| Decision | What is supported | Planning use |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Bitcoin Core 0.16.1 is extensively tested on the Linux kernel, macOS 10.8+ and Windows Vista and later. The receiver guide runs the node and the receiver software on a Linux computer. | Plan the node on Linux. Treat the other systems as the Bitcoin Core baseline, not a promise for every satellite-specific tool. |
| Node computer | Estimated $50-$100 for a Linux computer such as a Raspberry Pi 4. | A small board fits this budget guidance. Price it before reaching for a larger server. |
| Receiver dongle | Estimated $20-$35 for an RTL2832U-based RTL-SDR USB dongle. | Budget it separately from the node computer. |
| Link direction | One-way satellite-to-ground broadcast. The receiver transmits nothing. | Keep an ordinary network connection for anything the node needs to send. |
| Validation | The node still validates every block and every transaction against consensus rules. | The satellite is a delivery path, not a trust shortcut. |
Operating-system support comes from the Bitcoin Core 0.16.1 release notes. The hardware, link-direction and validation points come from a third-party Blockstream Satellite guide.
Bitcoin satellite node software is a Bitcoin Core-based full node that can also take in blocks broadcast from space. It still validates everything itself. The main condition is separate receiver hardware with its own configuration.
This guide covers the software side only. For the wider picture of space-based Bitcoin delivery, start from the crypto satellite hub.
What changes when you run satellite-capable node software
Running this software changes how your node can receive data, not what it accepts as valid. The practical effects are mostly about hardware, trust and the network path around the node.
- Two separate pieces of software. Bitcoin Satellite is the node software. Blockstream Satellite is the broadcast network and its receiver tooling. You run both, and they have different jobs.
- A modest hardware budget. The guide estimates $50-$100 for a Linux computer such as a Raspberry Pi 4 and $20-$35 for an RTL2832U-based RTL-SDR dongle. That suits someone who wants a dedicated, low-power box rather than a main desktop.
- No weaker validation. The node checks every block and transaction against consensus rules, as the same guide states. You do not have to trust the broadcaster for correctness.
- A regional coverage check. The guide says Galaxy 18 at 123.0° W covers North America and lists five geosynchronous satellites in total. Confirm that a satellite covers your location before buying anything.
- A receive-only link. The feed is one-way, so the dish side never sends your node’s traffic anywhere.
For how the broadcast network itself operates, see how does blockstream satellite work. If you are still deciding whether the effort is worthwhile, why broadcast bitcoin from space sets out the motivation.
What the fork changes compared with Bitcoin Core
Bitcoin Satellite is a fork of Bitcoin Core, so the base behaviour of a full node carries over. Bitcoin Core is the reference full node software, and its release notes remain the best guide to the base platform. Version 0.16.1, released on 15 June 2018, is documented on the Bitcoin Core release page.
The fork’s purpose is to let that same kind of node take in data from a satellite feed as well as from ordinary peers. The brief for this article does not extend to a line-by-line source diff, and you should not assume one. Read the project’s own README and release notes for the version you install before relying on any specific behaviour.
Because the fork follows Bitcoin Core’s lineage, option names can shift between releases. Bitcoin Core 0.16.1 removed -blockmaxsize and told miners to use -blockmaxweight instead, according to the release notes. That change affects miners, but it shows why you should copy option names from the documentation matching your exact version rather than from an old forum post.
How blocks arrive over UDP multicast
The satellite broadcast reaches your node as a one-way stream, and the node treats what arrives like any other block data to be checked. A Bitcoin Magazine technical article says Blockstream Satellite uses the Fast Internet Bitcoin Relay Engine (FIBRE). The guide linked earlier describes the feed as carrying full blocks in real time, compact block relay and a mempool transaction feed.
In practice, a receiver decodes the radio signal on the Linux machine and hands the data to your node over the local network. Because that handoff stays on your own network, a stable wired path is a sensible choice. Check the project’s documentation for the exact multicast settings your version expects.
Since the node still validates what it receives, a corrupt or incomplete broadcast cannot push invalid blocks into your chain. It can only fail to deliver them.
Using the regular internet alongside the satellite
Yes, the node can also connect over the regular internet, and for most setups it should. The satellite feed is one-way, so the receiver never transmits anything. The dish therefore supplements an ordinary network connection rather than replacing it.
Treat the satellite as an additional source of block data and keep the router link as the node’s general path. This is a sensible arrangement if your goal is resilience or an independent delivery route, not a replacement for your connection.
Installing and running the node and receiver
Install the node software first, then the receiver tooling, and use Linux if you want to follow the guide’s reference setup. For the base node, Bitcoin Core’s upgrade guidance shows how installation works on each system, after you shut down the old version:
- Windows. Run the installer.
- Mac. Copy over Bitcoin-Qt in Applications.
- Linux. Copy over bitcoind or bitcoin-qt.
That guidance describes Bitcoin Core, so apply the same pattern to the Bitcoin Satellite release you download and follow its README where it differs. The receiver side, per the third-party guide, uses these steps:
- Clone the receiver repository with git clone https://github.com/Blockstream/satellite.
- Run blocksat-cli cfg, the interactive configuration wizard.
- Start the receiver with blocksat-cli sdr to run the SDR receiver.
Start the node itself on the same Linux computer, since that machine runs both the node and the receiver software.
Configuration settings that matter for reception
For reception, the settings that matter most are the ones the wizard asks about. According to the guide, blocksat-cli cfg walks you through selecting your satellite, receiver type and LNB settings. Get those right and the receiver can lock onto the correct signal. Get the satellite wrong and nothing will decode, whatever the node configuration says.
- Satellite selection. Pick the satellite that covers your region. Galaxy 18 is the one the guide ties to North America.
- Receiver type. Choose the option that matches your hardware. An RTL-SDR dongle is the low-cost route in the guide.
- LNB settings. Enter the values for the LNB on your dish, since the wizard needs them to configure reception.
- Node options. Take multicast and satellite option names from the README of the exact release you install, because names change between releases.
Keep the configuration file under version control or backed up. Rebuilding a working setup from a copy is far quicker than recalling each value.
Frequently asked questions
Which Windows versions can run the base Bitcoin Core node?
Bitcoin Core 0.16.1 is extensively tested on Windows Vista and later, and Windows XP is not supported. The receiver guide itself uses a Linux computer.
How long does a first start take after an upgrade?
Bitcoin Core’s release notes say the first run of version 0.15.0 or newer converts the chainstate database. That takes anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour, depending on the speed of your machine.
Why do guides list different satellite counts?
Bitcoin Magazine described three geosynchronous satellites at launch, while the later third-party guide lists five. Check current coverage for your region before buying hardware.
What software decodes the satellite signal?
Bitcoin Magazine says Blockstream Satellite uses GNU Radio, an open-source software development platform. The receiver is then started with the blocksat-cli sdr command.
