Running a Bitcoin node in 2019: becoming a first class citizen

Running your own node is one of the most important premises which enables Bitcoin’s decentralization. It empowers every user to validate their own transactions, it increases security and privacy by storing the blockchain activity on your own device (so that nobody knows which addresses are yours and which ones belong to someone else), and it strengthens the network by further pressuring participants to remain honest. Furthermore, the node is an essential prerequisite for onboarding the Lig