A Full Node is software that runs a full copy of any cryptocurrency’s blockchain giving access to the protocols features. It holds a complete record of every transaction that has occurred since genesis and is therefore able to verify the validity of new transactions and blocks that are added to the blockchain.
Zcashd
Zcashd is currently the main Full Node implementation used by Zcash developed and maintained by the Electric Coin Company. Zcashd exposes a set of API’s via its RPC interface. These API’s provide functions that allow external applications to interact with the node.
Lightwalletd
Lightwalletd is an example of an application that uses a full node to enable developers to build and maintain mobile-friendly shielded light wallets without having to interact directly with cashd.
Start up a Node (Linux)
- Install Dependencies
sudo apt update
sudo apt-get install \
build-essential pkg-config libc6-dev m4 g++-multilib \
autoconf libtool ncurses-dev unzip git python3 python3-zmq \
zlib1g-dev curl bsdmainutils automake libtinfo5- Clone latest release, checkout, setup and build:
git clone https://github.com/zcash/zcash.git
cd zcash/
git checkout v5.4.1
./zcutil/fetch-params.sh
./zcutil/clean.sh
./zcutil/build.sh -j$(nproc)- Sync Blockchain (may take several hours)
To start the node run:
./src/zcashd- Private Keys are stored in ~/.zcash/wallet.dat
Zebra
Zebra is an independent full node implementation for the Zcash Protocol created by the Zcash Foundation. It is currently undergoing testing and is still experimental. There are two main components of Zebra:
- The client component which is responsible for blockchain scanning
- The trial decryption of transactions.
The second part is the zebra command line tool. This tool manages spending keys, addresses & communicates with the Client component in zebrad to provide basic wallet functionality.
Anyone interested in trying out Zebra to mine blocks is invited to join the R&D discord server. Also be sure to read the Zebra book for set-up instructions.
The Network
By running a full node you are helping to strengthen the zcash network by supporting its decentralization. This helps to prevent adversarial control and keep the network resilient to some forms of disruption. DNS seeders expose a list of other reliable nodes via a built-in server. This allows transactions to propagate throughout the network.
Network Stats
These are examples platforms which allow access to Zcash Network data:
You can also contribute to the development of the network by running tests or proposing new improvements & providing metrics.
Mining
Miners require full nodes to access all mining related rpc’s such as getblocktemplate & getmininginfo. Zcashd also enables mining to shielded coinbase. Miners and mining pools have the option to mine directly to accumulate shielded ZEC in a z-address by default.
Privacy
Running a full node allows you to independently verify all transactions and blocks on the Zcash network. Running a full node avoids some privacy risks associated with using third-party services to verify transactions on your behalf. Using your own node also permits connecting to the network via Tor. This has an added advantage of allowing other users to connect privately to your node .onion address.
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