<p><strong>From bitcoin.it</strong></p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Any computer that connects to the Bitcoin network is called a node.
  Nodes that fully enforce all of the rules of Bitcoin are called full
  nodes. Most nodes on the network are lightweight nodes instead of full
  nodes, but full nodes form the backbone of the network.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>As long as you connected to bitcoin network so your computer will be considered as bitcoin node.</p>

<p>And for mining pool I'm sorry to have no information :(</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-28T14:54:55.767Z
2017-11-28T14:54:55.767Z
Tailer
<p>A node is a computer that has a copy of the blockchain (or at least <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Scalability#Storage" rel="nofollow noreferrer">a part of it</a>), and broadcasts and receives transactions and blocks from other nodes according to the <a href="https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Protocol_documentation" rel="nofollow noreferrer">bitcoin protocol</a>.</p>

<p>The blockchain is more than 100GB, so most people use a lightweight <em>client</em> that connects to a service that connects to a node on the network. Clients are not considered nodes on the network.</p>

<p>A couple of specific examples of each type:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="https://bitcoin.org/en/bitcoin-core/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Bitcoin Core</a> or <a href="https://www.bitcoinarmory.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Armory</a> run full nodes on the network.</li>
<li><a href="https://wallet.mycelium.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Mycelium</a> or the <a href="https://wallet.trezor.io/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Trezor Wallet</a> are clients that connect to a server, not directly to the bitcoin network, and aren't included in the count.</li>
</ul>

<p>The computers in a mining pool do not need to connect to the network so do not count as nodes (they are only solving a cryptographic problem and don't care about the transaction data). The mining pool will have at least one node that connects to the network to download and broadcast the transaction data, so the number of nodes in a pool depends on how many the maintainers of a specific pool decide to activate.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-11-28T15:01:08.183Z
2017-11-28T15:16:43.103Z
2017-11-28T15:16:43.103Z
Adam Millerchip
<p>This <a href="https://bitnodes.earn.com/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">page</a> claims there are about 11k nodes in the Bitcoin network. I wonder what exactly constitutes a "node" in the network. For example, if I connect to the network and do nothing, am I still considered in this 11k figure? Or do I have to have an "effect" on the network in some ways, e.g., broadcasting empty blocks or trying to mine honestly.
Another question is do mining pools, as a whole, count only as a single node in the network?</p>

<p>In general, what's the precise definition of a node in the context of Bitcoin network ?</p>

<network><nodes>
What exactly is the definition of a Bitcoin node?
SpiderRico
# What exactly is the definition of a Bitcoin node?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-11-28)

This [page](https://bitnodes.earn.com/) claims there are about 11k nodes in the Bitcoin network. I wonder what exactly constitutes a "node" in the network. For example, if I connect to the network and do nothing, am I still considered in this 11k figure? Or do I have to have an "effect" on the network in some ways, e.g., broadcasting empty blocks or trying to mine honestly.
Another question is do mining pools, as a whole, count only as a single node in the network?

In general, what's the precise definition of a node in the context of Bitcoin network ?

**Tags:** network, nodes


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2017-11-28. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

A node is a computer that has a copy of the blockchain (or at least [a part of it](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Scalability#Storage)), and broadcasts and receives transactions and blocks from other nodes according to the [bitcoin protocol](https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Protocol_documentation).

The blockchain is more than 100GB, so most people use a lightweight *client* that connects to a service that connects to a node on the network. Clients are not considered nodes on the network.

A couple of specific examples of each type:

* [Bitcoin Core](https://bitcoin.org/en/bitcoin-core/) or [Armory](https://www.bitcoinarmory.com/) run full nodes on the network.
* [Mycelium](https://wallet.mycelium.com/) or the [Trezor Wallet](https://wallet.trezor.io/) are clients that connect to a server, not directly to the bitcoin network, and aren't included in the count.

The computers in a mining pool do not need to connect to the network so do not count as nodes (they are only solving a cryptographic problem and don't care about the transaction data). The mining pool will have at least one node that connects to the network to download and broadcast the transaction data, so the number of nodes in a pool depends on how many the maintainers of a specific pool decide to activate.


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### Answer by username_1 on 2017-11-28. Score: 1

**From bitcoin.it**

> Any computer that connects to the Bitcoin network is called a node.
> Nodes that fully enforce all of the rules of Bitcoin are called full
> nodes. Most nodes on the network are lightweight nodes instead of full
> nodes, but full nodes form the backbone of the network.

As long as you connected to bitcoin network so your computer will be considered as bitcoin node.

And for mining pool I'm sorry to have no information :(


---

