Building A Bitcoin Node

It is possible to find many videos on YouTube about building a Bitcoin Node; however, they often lack steps or make too many assumptions about what people already know.

Through our collaboration, Darren, as a Software Engineer, brings the much-needed technical expertise. At the same time, I, as a novice at node building, can help slow him down and ensure nothing gets missed as we take you through the step-by-step guide on what to buy and how to put it together.

We show you what to expect as you unpack each piece of kit, and then finally, how to fit all the pieces together. Once we complete this step, we then show you how to download the Umbrel software, providing you with a fully functioning Bitcoin node.

In the course, we cover:

• Where to buy all the necessary equipment.
• Where to purchase nodes that are already assembled and set up for you.
• Unpacking & assembly of the Raspberry Pi
• Hard drive unpacking & assembly
• The SD Card
• Downloading Umbrel
• Using balenaEtcher
• Transferring the downloaded Umbrel Operating system from your computer to the Raspberry Pi.
• Using the Command Line to connect the computer to the Raspberry Pi
• Setting up Umbrel and installing essential Apps

The Umbrel software is an excellent starting point for beginners, offering a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate and provides a great way to get started for those new to running their first node.

It is essential to note that Umbrel is a third-party software that is not open-source, so it may not be the ideal solution for those seeking complete financial independence. However, don’t despair! Later, we will be teaching you how to run your node completely independently using Bitcoin Core.

Running a node using Bitcoin Core, the original Bitcoin software, is more complex, but still doable with a bit of experience. You will be able to use Bitcoin Core with the hardware setup we demonstrate in this course. We include the addition of the Umbrel Software to ensure you can get immediate use from your node and start experimenting with it straight away..

Darren later explains that he has had some issues with Umbrel on a longer-term basis, specifically regarding its performance consistency. Therefore, we don’t recommend using Umbrel to set up a Lightning node. We will show you better systems for that further down the line. For now, experiment with setting up your own Bitcoin node and enjoy exploring the variety of services and apps that Umbrel provides.