Bitcoin Node Software Screensaver
The Bitcoin Node Software screensaver shows what software the reachable Bitcoin network is running, gathered key-less by the pipeline. It's free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.
Live preview
Press ESC to leave fullscreen. Settings are saved in your browser only.
How the Bitcoin Node Software screensaver works
The saver reads the source described above and draws it on a canvas — no account, no tracking.
What software the reachable Bitcoin network is running, gathered key-less by the pipeline. These are the machines storing and relaying the chain rather than mining it, and the version split shows how fast an upgrade actually spreads.
It refreshes on a schedule, so what you see stays current.
Colours and any options can be changed in settings; nothing is stored beyond your own browser.
What Bitnodes can and cannot see
A Bitcoin node is a computer that downloads and checks the blockchain and relays transactions and blocks to its peers. Nodes are distinct from miners: they enforce the rules rather than produce blocks. Bitnodes is a site that publishes data on the Bitcoin peer-to-peer network, including a count of reachable nodes, meaning those a crawler can connect to.
The two big families in a version breakdown are Bitcoin Core, the reference implementation, and Bitcoin Knots, a Core-derived client maintained by Luke Dashjr that tracks Core's releases while adding its own options and different default relay policies. A version breakdown shows how a software release spreads: new versions are adopted gradually, and old ones linger on machines nobody updates.
Caveats are significant. A crawler can only count nodes that accept incoming connections, so many home nodes behind routers are invisible and the true total is higher. Node software names itself with a user agent string, which is just text a node sends and can be changed, so counts by version describe software popularity, not voting power or influence over the rules.
A worked example
What software the reachable Bitcoin network is running, gathered key-less by the pipeline. These are the machines storing and relaying the chain rather than mining it, and the version split shows how fast an upgrade actually spreads.
Settings & tips
- Accent and Background recolour the display.
- Every number on screen comes from the live source — nothing is simulated.
- Press ESC to leave fullscreen.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this real data?
- Yes — it comes from the source named on this page and is refreshed on a schedule.
- Is a key needed?
- No. This source is fully key-less.
- Is it free?
- Yes — free, no download, in your browser.
- Is this the number of Bitcoin users?
- No. It counts reachable nodes only, and each person can run several or none. Many users rely on wallets that never run a full node.
- Why can some nodes not be counted?
- A crawler can only connect to nodes that accept inbound connections. Machines behind a home firewall that only connect outward cannot be reached, so they do not appear.
- Can a node lie about its version?
- Yes. The user agent string is just text that a node sends, so it can be altered. Large aggregate shifts are still informative, but single entries should not be trusted.