Bitcoin Core
Software that runs a full Bitcoin node: it downloads and checks the whole Bitcoin network's history itself.bitcoin/bitcoin
- Stars
- 90.6k
- Forks
- 39.4k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- C++
- Last update
- 4 days ago
- Type
- App
What it is
Bitcoin Core connects to the Bitcoin peer-to-peer network and downloads and fully validates every block and transaction, so you do not have to trust someone else's record of the ledger. It also includes a wallet and an optional graphical interface. This repository is the development ('integration/staging') tree, not the ready-to-use download; the README points to bitcoincore.org for prebuilt binaries.
- Run a full node that independently validates blocks and transactions
- Use the included wallet and optional graphical interface (if built)
- Run the unit tests with ctest after building
- Run the Python regression and integration tests with test_runner.py
- Contribute code, tests or reviews via the documented contribution workflow
Great for
- People who want to verify Bitcoin transactions themselves rather than trust a third party
- Developers working on or testing the Bitcoin protocol software
- Contributors who want to review or test pull requests
- Node operators who can run software on a machine that stays online
Not ideal for
- People who just want to send or receive bitcoin quickly: this repo is development source, and the README directs most users to the prebuilt download instead
- Users with limited disk space or bandwidth, since the README does not state storage requirements and a full node downloads the whole chain
- Anyone looking for a beginner-friendly build experience, because the README points to separate build documents rather than a simple setup
How to get it
- 1
Clone and build from source
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin - 2
Run it
- Read the build instructions in doc/build-*.md for your operating system
- Build the software following those instructions
- Run unit tests with ctest in your build directory
- Run the Python functional tests with build/test/functional/test_runner.py
- For a ready-to-use program, download a binary from bitcoincore.org instead of building from source
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Use the optional graphical interface if you built it with the GUI enabled
- Read doc/developer-notes.md and CONTRIBUTING.md before submitting changes
- Write unit tests under src/test for new code, as the README encourages
- Ask someone other than the author to test large or high-risk changes, per the README's QA guidance
Downloads
Strengths
- Independently validates the chain rather than relying on third-party servers
- Released under the MIT license, which is permissive and open
- Tested on Windows, Linux and macOS in continuous integration, according to the README
Trade-offs
- The master branch is not guaranteed to be completely stable; stable versions are tagged releases
- Build and setup are more involved than downloading an app, and the README defers details to doc/build-*.md
- Development pace is limited by review capacity, as the README itself notes
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bitcoin (this) | 90.6k | App | advanced | 4 days ago | People who want to verify Bitcoin transactions themselves rather than trust a third party |
| anoma | 33.6k | App | advanced | 5 months ago | Developers who want to read or contribute to a reference implementation of the Anoma protocol |
| ccxt | 44.7k | Library | intermediate | 4 days ago | Developers building trading bots or algorithmic trading software |
| cmder | 27k | App | beginner | 10 days ago | Windows users who want a nicer, tabbed command-line window |
| Ciphey | 21.7k | App | beginner | 5 days ago | CTF players working through encoding puzzles |
| dogecoin | 15.2k | App | intermediate | 9 days ago | People who want to run their own Dogecoin node rather than rely on a third party |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.