Bitcoin Forum

Bitcoin => Bitcoin Technical Support => Topic started by: TheBeardedBaby on September 19, 2019, 07:22:53 AM



Title: Running a full node, lightning node, what else can I do to support the btc net.
Post by: TheBeardedBaby on September 19, 2019, 07:22:53 AM
Hello guys,

What I have done till now is to have a Bitcoin full node up and running after I got my FTTH installed. Planning to have it running 24/7. (and maybe run a second full node on my raspberry pi)

The next step is to setup a LN node and open some channels.

Is there anything else I can put on this pc? As I said it's running 24/7.


Title: Re: Running a full node, lightning node, what else can I do to support the btc net.
Post by: Lauda on September 19, 2019, 07:34:14 AM
Electrum Server.


Title: Re: Running a full node, lightning node, what else can I do to support the btc net.
Post by: crwth on September 19, 2019, 08:40:44 AM
If we're specifically talking about supporting the BTC network with running a computer 24/7, installing nodes would just be the support that you could do. According to the Bitcoin.org (https://bitcoin.org/en/support-bitcoin) website.

If you were to use your PC to do other stuff like use Bitcoin as a currency, spread the news about Bitcoin, improve the Bitcoin Software, donate, etc. Just like in the support page, I think that's just it.



This may not support Bitcoin directly, but it supports yourself (if you do trading).

If you are going to let software like Gunbot (https://gunbot.ph) to trade for you, that's a software you could run on your PC 24/7 instead on a VPS which would cost you additional money.


Title: Re: Running a full node, lightning node, what else can I do to support the btc net.
Post by: Carlton Banks on September 19, 2019, 10:56:05 AM
Is there anything else I can put on this pc? As I said it's running 24/7.

if you want to help Bitcoin, I guess you could host the torrent of the Bitcoin Core software (I host all the latest bugfix releases that are still covered by official support, which means at this moment 0.16.3, 0.17.1 and 0.18.1)

other ideas

  • ssh (use it for controlling stuff remotely)
  • File server for your stuff (a different ssh instance would work here)
  • diaspora (decentral social network)
  • Mastodon (decentral twitter)
  • personal e-mail (limited if you don't have a website domain... it's possible using an IPv6 address might work though)

I know some email software will send mail to a raw IP address (Thunderbird). I have this funny feeling that webmail clients won't do this (as it would help people to stop using webmail ;) ), but this is why email is such BS these days; the webmail providers basically own the whole email system. If you don't want to do it the way they do it (and let them slurp all your emails), it's you that's wrong


Title: Re: Running a full node, lightning node, what else can I do to support the btc net.
Post by: Carlton Banks on September 19, 2019, 11:57:11 AM
oh and 1 important thing:


if you're running Bitcoin on your rasPi, you should:

  • either open port 8333 on your router
  • or run Bitcoin through a VPN and use their port forwarding to open port 8333
  • or run Bitcoin through Tor (which will forward port 8333)

this is so you're not a leech, lol


if you're not forwarding port 8333 to other Bitcoin nodes, then they can't receive blocks from you. This makes you a leech! You're not really adding capacity to the network, you're using up the available capacity.


Title: Re: Running a full node, lightning node, what else can I do to support the btc net.
Post by: Rath_ on September 19, 2019, 02:58:01 PM
The next step is to setup a LN node and open some channels.

What implementation do you intend to use? Both c-lightning and LND have mobile apps which will allow you to connect to your node and use some of its basic features. I can help you with the setup if you encounter any problems.


Title: Re: Running a full node, lightning node, what else can I do to support the btc net.
Post by: lightningmelo on September 19, 2019, 03:10:00 PM
If you plan on running your own Lightning node and setting up some channels, make sure to keep an eye on their balances.

Lightning channels are much more useful to the network when they're balanced (~50% on each side of the channel).