Bitcoin node setup

What is a Bitcoin Node ?

Nodes -

are the back bone of the Bitcoin network
hold every Bitcoin transaction ever
are replicated all over the world in the 10,000s
also process Lightning transactions
allow you to interact with the Bitcoin Blockchain directly with out leaking data to 3rd parties
are typically on a Raspberry Pi 4 computer
consume about 7W

Running your own node

Level 1 Basic node - Hold and checks every transaction ever requires little input once set up.

Next step

Level 2 Basic node + Lightning - Usually an option to turn on in your existing node. Requires a more in depth knowledge and more maintenance.

Bitcoin nodes

MyNode

Build your own node and use the Mynodebtc .

Umbrel

One of the most forward looking. Not just a bitcoin node, Umbrel with its own Operating System is breaking new privacy ground allowing you to host your own data, VPN. Help you stop entrusting it to the cloud (somebody else's computer), where your data is sold.

Nodl

Nodl enables you to connect to Bitcoin and the Lightning Network so that you can verify and process payments without having to rely on any intermediaries.

Ordinals & Runes

As you can see spam or allegedly valuable pictures on the block chain has become a big problem taking up to 90% of the available space, pushing up transaction fees and making bitcoin more difficult to use. If left unchecked could undermine the value of Bitcoin. Some argue that "censoring" transactions is a slippery slope but bitcoin already has many filters. Personally I think ordinals are a scam at best or an attempt to damage bitcoin. Miners could filter the spam but are quite happy to take the additional revenue.
An entity with "infinite money" could buy infinite board ape pictures paying miners directly & render Bitcoin useless. If Core was infiltrated, allowing attack vectors may be a great way to break bitcoin.

The argument against is that they are valid transactions & if people want to blow money on blockchain graffiti let them, they'll run out of money sooner or later. It's all money flowing into the Bitcoin ecosystem anyway.

Have a look at the Mempool here's a block 840121 from April 2024 with lots of spam pushing fee's up to a massive 1000 sat/byte (verses a more typical 10-40) with a total block fee reward of nearly 11BTC (highlight OPRETURN with the goggles). What do you think ?

Incentives

Who can filter these "transactions" ?

Bitcoin Core

Setting filter defaults for nodes is traditionally executed by Bitcoin Core as they write they traditionally write the software.
Some believe these "transactions" should be filtered by default by Bitcoin core, but there is not consensus within Bitcoin Core.
Bitcoin is voluntary, node operators are free to run whatever software they want.
Bitcoin core do not get to dictate "what bitcoin is"

Miners

are getting paid handsomely to include them in the blocks because transaction prices have increased
so can not be trusted to act in the best interests of Bitcoin as a whole

Node Operators

running a node is generally altruistic, you could make a small profit from lightning transactions but generally it's not worth the bother, for this reason are probably the most trust worthy actors in the space
do not gain from spam
additional cost requiring more hardware to store additional info
Breaking Bitcoin not an incentive

Listen to smart people

@GrassFedBitcoin of Ocean mining pool, talks about this in depth on the What Bitcoin Did show. Ocean is a pool that filters by default so a great one to join if you mine bitcoin & opposed to rubbish clogging the block chain.
Here's a great in-depth Podcast by fountain.fm with @giacomozucco @GrassFedBitcoin & @Leo_haf discussing Ordinals and how to deal with them.

Removing Ordinals & Runes

Fortunately Mynode have incorporated a simple switch to turn on Ordinal filtering called Ordinal Disrespector Ordisrespector leaving the filtering decision to the node operator, and more recently have a newer beta version with Bitcoin knots incorporated.
BitcoinKnots is purpose built software to deal with the spam problem. More here wtfhappenedinfeb2023.com

Kill Ordinals & Runes using Bitcoin core

This setting switches off the ability to store the additional data (the ordinal/rune) , here it's shown set to zero bytes but if this doesn't work try setting to 1 bytes.

Node Channel Balancing

Here's my simple strategy for node balancing. Using Thunderhub I first sort the channels by local / remote balance (by clicking where it says "Balance").
It's a bit like trying to push a rope. You can't. You have to make it easier for your remote partner to pull the rope so when a transaction passes through it will take the point of least resistance (pull the loosest rope). When the channel has gone to far the other way then put your tug of war team on the job. No one will be able to pull that rope unless they really need to making you some nice Sats in the process.
Just check up on your node every week or so to make sure nothings to far out. Adjusting "My Fees" (rope tension) by clicking the pen/paper symbol on the appropriate line, and set your fee.
Typical values could be-

1000 = pull rope
200 = a bit of tension
0 = let go completely

Resources

An excellent node guide here. bitcoiner.guide/node/

Free social tools by a passionate community. Increased node efficiency, profitability & security. Discover our tools and give them a try lightningnetwork.plus

Four tips to run profitable lightning node bitcoinmagazine

Top performing nodes terminal.lightning.engineering

Awesome Bitcoin tutorials videos and content From @BTCsessions

Useful websites

A must have for looking up good nodes to connect too 1ml.com
A good node to open a channel to might be Wallet of Satoshi