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A full node is a computer that downloads, validates, and stores every block and transaction in a blockchain's entire history. It independently verifies that every transaction follows the network's rules without relying on anyone else's word. Running a full node gives you the highest level of trustless participation in a blockchain network.
Think of a full node like a librarian who reads and checks every book in the library personally rather than trusting someone else's catalog entry.
When a full node receives a new block from the network, it validates every transaction inside that block against the complete transaction history it holds. It checks that coins were not already spent, that digital signatures are valid, that the block follows the correct format, and that the mining reward is correct. If any check fails, the block is rejected.
A full node also serves as a relay. It shares validated blocks and transactions with other nodes on the network, helping propagate information across the peer-to-peer system. Without enough full nodes, the network becomes dependent on fewer and fewer participants, which concentrates power.
A light node, also called an SPV (simplified payment verification) node, downloads only block headers rather than the full transaction data. It verifies that a transaction was included in a confirmed block by checking the header chain, but it trusts that the full nodes have already validated the transactions. Mobile wallets typically run as light nodes to save storage and bandwidth.
A mining node builds new blocks and competes to solve the proof-of-work puzzle. Mining nodes typically run full node software simultaneously so they can validate the blocks they receive and build valid new ones. You can run a full node without mining, but you cannot mine without running one.
Full nodes collectively enforce the network's consensus rules. If the majority of full nodes reject a rule change, that change cannot be imposed on the network regardless of how much hash power supports it. This is why Satoshi Nakamoto's original Bitcoin whitepaper described the network's security as depending on honest nodes collectively outnumbering attackers, not on any central authority.
For Bitcoin, running a full node in 2025 requires approximately 650 gigabytes of storage for the full blockchain history and a modest internet connection. The Bitcoin Core client is the reference implementation used by most full node operators.
Sources:
https://bitcoin.org/en/full-node
https://ethereum.org/en/run-a-node/
https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf
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