Running a Bitcoin node means keeping a full copy of the Bitcoin blockchain on your own hardware and checking every transaction yourself against the network's rules. For retail investors it pays off if they hold their coins themselves and no longer want to tell an outside server which addresses belong to them. Running costs are modest: at German electricity prices, an energy-efficient small computer uses roughly €16 to €39 a year. Storage is the bigger expense, because the blockchain now takes up well over 600 gigabytes.
If you only hold bitcoin on an exchange, you do not need a node of your own. If you use a wallet with your own key, however, a node gives you independence: the wallet no longer asks the manufacturer's servers whether a payment has arrived, but your own computer. This guide explains which hardware is enough, how much electricity and storage to plan for, how to connect your wallet, and why maintaining the software is the part where many operators fail.
What is a Bitcoin node? Full node, pruned node and Lightning node compared
A full node is a computer running Bitcoin client software that downloads ...
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