What Is a Blockchain Node?

At the core of blockchain technology lies a blockchain node. When you make a transaction on-chain—whether that’s purchasing an NFT, transferring DAI (an Ethereum stablecoin), or buying crypto—that transaction is added to a "block" on the blockchain. To ensure authenticity and integrity, these blocks need to be verified before they are added onto the chain, providing an effective solution for secure online interaction. 

That’s where nodes come in. 

Blockchain nodes play a crucial role in blockchain networks, helping to verify transactions and protect against fraud. If you run a node, you help secure and expand the blockchain. And depending on the network, you can also join pools to increase your chances of earning rewards. In this guide, we’ll explore how nodes work, and the benefits of running one. 

Blockchain nodes ensure our networks run smoothly.

A node is simply a computer that’s connected to the network; storing all or some of the blocks within the network. A full node refers to a node that stores a complete copy of the blockchain., which includes every block and transaction that has occurred on the network. A selective node refers to a node that contains a partial copy of the blockchain, typically only the most recent blocks and transactions. Nodes create a complete infrastructure that ensures everything runs smoothly on-chain. 

The lifeblood of our trustless systems. 

Without nodes, blockchain networks wouldn’t exist.

Nodes our little data angels. ପ(๑•ᴗ•๑)ଓ ♡ They take care of the chain, and ensure everything is steadily running along. They’re essential to our trustless systems: ensuring storage, resilience, and secure transactions. 

Nodes have three core functions: 

Maintaining Data: A node is an important part of a blockchain network, ensuring data storage and maintenance across the entire blockchain system.

Validating Transactions: Node validation ensures that only valid transactions are added to the blockchain, thus enhancing the chain’s security and accuracy.

Accessing Information: A node accesses information by sending and receiving signals through a network of interconnected nodes, while providing reliability within the network.

Types of Blockchain Nodes

Different types of nodes serve different roles. Some nodes are miners, some store data, and others help with validation.

Full node: A full node is a computer that stores the full copy of a blockchain, validates new transactions, and helps to keep the network secure by verifying all data.

Pruned node: A pruned node is a type of full node on a blockchain network that stores only the most recent blocks of data rather than the entire history, thus reducing disk space usage.

Archival node: An archival node is a type of full node that stores all transactions in a blockchain network from the very beginning. 

Authority node: An authority node Authority supports the secure and trustless consensus protocols. They validate transactions to ensure their accuracy, cast votes on important decisions, and serve as guardians of network security through the implementation of proof-of-stake and proof-of-authority algorithms.

Mining node: A mining node is a computer that uses computing power to solve complex cryptographic puzzles in order to validate and process transactions on the blockchain network and receive block rewards for doing so.

Master node: A master node is a specialized server connected to a blockchain network that performs higher-level tasks such as instant transaction verification and managing and securing the network.

Staking node: A staking node is a type of computer node within a blockchain network where participants use proof-of-stake in the authentication process. This allows them to take part in validating new blocks, generating rewards, and helping to secure the network.

Light node: A "light node" is a resource-friendly network node in a blockchain system that only downloads and stores the header of each block, instead of the entire blockchain data. 

Lightning node: A lightning node is an off-chain node that enables fast and low-cost transactions without relying on the main blockchain.

Super node: A super node is a specialized node that performs special and rare tasks. It often has more powerful hardware, expanded connectivity, and other features to support its operations. 

Running a blockchain node. 

Nodes are fundamental to blockchain networks; validating transactions and creating blocks for a secure network accessible by everyone.

Running a blockchain node may seem complex, but getting started doesn’t need to be. It all depends on the network you want to join, and the type of node you want to set up. After you’ve done your research, it’s just a matter of following instructions.

You can read more here on how to run a transaction node on the Palm network. If you’re interested in learning more about how blockchains work or want to connect with other developers, join the discord.