Node
network · blockchain
Software that participates in a peer-to-peer network by validating, serving, relaying, or requesting blockchain data.
A blockchain node is a running program that communicates with peers. Its role can include validating blocks and transactions, relaying data, serving wallets, indexing history, mining, or requesting only lightweight proofs.
A full node independently validates the chain. It may prune old block files after validation, so "full" does not require serving a complete archival copy forever. An archival node retains more history; a light client verifies less and depends on additional assumptions. Mining and full validation are separable roles.
Nodes enforce shared consensus rules and their own local policies. Mempool admission, relay fees, peer selection, and indexing options can differ without creating a consensus split, while disagreement about block validity can.
Related terms
Full Node
→Software that independently validates blocks and transactions against a network's consensus rules.
node · blockchain
Miner
→A proof-of-work participant that builds or searches candidate blocks and earns revenue when an accepted block is found.
role · mining
Consensus
→The process by which blockchain participants agree on valid transactions, blocks, and ledger history.
security · blockchain
Mempool
→A node's local set of unconfirmed transactions accepted for possible relay and block inclusion.
blockchain · node
Simplified Payment Verification (SPV)
→A lightweight verification method that checks block headers and Merkle proofs without downloading full blocks.
security · scaling