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RaspiNail

Beginner’s Guide to ️Bitcoin Node on a Raspberry Pi 4

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RaspiNail node builds on the Raspberry Pi 4 platform.
It is based on the RaspiBolt guide, originally made by Stadicus.

Table of contents

  1. About this guide
    1. Structure
    2. Purpose
    3. Main changes to RaspiBolt v2 or v3
    4. Target audience
  2. A word of caution
  3. Community Support

About this guide

Structure

  1. Introduction (this page)
  2. Preparations: get all required parts
  3. Raspberry Pi: set up and configure the Pi as a Linux server
  4. Security: secure and harden your installation
  5. Privacy: configure Tor networking for improved privacy
  6. Bitcoin: run Bitcoin Core as a fully validating node
  7. Lightning: spin up the Lightning Network Daemon (LND)
  8. Electrum: use your node with Hardware Wallets
  9. Bonus Section: go beyond with optional topics
  10. Troubleshooting: debug your system if you have problems
  11. FAQ: frequently asked questions and further reading

Purpose

The aim of this guide is to set up a Bitcoin and Lightning node that:

  • is a Bitcoin Full Node running 24/7, supporting Lightning Network routing, and not requiring any trust in a 3rd party.
  • is configured with the higher standards of security and privacy, while keeping usability and compatibility.
  • is set up with Ubuntu Server 64bit, the far most widely used server OS. More stable and updated.
  • has overdimensioned hardware specs that will last for years.
  • is set up without graphical user interface and can be managed remotely using the Secure Shell (SSH) command line.

Main changes to RaspiBolt v2 or v3

This guide has been completely rewritten, but those are the most relevant:

  • Changed OS from Raspberry OS 32 bits to Ubuntu Server 64 bits (21.10 Impish). Stable OS, not beta OS like Raspibolt v3.
  • Updated signatures check of Bitcoin Core since v22
  • Updated configuration in Electrs since v9
  • Added some useful apps (avahi, rfkill, htop, iftop, nyx)
  • Added SSH access through TOR
  • Added section for updating all installed software and services
  • Added section for checking the correct behaviour of the installed services
  • Removed support for other boards (Odroid, Pine64…)
  • Removed SSH access using certificates
  • Disabled Buetooth
  • (Optional) Disabled WIFI

Target audience

This guide strives to give simple and foolproof instructions. But the goal is also to do everything ourselves, no shortcuts that involve trust in a 3rd party allowed. This makes this guide quite technical and lengthy, but I try to make it as straightforward as possible and explain everything for you to gain a basic understanding of the how and why. If you like to learn about Linux, Bitcoin and Lightning, this guide is for you.

A word of caution

All components of the Lightning network are still under development and we are dealing with real money here. Unfortunately, nobody uses the Lightning Testnet, so we will go straight for Mainnet. But please be aware that you should start with small amounts that you are willing to lose.

Community Support

Find help and other RaspiNail users on the following platforms:

Get started: Preparations »