bitcoind

Bitcoin Core full node daemon

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

-chain=chain

Select chain: main, testnet4, signet, regtest (default: main)

-testnet4

Use testnet4 network

-signet

Use signet network

-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

-server

Accept command line and JSON-RPC commands

-blocksonly

Reduce bandwidth by not relaying transactions

CONFIGURATION

~/.bitcoin/bitcoin.conf

Main configuration file for daemon mode, RPC credentials, network selection, pruning, and indexing options.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

- Disk: ~600 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 backups secure. RPC should not be exposed to internet. The -testnet flag (testnet3) was deprecated in v28 and removed in v30; use -testnet4 or -signet instead.

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.