Live Bitcoin node statistics: total reachable nodes, Tor vs clearnet split, top software versions, and what nodes do and why they matter.
Every node independently validates every transaction and block against Bitcoin's consensus rules. No transaction or block can violate the rules — even a majority of miners cannot override the nodes.
Nodes don't mine Bitcoin (that's miners) and don't store your funds (that's wallets). They're the auditors — constantly verifying that the ledger is honest.
More nodes = more decentralization. If only 10 entities ran nodes, Bitcoin's consensus could theoretically be captured. Thousands of independent nodes globally make that impossible.
A Bitcoin node can run on a Raspberry Pi 4 (~$60). It requires about 700GB of storage for the full blockchain. Running your own node means you don't trust anyone else's data.
Data sourced from Bitnodes.io. Only reachable (listening) nodes are counted — many more nodes exist behind firewalls.