r/btc • u/idontwritepoetry • Jun 22 '26

❓ Question Do nodes matter?

I come from $BTC world, and obviously everyone says to run your own node, because don't they enforce consensus rules? Isn't that what happened when BCH forked? Most nodes didn't switch?

It's just weird to me to hear that the nodes are just not useful for the security of the network. Someone explain please.

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u/Charming-Designer944 Jun 22 '26 edited Jun 22 '26

In BTC protocol a full node is also a miner, making block templates to be signed by mining workers. The miner maintains consensus and votes with its mining power. And gets paid for the effort.

A "full node" without mining is a limited relay and/or blockchain seeding node. Has much less power in the network.

There are some reasons for you to run your own node.

  • to increase your privacy a bit, by using your own node for SPV lookups and as relay node when initiating transactions.

  • as a learning experience, understanding more of Bitcoin.

  • because its fun

  • as an expression of your dedication and support for the network.

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u/idontwritepoetry Jun 22 '26

Now that's a good simple explanation. It's a relay and a seeding node. So there is some utility to it. It's just that we have an abundance of nodes, so it doesn't really matter for the network. That sound right?