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Guide · Updated 3 November 2026Run your own Bitcoin node with Umbrel
A node is your own copy of the Bitcoin rules and history. It checks every payment for you, so you stop trusting someone else's server. Umbrel makes it a home appliance you control from a web page.
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Why run a node?
- You check the rules yourself. Your node rejects fake coins, invalid blocks and anything that breaks the 21 million limit.
- Privacy. Without a node, your wallet asks someone else's server about your addresses, which can link them to your IP address.
- Independence. If a company's server goes down, your wallet still works.
A node does not hold your Bitcoin. Your keys stay on your hardware wallet. If the node dies, you lose nothing but sync time.
Hardware options
| Option | Good for | Things to know |
|---|---|---|
| Umbrel Home (Umbrel's own box) | Easiest route. umbrelOS comes ready, with storage built in. | Plug in, open a web page, done. |
| Raspberry Pi 5 | Tinkerers who like small, quiet kit | Use the 8 GB model, the official power supply, and an SSD, not a microSD card, for the data. |
| Old laptop or mini PC (x86) | Reusing kit you already own | Needs a 64-bit Intel or AMD chip. Wiping the drive is part of install. |
| Virtual machine | Testing umbrelOS before committing | Fine to learn on. A dedicated device is better long term. |
Storage: the full Bitcoin blockchain is about 780 GB (November 2026) and grows by roughly 75 to 100 GB a year, so use at least a 2 TB SSD. Hard drives with spinning disks make the first sync painfully slow. Memory: 8 GB or more is comfortable. Network: a wired Ethernet cable to your router is far more reliable than Wi-Fi.
Other ways to run a node
Umbrel is one good option, not the only one. Judge them on the same points: how open the software is, how easy it is, and how you back up.
- Start9 (StartOS): open source server software, sold on Start9's own hardware or installed on yours. Runs Bitcoin Core, Electrs and many other apps. Start9 official site* Readers get 5% off with code SHATOSHI.
- Bitcoin Core on your own computer: the reference software, free and open source. Pair it with Sparrow directly. Less polished, but nothing extra to trust. bitcoincore.org
- RaspiBlitz: a free, open source node project for the Raspberry Pi, for people happy with a command line. RaspiBlitz on GitHub
Install umbrelOS
- Umbrel Home: plug it into power and your router. Skip to step 5.
- Raspberry Pi or PC: download umbrelOS for your device from Umbrel's official site or GitHub. Check you are on the real domain.
- Flash the image with a tool such as balenaEtcher or Raspberry Pi Imager. On a Pi, flash a microSD card for the system and attach the SSD by USB 3. On a PC, follow Umbrel's USB installer steps.
- Connect the device to your router by cable and power it on. The first boot takes a few minutes.
- On a computer on the same home network, open http://umbrel.local. If that fails, find the device's local IP address in your router's admin page and use that.
- Create your account and a strong, unique password. Save it in a password manager.
Install Bitcoin and let it sync
- Open the App Store in Umbrel and install Bitcoin Node (Bitcoin Core).
- Leave it to run. The first sync, called initial block download, checks every block since 2009. Expect anywhere from a day to a week, depending mainly on your SSD and processor.
- Keep it plugged in and on a cable. It is fine to pause; it resumes where it left off.
- When the app shows 100%, your node is fully validating.
Tempted by pruning to save space? A pruned node keeps only recent blocks. It still checks everything, but most wallet servers, including Electrs and Fulcrum, need the full chain. For the wallet setup below, do not prune.
Connect your wallet
Most wallets talk to an Electrum server, which indexes your node so wallets can look up balances fast.
- In the Umbrel App Store, install Electrs (lighter) or Fulcrum (faster lookups, more storage). Let it finish indexing, which can take several hours.
- Open the app's page in Umbrel to see the connection details: a local address and port, and a Tor address.
- Sparrow (recommended): Settings, Server, Private Electrum. Enter the local address and port, then Test Connection. Pair your hardware wallet in Sparrow as usual.
- BitBoxApp and Trezor Suite both let you set a custom Electrum server in their settings, so their own apps can use your node too.
- Away from home, use the Tor address with a Tor-enabled wallet rather than opening ports on your router.
Your hardware wallet still signs every transaction. The node only answers questions and broadcasts what you have already signed. Not sure which device to use? See our hardware wallet comparison.
Privacy and security
- Do not port-forward or expose Umbrel to the internet. Use Tor or a private network tool such as Tailscale for remote access.
- Turn on two-factor authentication for the Umbrel dashboard.
- Keep umbrelOS and your apps updated from inside the dashboard.
- Only install apps you need. Each app is more code running on your box.
- Your node is not a backup of your coins. Keep your recovery words safe and offline.
- Use a new receive address every time so your history is harder to link.
- Tell anyone who shares your home network that the box is not to be unplugged at random.
Lightning (optional)
Umbrel can run a Lightning node too. It is a step up in responsibility: funds in Lightning channels are hot, and you must keep channel backups. Get comfortable with the Bitcoin node first, then read Lightning basics.
Troubleshooting
umbrel.local will not load
Use the device's IP address from your router instead. Make sure your computer is on the same network and not on a VPN.
Sync is crawling
Check you are on an SSD, not a spinning disk or microSD card, and that the Pi has the official power supply. Undervoltage slows everything.
Sparrow will not connect
Wait until both the Bitcoin app and Electrs or Fulcrum say they are fully synced. Then re-check the address and port shown in Umbrel.
Questions people ask
Does running a node earn me Bitcoin?
No. A node checks and relays; it does not mine. The reward is privacy and independence.
How much electricity does it use?
A Pi or mini PC uses about as much as a router or a small lamp, far less than a desktop computer.
Is it legal in the UK?
Yes. Running Bitcoin software at home is legal in the UK.
Not financial advice. General education only. Do your own research.
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