# Storage Provider Guide A storage provider in the EthStorage network is an active participant responsible for securely storing data. They store blob data on behalf of the network and receive storage fees as rewards for their service. ## Become a Storage Provider Within the EthStorage network, storage providers operate storage nodes (a.k.a. es-node) to download and store data of their interest, subsequently receiving rewards distributed by the storage contract. The storage providers must provide proof of replication over time to collect rewards. This process is sometimes called "mining", and the storage provider is called a "miner". Follow the [tutorial](https://docs.ethstorage.io/storage-provider-guide/tutorials) to run a node and start mining. ## Join the EthStorage Mainnet before getting Whitelisted During the initial launch of EthStorage Mainnet, participation as a storage provider is limited to whitelisted operators. Once the network reaches stability, it will transition to a fully permissionless model. If you haven't been whitelisted yet, you can still join the network as a storage provider with mining temporarily disabled. Just follow the [tutorial](https://docs.ethstorage.io/storage-provider-guide/tutorials) to run an es-node as a normal operator—simply append `--miner.enabled=false` to any command that uses `./run-mainnet.sh` (or `./run.sh` for Sepolia testnet). Once your miner account is whitelisted or the restriction is lifted, simply remove the `--miner.enabled=false` flag to enable mining. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.ethstorage.io/storage-provider-guide.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.