Understanding the role of nodes from "summary" of The Basics of Bitcoins and Blockchains by Antony Lewis
Nodes play a crucial role in the operation of a blockchain system. They are essentially individual computers that are connected to the network, and they perform various tasks to keep the blockchain running smoothly. Each node has a copy of the entire blockchain, which allows it to verify transactions and blocks. This redundancy is essential for the security and integrity of the system because it ensures that no single point of failure can compromise the entire network. Nodes can be broadly categorized into two types: full nodes and lightweight nodes. Full nodes download the entire blockchain and participate in the validation of transactions and blocks. They are responsible for enforcing the rules of the network and ensuring that all transactions are valid. Lightweight nodes, on the other hand, do not download the entire blockchain and rely on full nodes to provide them with the necessary information. While lightweight nodes are more convenient and require less storage space, they are less secure than full nodes because they do not indepe...
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