What does bitcoin client do except for being a wallet/payments manager?

[konradp]

Hi.

Running bitcoin client is called "running a full node", and it said that doing so helps the network.

I know it used to be a miner in the past, so this was understandable. But what does it do today that "supports the network"?

[Relnarien]

Bitcoin clients need to connect to a node in order to synch their copy of the blockchain. The more nodes there are, the easier it will be for someone synching to find a node to connect to. Also, since the blockchain is maintained via a consensus of majority of the network, then each additional "honest" node further adds to the security of the network.

[konradp]

Bitcoin clients need to connect to a node in order to synch their copy of the blockchain. The more nodes there are, the easier it will be for someone synching to find a node to connect to

Right, I don't why I didn't think about it 

Also, since the blockchain is maintained via a consensus of majority of the network, then each additional "honest" node further adds to the security of the network.

I know about the consensus, but you're saying that the fact that more honest nodes are the source of blockchain is all about it?

[DeathAndTaxes]

Full nodes also provide transaction data to SPV (lite) clients.   The more connections between nodes of a peer to peer network the most resistant the network is to an attack.   Full nodes block/drop bad transactions and txns with insufficient priority/fee (spam).  The more full nodes that are active on the network the more difficult it would be for an attacker to disrupt the network by denial of service or isolation attack.

[konradp]

@DeathAndTaxes @Relnarien: Thanks!