Bitcoin glossary
Node (full node)
A computer running Bitcoin software that independently verifies every rule.
A full node is a computer running Bitcoin software that downloads and independently verifies every block and transaction against the consensus rules — the 21M cap, valid signatures, no double-spends. Nodes are how Bitcoin’s rules are actually enforced: not by miners, but by everyone who validates.
Running your own node means your wallet trusts no one else’s server for what the blockchain says. It is the practical difference between “verify” and “trust”.
The live number
Node stacks compared