Chapter Two: Creating a Bitcoin-Core VPS

To get started with Bitcoin, you first need to set up a machine running Bitcoin. The articles in this chapter describe how to do so, primarily by using a VPS (Virtual Private Server).

Objectives for this Chapter

After working through this chapter, a developer will be able to:

• Decide Between the Five Major Types of Bitcoin Nodes
• Create a Bitcoin Node for Development
• Create a Local Instance of the Bitcoin Blockchain

Supporting objectives include the ability to:

• Understand the Basic Network Setup of the VPS
• Decide Which Security Priorities to Implement
• Understand the Difference between Pruned and Unpruned Nodes
• Understand the Difference between Mainnet, Testnet, and Regtest Nodes
• Interpret the Basics of the Bitcoin Configuration File

Table of Contents

You don't actually need to read this entire chapter. Decide if you want to run a StackScript to set a node up on a Linode VPS (§2.2); or you want to set up on a different environment, such as on an AWS machine or a Mac (§2.3). Then, jump to the appropriate section. Additional information on our suggested setups may also be found in Appendix I.

• Section One: Setting Up a Bitcoin Core VPS with Bitcoin Standup
• Section Two: Setting Up a Bitcoin Core Machine via Other Means