Explanation
Running your own node means trusting nobody to know whether a transaction is valid. The number of independent nodes is a measure of a network's decentralisation.
01
What a node does
A node keeps a copy of the blockchain and checks every incoming transaction and block against the rules. Anything invalid is rejected and not relayed. Nodes are therefore the network's actual guardians: miners or validators propose blocks, nodes decide whether to accept them.
02
Running your own node
It runs on a small computer with a few terabytes of storage. You gain privacy — you never ask anyone else about your balance — and you enforce the rules yourself instead of trusting them. For anyone serious about self-custody, this is the logical next step after a hardware wallet.
Key takeaways
- Nodes verify, miners propose.
- Your own node = more privacy and certainty.
- No node is needed to own crypto.