Bitcoin nodes worldwide: a look at their distribution and influence
Nodes are at the center of the Bitcoin network-as with any blockchain. They are crucial that the network works decentralized, safely and reliably.
Bitcoin nodes are already in the introductory section of the Bitcoin-Whitepapers mentioned that Satoshi Nakamoto published on October 31, 2008: “The system is certain, as long as honest nodes have more computing power together than an attacking group of nodes.” By giving the control and safety of the Bitcoin network from a large number of independent Node operators worldwide, he found a way to prevent a takeover by individual actors.
What is a Bitcoin node?
A Bitcoin node is every computer that takes part in the Bitcoin network by performing the Bitcoin software and combines with other nodes. There are several types of Bitcoin nodes: Full Nodes, Lightweight Nodes (also called SPV nodes or simplified payment verification nodes) and miner nodes. Full nodes are responsible for the review and validation of transactions and blocks and are therefore essential for the safety and decentralization of the network.
They reject invalid transactions that do not correspond to the protocol rules, accept valid and pass them on to other nodes. For example, if someone sends Bitcoin, Full Nodes check whether the sender's wallet has the necessary means and there is no double-donation attempt. Each full node stores the entire transaction history of the Bitcoin blockchain-as of 2025 around 500 GB-and has current information about new transactions. In this way, new transactions can be validated using historical data. Lightweight Nodes, on the other hand, invite only part of the blockchain and rely on Full Nodes during the transaction validation. In addition, miner nodes are required to create new blocks and to propose the network.
The block size war: a turning point for bitcoins decentralization
During the notorious “block size war” (2015–2017) Full Nodes played a central role and impressively showed the importance of decentralization of Bitcoin. At the heart of this conflict was the proposal to increase the block size in order to improve transaction capacity and scalability. The proposal was supported by many industry actors – including miners and managers of 58 prominent crypto companies who have a private agreement under the name “New York Agreement“achieved – but he met with strong resistance in the broad community.
A large part of the Full Node operator rejected the proposal and refused to carry out modified versions of the Bitcoin software with the change. This event underlined the role of Full Nodes as the last instance in enforcing the Bitcoin rules. They defended the protocol against centralizing influences and protected its basic principles. The block size war consolidated the decentralized governance model from Bitcoin and ensured that changes to the protocol reflect the will of the broad community-and at the same time strengthened the resistance of the network compared to external pressure.
Distribution of Bitcoin nodes and their role in the fight against censorship
On April 15, 2025, the reference page reported Bitnodes 543'025 active Bitcoin nodes over the past 90 days-with daily fluctuating numbers. These nodes were spread over at least 181 countries – practically the whole world when you consider that there are 197 countries. At 117,924, the United States had most active nodes, followed by Germany, China, Brazil, Canada and Russia. At the city level, German cities dominated the top 4: Berlin in first place, followed by Munich, Hamburg and Frankfurt.
It is noteworthy that some countries only have a single known node – including Peru, Algeria, Cambodia, Uzbekistan and surprisingly also El Salvador – the first country that Bitcoin officially introduced as a legal means of payment. However, it is important to emphasize that these numbers may underestimate the actual number of nodes. Many nodes are private, hidden or not accessible and therefore do not appear in public trackers.
How do I do a node?
The good news: everyone can do a node – only a reasonably powerful laptop or desktop and a minimum of technical understanding is required. Entry is already possible for less than $ 150-or you can simply use your normal computer. 4 GB RAM, 500 GB of storage space and, above all, a reliable internet connection without data limitation are necessary.
One of the most popular devices among Node operators is the Raspberry Pi-one of the cheapest options on the market. And you don't have to be an IT professional: There are numerous step-by-step instructions online. As for the time required, a node should online at least 6 hours a day Being – however, is optimal. Use most full nodes Bitcoin Corethe reference client that is cultivated by Bitcoin's core developer community. This contributes to the standardization of network rules and ensures the consistency of the protocol throughout the network.
Conclusion
The distribution of the nodes within a blockchain network is a decisive factor for its integrity and security. In the Bitcoin ecosystem, a 51%attack is one of the most feared scenarios-the case that a single actor controls the majority of computing power or nodes. Such a dominance would enable the attacker to censor or reverse transactions and to rewrite parts of the blockchain history-which would massively shake trust in the system. A broadly distributed node network offers heavy protection against these risks. It strengthens the resistance of the blockchain, promotes transparency and ensures decentralized governance. Ultimately, it is exactly this broad distribution that enables the blockchain to redeem its central promise: a system without central control.
