Node

A node is a computer that runs Bitcoin software. It connects to other nodes and passes on transactions and blocks. Together, all the nodes form Bitcoin’s peer-to-peerGlossaryPeer-to-peer (P2P)‘Between equals’: participants exchange data or money directly with one another, without a central intermediary. In Bitcoin, nodes pass transactions and blocks directly to each other.On the learning path: Stage 1 · Step 3 – How does Bitcoin work? →In the glossary →× network.

What types there are

• Full node: checks every block and every transaction against the consensus rules itself.^[1] More under full nodeGlossaryFull nodeA node that checks every block and every transaction itself against all the consensus rules. If you run a full node, you don’t have to trust anyone to know whether a payment is valid.In the glossary →×.
• Pruned node: a full node that deletes old blocks after checking them, to save storage space.^[2]
• Light clients: Many mobile wallets don’t check anything themselves but query third-party servers. Whoever runs those servers can then see your balance and your IP address.^[3]

How many nodes are there?

Nobody knows exactly, because nodes that don’t accept incoming connections are hard to count. Coin Dance counts only the publicly reachable ones: around 25,600, of which just over 83% run Bitcoin CoreGlossaryBitcoin CoreThe most widely used software for Bitcoin nodes, a direct descendant of Satoshi Nakamoto’s first program. It is open source, verifies all blocks and transactions itself and includes a wallet.In the glossary →× and just under 17% Bitcoin Knots (as of September 2026).^[4] From version 29.4.1 (2 September 2026), Knots changes how mining works and so follows a split-off chain.^[5]

Do you need your own node?

Not to get started. With your own node, you check every rule yourself, and your wallet asks your node instead of third-party servers. Nodes & decentralisation explains how.