How do I use Monero stagenet for solo mining tests?
You can test Monero solo mining on stagenet, a separate practice network whose coins have no real monetary value. Run a stagenet node, create a stagenet wallet, and tell your node to mine directly to that wallet’s address—no pool or P2Pool needed.
Start a node on the right network
Use the official Monero command-line tools. A node is software that downloads and checks the blockchain, the shared record of transactions.
Start the node program, monerod, in a terminal:
monerod --stagenet --rpc-bind-ip 127.0.0.1
On Windows, you may need to use monerod.exe; on Linux or macOS, you may need ./monerod from its folder.
The --stagenet flag selects the practice network. Its blockchain data is stored separately from your mainnet data. Mainnet is the network where real XMR lives.
Leave the node running until it reports that it is synchronized. You can type this in its terminal to check progress:
status
The address 127.0.0.1 keeps the node’s wallet-control interface local to your computer. Stagenet’s default port for that interface, called RPC, is 38081. Do not expose it to the internet for this test.
Create a dedicated stagenet wallet
Open a second terminal and run:
monero-wallet-cli --stagenet --generate-new-wallet stagenet-wallet --daemon-address 127.0.0.1:38081
Follow the prompts to choose a password and record the recovery seed—the words that restore your wallet. Use a fresh test wallet rather than reusing your real wallet’s seed.
Inside the wallet, type:
address
Copy the primary address it displays. Both programs must use --stagenet: a mainnet wallet address is not a substitute, and stagenet coins cannot become real XMR.
Keep the seed private even though this wallet is only for testing. Practicing safe handling now helps you avoid mistakes later.
Start solo mining from your node
Return to the running monerod terminal and enter:
start_mining YOUR_STAGENET_PRIMARY_ADDRESS 1
Replace the placeholder with your copied address. The final 1 means one mining thread—a single worker using your processor. Start there to limit heat and keep your computer responsive.
Monero uses RandomX, its processor-focused mining algorithm, on stagenet too. This is native CPU mining, not browser mining, and it can use substantial memory and electricity.
Check the node’s output and use status to inspect its state. To stop mining, enter:
stop_mining
Only run this on hardware you own or have permission to use.
Check what your test actually proves
Stagenet is a shared network, not a private sandbox. Its mining difficulty changes, so finding a block is not guaranteed within a short test.
In your wallet, run:
refresh
balance
show_transfers
If you find a block, its mining reward should appear after the wallet refreshes. Newly mined coins stay locked for 60 blocks before you can spend them.
A working miner proves your setup runs. Finding a block and later spending its unlocked reward tests the fuller workflow. Neither result predicts your mainnet earnings.
The bottom line
Use matching stagenet settings, wait for synchronization, then mine to your dedicated test wallet. Treat block discovery as uncertain, and allow 60 blocks before testing spending a mining reward.
