==== Bitcoin: Guide 7 Peer-to-Peer Networks  ====
[[dido:public:ra:xapend:xapend.b_stds:defact:bitcoin:guides| return to Bitcoin Guides]]

=== Overview === 
  ://The [[dido:public:ra:xapend:xapend.a_glossary:b:bitcoin|Bitcoin]] network [[dido:public:ra:xapend:xapend.a_glossary:p:protocol|protocol]] allows [[dido:public:ra:xapend:xapend.a_glossary:f:full|full nodes]] (peers) to collaboratively maintain a [[dido:public:ra:xapend:xapend.a_glossary:p:p2p]] network for block and transaction exchange.[[https://bitcoin.org/en/p2p-network-guide | P2P Network Guide ]]//

=== Introduction === 
  : //Full nodes download and verify every block and transaction prior to relaying them to other nodes. Archival [[dido:public:ra:xapend:xapend.a_glossary:n:node|nodes]] are full nodes which store the entire [[dido:public:ra:xapend:xapend.a_glossary:b:blockchain|blockchain]] and can serve historical blocks to other nodes. Pruned nodes are full nodes which do not store the entire blockchain. Many [[dido:public:ra:xapend:xapend.a_glossary:s:spv]] [[dido:public:ra:xapend:xapend.a_glossary:c:client|clients]] also use the Bitcoin network protocol to connect to full nodes.//

  : //Consensus rules do not cover networking, so Bitcoin programs may use alternative networks and protocols, such as the high-speed block relay network used by some miners and the dedicated transaction information servers used by some wallets that provide SPV-level security.//

  : //To provide practical examples of the Bitcoin peer-to-peer network, this section uses Bitcoin Core as a representative full node and BitcoinJ as a representative SPV client. Both programs are flexible, so only default behavior is described. Also, for privacy, actual IP addresses in the example output below have been replaced with RFC5737 reserved IP addresses.//

=== Topics === 
  * [[https://bitcoin.org/en/p2p-network-guide#introduction | Introduction]]
  * [[https://bitcoin.org/en/p2p-network-guide#peer-discovery | Peer Discovery]]
  * [[https://bitcoin.org/en/p2p-network-guide#connecting-to-peers | Connecting To Peers]]
  * [[https://bitcoin.org/en/p2p-network-guide#initial-block-download | Initial Block Download]]
  * [[https://bitcoin.org/en/p2p-network-guide#block-broadcasting | Block Broadcasting ]]
  * [[https://bitcoin.org/en/p2p-network-guide#transaction-broadcasting | Transaction Broadcasting ]]
  * [[https://bitcoin.org/en/p2p-network-guide#misbehaving-nodes | Misbehaving Nodes]]
  * [[https://bitcoin.org/en/p2p-network-guide#alerts | Alerts]]

<hidden Click to show or hide disclaimer>
|   **BETA**                                                       |
| This documentation uses information provided in [[https://bitcoin.org/en/p2p-network-guide | Bitcoin P@P Network Guide ]] and has not been approved by Bitcoin experts.|
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