BiTHELM Bitcoin Node

Full nodes help the Bitcoin network by accepting transactions and blocks from other full nodes, validating those transactions and blocks, and then relaying them to further full nodes.

Running your own node allows you you to not be dependent on someone else’s node confirming your bitcoin transactions when sending or receiving a payment from another user.

Having your own node provides you with absolute certainty and a way to verify your transactions are completed accurately on the Bitcoin blockchain.

Every running node contributes to the security of the Bitcoin network through the consensus mechanism coded into the Bitcoin node software.

The more people running full nodes the better. Nodes are needed to allow Bitcoin to continue to grow and remain decentralized and secure.

A full Bitcoin node is a program that fully validates transactions and blocks that is installed on a computer.

A ‘full node’ is a computer in Bitcoin’s peer-to-peer network which hosts and synchronizes a copy of the entire Bitcoin blockchain

Nodes are essential for keeping the Bitcoin network running.

Bitcoin Nodes vs Bitcoin Miners: What’s the Difference?

Both are important to the security of the Bitcoin network but in very different ways.

Nodes are like the security guards on the network, diligently following a set of rules to distinguish legitimate bitcoin transactions from illegitimate ones.

Nodes validate all transactions that occur on the network and ensure that all proposed blocks comply with the protocol rules:

• BTC cannot be double-spent under any circumstances.
• BTC owner(s) must sign transactions to spend their coins.
• The block subsidy cannot exceed a certain amount

Bitcoin miners solve complex cryptographic puzzles in a process referred to as “mining” on the Bitcoin “proof-of-work” blockchain. Miners essentially build the blockchain ledger through the process of solving the cryptographic puzzle (known as the SHA-256 hash function) each time a transaction is announced on the network.

Mines attempt to be the first to solve the cryptographic puzzle, have their answer confirmed by Bitcoin nodes and then appended to the blockchain ledger.

So Full Nodes and Miners are not the same but both are needed to support the Bitcoin network.

It is a mini personal computer that you run at home 24/7 that downloads and stores all Bitcoin transactions since the network first started in 2010.

Mini Computer Hardware specs:

• A refurbished Lenovo ThinkCentre MiniPC
• i7 processor
• 16GB RAM
• Brand new 2TB Solid State Drive (SATA connection)

It comes with the following software installed:

• Blockchain explorer: mempool.space
• Operating system: Ubuntu Server 24.04 LTS
• Bitcoin Full Node: Bitcoin Core
• Private Electrum Server: electrs

Personal use at home, small businesses and family offices.

Everyone should run a full Bitcoin node.

Things you will need to run you BiTHELM Bitcoin Node:

• 120volt, 24/7 electricity connection. This computer needs to be kept online 24/7.
• An internet connection plan with no data usage limits or caps. There are no minimum speed requirements.
• Physical access to your router to plug the device using an ethernet connection. Wireless connectivity is not supported.
• An existing personal computer or laptop (Windows, Mac, Linux)connected to the same network as your BiTHELM Bitcoin Node. This can be either through WiFi or by plugging your computer directly into the router using ethernet cable.