Overview
Armada Alliance Pools is the directory for the Armada Alliance, a group of Cardano stake pool operators who all run their pools on low-power, energy-efficient hardware. The page lets you browse and delegate to member pools while knowing the operator behind each one is using a setup that draws very little power compared to a typical server.
Member pools run on small ARM and RISC-V computers like the Raspberry Pi, Apple's M-series Macs, and some cloud instances built on similar chips. Together, they use roughly 60 watts per pool on average, which is closer to a few light bulbs than a data center rack. This is what makes Armada distinct among Cardano stake pool explorers and staking alliances.1
Beyond the directory, the alliance acts as a learning hub. Its public GitHub has the software, guides, and dashboards that operators need to set up their own low-power pool, and the project has been funded by Project Catalyst, Cardano's community grant program.2
Key Features
- Browse member pools. A pool directory lists every Armada member, where they are based in the world, and the basic numbers a delegator would want before picking a pool.
- Plug-and-play software. The alliance provides ready-to-run Cardano software built for small ARM computers, so operators do not have to compile anything themselves2.
- Step-by-step setup guides. Detailed tutorials cover how to start a pool on a Raspberry Pi, an Apple M-series Mac mini, or other small machines, plus how to set up dashboards to monitor the pool3.
- A clear membership process. A simple proposal system, called Armada Alliance Improvement Proposals, lays out the rules for joining and lets members vote on changes4.
- Backed by community funding. The alliance has received grants through Cardano's community funding program to keep its software for small computers up to date5.
What to Expect
Delegators visiting Armada Alliance Pools find a clean directory of member pools, each with the basics any delegator wants to see before picking. A small reward calculator on the homepage helps you sketch out expected earnings for different amounts of ADA and time periods, so you can compare against other pools you are looking at.
For operators, the resources go much deeper. The guides section walks through everything from buying the right small computer to keeping it healthy with monitoring dashboards. The alliance also lists its active contributors on a public identities page, which is a nice touch of transparency about who is behind the project.
Communication happens across Discord, Telegram, and YouTube, with a regular blog covering Cardano staking basics, DeFi topics, and history. The main site and GitHub are the most reliable places to find current content. Parts of the site are also translated into Spanish, Dutch, and German, which broadens the alliance's reach beyond English-speaking operators.
