How to set up a Bitcoin Node with Citadel on a Raspberry Pi 5
Run your own node and achieve unparalleled privacy by connecting your wallet directly to your Bitcoin node.
Why run your own bitcoin node?
For bitcoin to function reliably and securely, it relies on the voluntary participation of thousands of individuals worldwide. Nodes, which make up the bitcoin network and verify transactions and blocks, are crucial to this process. There are many reasons to consider running your own bitcoin node, including personal benefits and the benefits to the security and resilience of the bitcoin ecosystem. The following article explains some reasons to run your own bitcoin node:
What’s Citadel?
Citadel allows you to easily run a Bitcoin & Lightning node in your home, without depending on any cloud provider.
Citadel is entirely built by the community. It is completely open-source, and entirely funded by donations. No company controls it, no secret TOS that restricts your usage, just open source code.
Thanks to its strict permission system, Citadel is very secure.
All apps are isolated from each other and you decide if and how they interact.
How to set up a Bitcoin Node?
To set up a Bitcoin Node with Citadel on a Raspberry Pi 5, you need to follow the following steps:
Step 1: Buy the parts
You will need to buy the following parts. You can buy them using the Amazon affiliate links in this article to support us.
Raspberry Pi 5 8GB + Case + Power Adapter
Pick 8 GB RAM for maximum performance. Buy on Amazon
2 TB or more is recommended. Buy on Amazon
To connect the storage drive to the Raspberry Pi via USB. Buy on Amazon
The microSD card is only used for running the firmware. All of your apps and data are stored on the storage drive. Buy on Amazon
MicroSD Adapter (Optional)
You will need to buy an adapter if your computer doesn’t have a MicroSD slot. Buy on Amazon
To connect the Raspberry Pi to your internet router. Buy on Amazon
Step 2: Assemble the Node
Assembling the node is pretty easy. You just need to:
- Put the Raspberry in its case
- Put the storage drive in its enclosure
- Connect the storage drive into any of the two USB 3.0 ports (blue colored) on the Raspberry Pi
- Connect the Raspberry to your router using the ethernet cable
- Connect the power supply to the Raspberry. DON’T CONNECT THE POWER SUPPLY TO THE POWER YET
Step 3: Download the Firmware
Download the latest firmware from the official website:
Step 4. Download Balena Etcher
Download and install Balena Etcher on your computer. It is required to flash the firmware file that you downloaded in the previous step onto the microSD card.
Step 5. Plug the microSD card into your computer
You might need a card reader if your computer doesn’t have one. Here’s a good one on Amazon.
Step 6. Flash the Firmware
Open Balena Etcher and flash the downloaded firmware file on the microSD card. You need to follow these steps:
- Pick the
Flash from fileoption
2. Pick theSelect Target option
3. Check the SD Card and click on Select
4. Click on the Flashoption
5. When finished, you will see a Flash Complete legend.
Step 7. Insert the microSD card into the Raspberry
After the flash is successful, remove the microSD card from your computer and insert it into the Raspberry Pi.
Step 8. Power up
Power up the Raspberry Pi to turn it on.
Any existing data on the SSD will automatically be deleted when you turn on the Raspberry Pi.
Step 9. Wait until Citadel is accesible
After some minutes, your Citadel will be accessible at http://citadel.local on any device that’s connected to the same network as the Raspberry Pi. If you can’t access your Citadel, you can use Angry IP Scanner to find the IP address of your Citadel and type that in the browser instead of http://citadel.local.
Visit our Website
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