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@ Jacopo Graziuso
2025-05-21 09:13:49
📝 What exactly are Bitcoin nodes?
🗂 1. Full node:
A full node downloads the entire blockchain (over 500 GB by 2025) and verifies each transaction and block according to the rules of the protocol. It:
- Ensures that consensus rules (e.g., double spending, issue limits, valid signature) are met;
- propagates transactions and blocks to other nodes;
- Can be used to validate SPV or Light wallets.
📦 2. Light node or SPV node:
A SPV node (Simplified Payment Verification Node) does not download the entire blockchain, only the block headers. It verifies transactions by relying on full nodes and is often used in mobile and light wallets. Its limitations are that it relies on full nodes for security and does not actively participate in network verification.
⛏️ 3. Mining Node:
This is a node that, in addition to being complete, also performs mining, i.e:
- builds new blocks;
- tries to solve cryptographic problems (proof of work);
- Suggests new blocks to the network.
Large miners use 'mining pools' and sometimes separate the mining function from the validation function, communicating via specific protocols (e.g. Stratum).
📚 4. Archival Node:
Stores the entire history of the blockchain, including UTXO states not required for protocol operation, such as spent transactions and the full history of all issues. It is useful for analytical purposes, blockchain explorers or historical research.
⚡️ 5. Lightning node:
Part of the Lightning Network, a layer 2 protocol built on top of Bitcoin. It:
- Manages two-way, off-chain payment channels;
- operates in parallel with the main blockchain;
- communicates with other Lightning Nodes to route fast, low-cost payments.
❓️How does a node work? What are UTXOs?
📶 Stay tuned.
#bitcoin #spv #node #lighting #network #archivial #mining #full
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