bitcoind

TLDR

Start Bitcoin daemon

$ bitcoind -daemon

Start with configuration

$ bitcoind -conf=[bitcoin.conf]

Stop daemon

$ bitcoin-cli stop

Run in foreground

$ bitcoind

bitcoind is the Bitcoin Core daemon. It maintains a full copy of the Bitcoin blockchain, validates transactions and blocks, and can serve as a wallet. The daemon provides RPC and REST interfaces for interaction.
Running a full node contributes to Bitcoin network decentralization and allows trustless validation of transactions.

PARAMETERS

-daemon

Run as background daemon

-conf=file

Configuration file path

-datadir=dir

Data directory

-testnet

Use testnet

-regtest

Regression test mode

-prune=n

Enable pruning (keep only N MB)

-txindex

Maintain full transaction index

-rpcuser=user

RPC username

-rpcpassword=pass

RPC password

-rpcport=port

RPC port

CONFIGURATION

bitcoin.conf example:

$ daemon=1
server=1
rpcuser=username
rpcpassword=securepassword
txindex=1
prune=0

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

- Disk: ~500 GB (full blockchain)
- RAM: 2 GB minimum, 4 GB recommended
- Network: Unlimited or high cap
- Bandwidth: ~20 GB/month upload

FEATURES

- Full blockchain validation
- Wallet functionality
- Mining support (via external miners)
- RPC/REST APIs
- Pruning mode (reduced storage)
- Testnet/regtest support
- ZMQ notifications

WORKFLOW

$ # Start daemon
bitcoind -daemon

# Check status
bitcoin-cli getblockchaininfo

# Wait for sync (can take days)
bitcoin-cli getblockcount

# Stop daemon
bitcoin-cli stop

CAVEATS

Initial sync takes days/weeks. Large disk space required (unless pruned). High bandwidth usage. Keep wallet.dat backed up securely. RPC should not be exposed to internet. Requires consistent uptime for full node benefits.

HISTORY

bitcoind was created by Satoshi Nakamoto as part of the original Bitcoin software in 2009, serving as the reference implementation of the Bitcoin protocol.