● Start · What you need
Requirements
small server, own accounts.
What must be in place before you install, and what is optional.
01Server and software
| What | Minimum | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Node.js Required | 20.12 or newer (22 LTS recommended) | The app loads .env with process.loadEnvFile, which exists from Node 20.12. Tested on Node 22.22.2. |
| Package manager | pnpm (recommended) or npm | The release ships pnpm-lock.yaml, so pnpm installs the exact tested versions. |
| Server | 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM VPS | Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04 is assumed in these docs. No database server: all data lives in SQLite files. |
| Domain + TLS | A domain or sub-domain you control | Point an A record (and AAAA with IPv6) at the server. Caddy gets a free certificate automatically. |
| Outbound internet | HTTPS | Binance and Bybit (prices), OpenTimestamps calendars, and Stripe, the Telegram Bot API and Discord when used. |
| Build tools | for better-sqlite3 | Only if no prebuilt binary exists: macOS xcode-select --install; Ubuntu build-essential python3. |
02Optional accounts
| Account | What it enables |
|---|---|
| Stripe | Card payments for subscriptions, Provider Pro and verification fees. |
| A bank account | Bank-transfer payments you confirm by hand. |
| Stablecoin wallets you control | USDT or USDC on Tron, Ethereum, Base, BNB Chain, Polygon or Arbitrum, confirmed by hand. |
| Telegram bot | Account linking, signal delivery, VIP groups, publishing from chat. |
| Cloudflare (or a GeoIP proxy module) | Country blocking by a request header. |
The site runs without all of them. Web push notifications need no account: the server makes its own keys. Discord delivery uses a webhook each provider pastes in the Studio.
03Costs not included in the price: who pays
The item price covers the source code, the operator console and this documentation. Every service below is opened by you, under your own account, and you pay its provider for your own usage, including anything above a free tier. Prices change: check each provider's current pricing page.
| Service | Needed for | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| VPS, domain, HTTPS | Running the site | You, to your hosting and domain provider. Caddy's certificates are free. |
| Stripe (optional) | Card payments: subscriptions, Provider Pro, verification fee | You open the Stripe account; Stripe deducts its own processing fees from each payment under its terms. |
| Bank account (optional) | Bank-transfer payments you confirm by hand | Your bank's own fees. |
| Stablecoin wallets (optional) | USDT / USDC payments you confirm by hand | Members pay the network fee of their transfer; you pay the network fees when you move your funds. |
| Telegram bot (optional) | Account linking, delivery, VIP groups, publishing | No charge from Telegram for its Bot API at the time of release; Telegram's terms apply. |
| Discord (optional) | Posting signals to a provider's channel | Each provider pastes a webhook of their own server; no charge from Discord at the time of release. |
| Binance, Bybit public market data | Prices and results | No key and no charge at the time of release; their rate limits and terms apply, including whether market data may be shown publicly. |
| OpenTimestamps public calendars | Bitcoin timestamps | Free, no account, no wallet and no coins needed. |
| Cloudflare or a GeoIP module (optional) | Country blocking by a request header | Your own plan with that provider. |
MIKODES runs no instance for you, takes no fee from your payments and receives no data from your install.
04Outbound connections
The server calls only these, and only when the feature is in use:
- Binance and Bybit public market-data endpoints (no key).
- The OpenTimestamps public calendars (or the ones you list in
OTS_CALENDARS). api.stripe.com, with your secret key, when card payments are on.api.telegram.org(the bot, long polling; no open port needed) and Discord webhooks a provider added.- The browsers' push services for Web Push (the push carries no content).
05Ready checklist
node -vshows v20.12 or higher.- Your domain points at the server; ports 80 and 443 are open.
- You have read your responsibilities: signal services are regulated in some countries.