Running your own node

Verify every rule yourself, protect your privacy, and stop trusting someone else's server.

A full node downloads and checks every block and transaction against Bitcoin's rules. No one can feed it fake coins or invalid blocks.

Why run one

  • Verification: you know your coins are real and the supply rules are followed, without trusting a company.
  • Privacy: your wallet asks your own node about your addresses, instead of a third-party server.
  • Voice: nodes enforce the rules. A change nodes do not accept does not become Bitcoin for them.

What it takes

  • A normal computer or small home server that can stay on.
  • Disk: bitcoin.org states the full chain uses over 750 GB. A pruned node needs far less: Bitcoin Core's -prune setting has a minimum of 550 MiB of block files; bitcoin.org estimates around 7 GB in total.
  • A decent internet connection; the first sync downloads the whole history and can take from hours to days.

How

  • Download and verify Bitcoin Core, or use a node package for a home server.
  • Point your wallet at your node (directly, or through an Electrum server on top).
  • Optional: run it over Tor for network privacy.

Limits

A pruned node cannot serve old blocks to others or rescan far back. A node does not protect your keys; that is still the job of your wallet and backups.