Run a Monero Node on a VPS — Your Own Private XMR Endpoint

What You Need

• A VPS with 2 GB RAM and, importantly, enough disk — the pruned blockchain is well over 100 GB and grows
• Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 with SSH
• Patience for the initial sync (hours to a couple of days depending on the network and disk)

Disk is the real constraint here, not CPU. Size the plan for storage headroom, and prefer a pruned node unless you specifically need the full chain.

Step 1: Install Docker

curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh

Step 2: Run monerod (Pruned)

A pruned node keeps what your wallet needs while cutting disk roughly in half. Save as docker-compose.yml:

services:
  monerod:
    image: sethsimmons/simple-monerod:latest
    restart: always
    volumes:
      - monero:/home/monero/.bitmonero
    ports:
      - "18081:18081"
    command: >
      --rpc-bind-ip=0.0.0.0
      --confirm-external-bind
      --prune-blockchain
      --restricted-rpc
      --no-igd

volumes:
  monero:

The --restricted-rpc flag is important: it exposes only the safe wallet-facing RPC methods, not administrative ones. Bring it up:

docker compose up -d

Step 3: Watch It Sync

The first sync is the slow part. Follow progress:

docker compose logs -f monerod

You are waiting for the height to catch up to the current network height. This is a one-time cost; after that the node stays current with minimal effort.

Step 4: Lock Down the RPC

Do not leave port 18081 open to the whole internet. Two good options:

1. Firewall it to only your own IPs with ufw.
2. Better, reach it over a WireGuard tunnel and bind the RPC to the VPN interface, exactly like the Pi-hole setup — your wallet connects through the tunnel, the node is invisible to everyone else.

Step 5: Point Your Wallet at It

In the official Monero wallet (GUI or CLI), set the daemon to your node:

Daemon address: your-server-ip:18081   (or the WireGuard address)

Your wallet now syncs against your own node. No remote server sees your queries, and you are contributing to the network's decentralization at the same time.

What It Costs

The node itself is light on CPU and RAM; disk is what you pay for. On NoctHost you pick a plan with enough storage headroom and pay hourly from a prepaid balance topped up with — fittingly — Monero, with no card and no KYC. Running your own XMR node on a server you funded privately closes the loop on payment privacy.