<p>There is no measure of the number of full nodes. The number published by many websites is the number of <em>listening</em> nodes, instances of software which is advertising itself as available for connections on the Bitcoin network. The term "full" refers to "fully validating", as distinct from non-validating or BIP37 SPV. To be listening you do not need to be validating, or even a Bitcoin node at all (a proxy connection is indistinguishable from a real node). </p>

<p>If you want to know about the number of listening nodes, <a href="https://getaddr.bitnodes.io/dashboard/?days=365" rel="nofollow">bitnodes.io does track numbers for these</a> though they appear to be easily manipulated at times (see the spike around September 2015). </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-10-16T19:22:56.017Z
You can check the user agent field ( https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0014.mediawiki ) to see what type of node it its, although there's no gurantee that the node is what it advertises itself to be.
k kurokawa
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-05T16:25:36.433Z
Why does this data now only go back two years despite records for far longer than that?
B T
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-12-26T14:07:56.043Z
Here is a best effort crawler to get the "accurate" number of bitcoin nodes: https://luke.dashjr.org/programs/bitcoin/files/charts/software.html
Antoine Poinsot
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-09-29T19:28:18.513Z
2015-09-29T19:28:18.513Z
Claris
<p>The best source I've found is coin.dance's chart that goes back to 2015:</p>

<p><a href="https://coin.dance/nodes/all" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://coin.dance/nodes/all</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-09-05T16:28:08.350Z
2019-09-05T16:28:08.350Z
B T
<p>Yes, LukeJr. But you have to work for it:  </p>

<p>"If you want some gigabytes of data, <a href="https://gitlab.com/Luke-Jr/my-bitcoin-dnsseed-historical-seeds.txt" rel="nofollow noreferrer">clone my git repo here</a>. It goes back to 2012 June."  </p>

<p><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/5fvsdh/is_anybody_keeping_historical_number_of_full/danhsqc/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Source.</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-12-01T12:42:20.127Z
2016-12-01T12:42:20.127Z
nopara73
<p>Is there anybody keeping historical data regarding the number of full nodes on the Bitcoin network? </p>

<p>There is :
<a href="https://getaddr.bitnodes.io/dashboard/?days=90" rel="noreferrer">https://getaddr.bitnodes.io/dashboard/?days=90</a></p>

<p>but it only shows data up to 90 days.</p>

<p>Additional sources also here :</p>

<p><a href="http://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-nodes-need/" rel="noreferrer">http://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-nodes-need/</a></p>

<nodes>
Historical number of full nodes in Bitcoin
k kurokawa
# Historical number of full nodes in Bitcoin

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-05-05)

Is there anybody keeping historical data regarding the number of full nodes on the Bitcoin network?

There is :
<https://getaddr.bitnodes.io/dashboard/?days=90>

but it only shows data up to 90 days.

Additional sources also here :

<http://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-nodes-need/>

**Tags:** nodes


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## 3 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-09-29. Score: 4

There is no measure of the number of full nodes. The number published by many websites is the number of *listening* nodes, instances of software which is advertising itself as available for connections on the Bitcoin network. The term "full" refers to "fully validating", as distinct from non-validating or BIP37 SPV. To be listening you do not need to be validating, or even a Bitcoin node at all (a proxy connection is indistinguishable from a real node).

If you want to know about the number of listening nodes, [bitnodes.io does track numbers for these](https://getaddr.bitnodes.io/dashboard/?days=365) though they appear to be easily manipulated at times (see the spike around September 2015).

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: You can check the user agent field ( https://github.com/bitcoin/bips/blob/master/bip-0014.mediawiki ) to see what type of node it its, although there's no gurantee that the node is what it advertises itself to be.  
> **username_2**: Why does this data now only go back two years despite records for far longer than that?  
> **username_3**: Here is a best effort crawler to get the "accurate" number of bitcoin nodes: https://luke.dashjr.org/programs/bitcoin/files/charts/software.html  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2019-09-05. Score: 1

The best source I've found is coin.dance's chart that goes back to 2015:

<https://coin.dance/nodes/all>


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### Answer by username_4 on 2016-12-01. Score: 1

Yes, LukeJr. But you have to work for it:

"If you want some gigabytes of data, [clone my git repo here](https://gitlab.com/Luke-Jr/my-bitcoin-dnsseed-historical-seeds.txt). It goes back to 2012 June."

[Source.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/5fvsdh/is_anybody_keeping_historical_number_of_full/danhsqc/)


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