keep at least 0.01 ETH.
  2. LPT - for staking. The active set is the top 100 orchestrators by total stake. Check the current threshold at Livepeer Explorer before acquiring.
This is the waiting step. Bridge ETH from Ethereum L1 at bridge.arbitrum.io with a typical 10 to 15 minute confirmation, or buy directly from a centralised exchange with Arbitrum One withdrawal support. LPT acquisition follows the timeline of the exchange path you choose and usually takes longer.
Verify balances are available: 
docker exec livepeer-orchestrator livepeer_cli
# Select: "Get node status" to view ETH and LPT balances

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Step 4: Stake LPT and activate

Activation registers the orchestrator on-chain, sets commission rates, and makes the node eligible for the active set.

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Step 5: Verify on Livepeer Explorer

Open explorer.livepeer.org/orchestrators and search for your Ethereum address. Confirm:
  • The node appears in the orchestrator list
  • Status shows as Active after the next round begins, roughly 22 hours after activation
  • Service URI matches the address you set in -serviceAddr
  • Price per pixel reflects your -pricePerUnit setting (after conversion from wei)
Active-set entry starts at the next round boundary. The node becomes active when its total stake is already above the current 100th orchestrator at that boundary. Use Explorer to watch your ranking and add more delegated LPT whenever the node stays below the cutoff.
Also verify the port is reachable from outside the network. Test from a machine different from your server: 
curl -k https://YOUR_PUBLIC_IP:8935/status
Any response (including an error JSON) confirms the port is open. A connection timeout means the firewall is blocking port 8935.

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Step 6: Claim the first reward

Livepeer distributes LPT inflation to active orchestrators once per round (approximately every 22 hours). go-livepeer automatically calls Reward() at round initialisation by default. Verify automatic reward calling is enabled: 
docker inspect livepeer-orchestrator | grep -A 5 "Cmd"
# Confirm -reward=false is NOT in the command - if absent, auto-reward is on
Wait for the next round to complete. Round timing is visible on Explorer under the current round number and time remaining. Verify the reward call succeeded: 
docker logs livepeer-orchestrator 2>&1 | grep -i "reward" | tail -5
Expected:
Expected reward log
Called Reward() for round XXXXX
Verify on Explorer: On your orchestrator page on Explorer, the Rewards section updates after a successful call, showing the LPT received for the round.
Rewards accrue only in rounds where the node entered the active set before the round started. A zero first round usually means the node crossed the threshold after round initialisation. Confirm active-set membership on Explorer and check again next round.

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What happened

The node completed the full video orchestrator lifecycle:
  1. Installed go-livepeer and generated an Ethereum identity (keystore)
  2. Configured for video transcoding with GPU selection, pricing, and public address
  3. Funded the wallet with ETH (for gas) and LPT (for staking)
  4. Activated on-chain via livepeer_cli, setting commission rates and self-delegating LPT to enter the active set
  5. Verified public reachability and Explorer visibility
  6. Earned the first LPT inflation reward by calling Reward() at round initialisation
Reward income formula:
Reward income formula
LPT earned per round = (your total stake / network active stake) × round_issuance × 0.90 × your_reward_cut
ETH fee income is separate and arrives as gateways route transcoding jobs to the node. Fee income scales with job volume, while reward size scales with stake.

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Last modified on March 16, 2026