GlossaryIntermediate

Full Node

A network participant that independently downloads and verifies the entire blockchain.

A full node independently downloads and verifies the entire history of a blockchain against its protocol rules, rather than trusting another party's summary of the network's state.

Running a full node lets a participant independently verify transactions and blocks without relying on trust in any other single party.

Examples

Running your own full node lets you verify transactions without trusting a third-party service.
Full nodes collectively enforce a network's protocol rules by rejecting invalid blocks.