How to Run Your Own Bitcoin Node (Step-by-Step)

Running your own Bitcoin node is one of the best ways to support Bitcoin’s decentralization, security, and redundancy—and it’s how you truly verify, don’t trust. In this video, I walk you through what a Bitcoin node actually does (historian, enforcer, and mempool host), then we install Bitcoin Core from scratch on a UGREEN NAS using Docker—no one-click node installers, no shortcuts. We’ll cover the real-world requirements (storage, RAM, bandwidth), set up persistent storage by mapping the container data directory to the NAS (so your blockchain survives container rebuilds), configure port 8333 for inbound connections, and test node reachability using bitnodes.io. And for the fun part: once the node is running, we pull the Genesis block from our own node and decode Satoshi’s hidden message embedded forever in Bitcoin’s first block. If you’ve been curious about running a node at home, this is the full beginner-to-practical walkthrough—done the old-school way, straight from the terminal. Thanks to UGREEN for making this video possible and for providing the NAS used in this build. ➡️ UGREEN DXP4800 Plus: https://geni.us/ugreennas Links to support the channel: ₿ Where I Buy Bitcoin w/ NO FEES: https://geni.us/getriver 🟠 Easy Crypto Mining with NiceHash: https://geni.us/nicehash 💰 Track Your Investments w/ DELTA App: https://geni.us/getdelta 🔒 Hardware Wallet I Use: https://geni.us/getledger 💸 Crypto Tax Software I Use: https://geni.us/IjAa Chat with me: 👋🏻 Discord: https://discord.gg/Kaf4dDXGJz 💬 Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/redfoxcrypto Video Chapters: 00:00 Why Run a Bitcoin Node (Verify Bitcoin Yourself) 00:16 What Is a Bitcoin Node? (Full Node Explained) 00:51 What Does a Bitcoin Node Do? (3 Core Functions) 02:05 Bitcoin Node Hardware Requirements (Storage, RAM, Internet) 02:51 Running a Bitcoin Node on a NAS with Docker 03:13 Creating an Ubuntu Docker Container for Bitcoin 03:42 Mapping the Bitcoin Blockchain to NAS Storage 05:01 Opening Port 8333 for a Bitcoin Node 05:37 Accessing the Docker Terminal (Command Line Setup) 05:57 Installing Required Linux Tools for Bitcoin Core 06:26 Downloading Bitcoin Core on Linux 06:52 Verifying Bitcoin Core Download (Checksums & Signatures) 09:11 Installing Bitcoin Core from the Command Line 10:39 Starting bitcoind and Using bitcoin-cli 11:46 Checking Bitcoin Blockchain Sync Progress (%) 12:13 How Much Storage a Bitcoin Node Uses Today 12:52 Auto-Starting Bitcoin Core After Reboot 13:53 Making Your Bitcoin Node Publicly Reachable 14:59 Finding the Bitcoin Genesis Block 15:58 Decoding Satoshi Nakamoto’s Hidden Message 16:47 Final Thoughts: Why Running a Node Matters As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. #crypto #bitcoin #cryptocurrency #btc #ugreennas