<p>I believe what you would like to run is an <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Thin_Client_Security" rel="nofollow">SPV client</a>.  If you are running a <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Full_node" rel="nofollow">full node</a>, such as Bitcoin Core, you wouldn't want to only get updated blocks without transactions.  The point of running a full node is to independently validate the blockchain.  Blocks can't be validated without knowledge of the transactions in them, so full nodes need to receive both blocks <em>and</em> their transactions in order to independently validate the blockchain.  Otherwise, your client would never know if a block contains an invalid transaction (such as more bitcoin in its outputs than inputs).</p>

<p>UPDATE:  As suggested in the comments by Pieter Wuille, the <code>-blocksonly</code> command line option (<a href="https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1377345.0" rel="nofollow">https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1377345.0</a>) can reduce the bandwidth significantly.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-13T00:57:42.420Z
Perhaps OP is asking about receiving just blocks (including their transactions), but no other P2P activity (i.e., no unconfirmed transactions)?
Pieter Wuille
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-13T01:04:38.043Z
In that case, perhaps setting the minimum relay fee to an unreasonably high level.  I don't think that would prevent the client from receiving unconfirmed transactions, but it would at least prevent the bandwidth from relaying them.
Jestin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-13T01:18:29.933Z
We have `-blocksonly`...
Pieter Wuille
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-06-13T00:37:42.463Z
2016-06-13T01:24:40.670Z
2016-06-13T01:24:40.670Z
Jestin
<p>I read somewhere that running a full node at full functionality requires 200 GB/month bandwidth. Since that is too uneconomical in my country, I would like to run the client such that it simply adds the accepted blocks and does not take part in the rest of the p2p network activity. So is there an option to do that in Bitcoin-Core ?</p>

<full-node>
How to run the bitcoin client so as to only accept blocks?
user2277550
# How to run the bitcoin client so as to only accept blocks?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-06-12)

I read somewhere that running a full node at full functionality requires 200 GB/month bandwidth. Since that is too uneconomical in my country, I would like to run the client such that it simply adds the accepted blocks and does not take part in the rest of the p2p network activity. So is there an option to do that in Bitcoin-Core ?

**Tags:** full-node


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-06-13. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

I believe what you would like to run is an [SPV client](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Thin_Client_Security). If you are running a [full node](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Full_node), such as Bitcoin Core, you wouldn't want to only get updated blocks without transactions. The point of running a full node is to independently validate the blockchain. Blocks can't be validated without knowledge of the transactions in them, so full nodes need to receive both blocks *and* their transactions in order to independently validate the blockchain. Otherwise, your client would never know if a block contains an invalid transaction (such as more bitcoin in its outputs than inputs).

UPDATE: As suggested in the comments by username_2, the `-blocksonly` command line option (<https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1377345.0>) can reduce the bandwidth significantly.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Perhaps OP is asking about receiving just blocks (including their transactions), but no other P2P activity (i.e., no unconfirmed transactions)?  
> **username_1**: In that case, perhaps setting the minimum relay fee to an unreasonably high level.  I don't think that would prevent the client from receiving unconfirmed transactions, but it would at least prevent the bandwidth from relaying them.  
> **username_2**: We have `-blocksonly`...  

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