A node is a server with specialized software in the form of a computer or other computing equipment connected to the cryptocurrency blockchain network. Translated from Latin, a node means nothing more than a node, which is why the nodes themselves are so often called network nodes.
There are different types of nodes, depending on which they can store either the entire blockchain (full node), or only a certain part of it (lightweight node). Full nodes can be truncated, that is, supporting only the most recent transactions in accordance with the storage specifications, while all old blocks are trimmed and deleted to save memory.. And mining nodes are used to confirm transactions necessary to create new blocks in the cryptocurrency blockchain. P2P protocols are used for nodes to interact with each other.
The key task of nodes is to ensure that the cryptocurrency blockchain contains only reliable information, so they are used to directly confirm transactions and blocks. If you look more globally, the nodes ensure the security of the functioning of the cryptocurrency and its protection from fraud and theft.
To verify the information, network nodes turn to the block chain, They continuously verify the information in the blockchain with other network nodes in order to identify possible data substitution in each of the huge number of blocks involved in the blockchain.
To run a node, large computing power is not necessary at all - a computer based on the latest version of Windows, Linux or macOS is enough, at least 4 GB of RAM and 500 GB of free disk space, as well as a stable and fast Internet connection, since the node should always be online. This leads to the fact that many ordinary users use nodes to earn money.
Any projects need to test their network at the start. Renting servers around the world costs them a pretty penny, so they are happy to delegate this process to ordinary users, paying for their services with their tokens. And if the idea turned out to be successful, the server costs pay off with a vengeance, and the noders get their good profit from participating in this event. But here, as everywhere else, it is necessary to use critical thinking, pay attention and study the project, so as not to end up getting a T-shirt or a baseball cap for your work instead of tokens.
Thus, nodes are an integral part of the functioning of the cryptocurrency, which provides its users not only with security, but also with the opportunity to earn.
