Bitcoin Node for Solo Miners
A Linux Appliance by Robbie Ferguson
Overview
Bitcoin Node for Solo Miners is a self-contained Debian-based appliance that lets you host your own Bitcoin node for your solo miners with no third-party pool (or fees) required.
This system installs and configures:
- Bitcoin Core (with pruning)
- ckpool (running in solo mining mode)
- A custom, secure HTTPS web dashboard for monitoring and configuration
This appliance is designed for hobbyists, home miners, and small operations who want to mine independently while maintaining full control of their rewards and privacy. Running your own independent mining node helps strengthen the decentralization of both the Bitcoin blockchain and the global mining network.
Features
- 🧱 Full or Pruned Node Support - Select from 550 MB to full blockchain retention.
- ⚡ Solo Mining with ckpool - Connect ASICs directly via Stratum (
stratum+tcp://your-node:3333). - 🔒 Secure HTTPS Interface - Self-signed TLS certificate generated on first boot.
- 🧭 Web Dashboard - View node sync progress, service health, and pool status.
- 💰 Optional Donation (Pool Fee) - At your own discretion, donate from 0 – 5% of a block reward to Robbie Ferguson.
- 🧩 Automatic Service Management - Fully integrated systemd services for
bitcoindandckpool.
The Thrill of Solo Mining
Solo mining is a bit like searching for buried treasure - every hash your miners produce is a new ticket with a tiny chance to discover a valid block. With today's global network hashrate measured in hundreds of exahashes per second, a single small miner's odds are extremely slim - perhaps one block in many years, depending on your equipment. But if that moment arrives, it could be life-changing: a full block reward (over 3 BTC at present) all to yourself, directly from the network, with no middleman and no pool fees. Most miners won't "win," but every hash still contributes to the strength and decentralization of Bitcoin, and every participant shares in the adventure of keeping the network alive. It's a project of patience, curiosity, and hope - and that makes it deeply rewarding in its own right.
Why Run Your Own Node?
Most of the world's financial systems depend on trust - you trust banks, governments, and corporations to hold your money, move it when you ask, and tell the truth about what you own. Bitcoin replaces that trust with math and transparency. The blockchain is a public ledger that anyone can verify, but no one can secretly alter. It works because thousands of independent nodes around the world all agree on the same truth - and no single entity can change it.
When you run your own node, you become one of those truth-keepers. You independently verify every transaction and every block. You don't rely on anyone else's server or website to tell you what's real. That's what decentralization actually means: no central authority deciding what's valid, no hidden rules, no one who can quietly exclude you or rewrite history.
Mining through your own node extends that independence. It means:
- You keep the full block reward - no middleman taking a cut.
- You decide where fees go, ensuring any donation or reward supports causes you choose.
- You lower latency, which means fewer rejected shares and faster propagation if you find a block - higher efficiency and better odds that your work counts.
- You strengthen the network, because each independently run node makes Bitcoin harder to censor, harder to control, and harder to kill.
Even beyond the philosophy, it's a fun, hands-on project. You're building and running a real piece of the world's most secure, open monetary system. It's both a maker challenge and a quiet act of independence - one that benefits you directly, and helps keep Bitcoin free for everyone.
🧱 Keep the Full Block Reward
If you choose to contribute a small donation (default 2%), it goes directly to someone you support (Robbie Ferguson, Category5 Technology TV) not to an unknown middleman. You can choose to donate nothing and take 100% of the block reward and transaction fees. Either way, you're never tied to giving a cut to a pool operator or hosting service, and you don't have to worry about whether you can trust that your reward could be stolen by the operator. Your work, your blocks, your reward.
🌍 Strengthen Bitcoin's Decentralization
Every independently operated node helps distribute trust across the Bitcoin network.
- When you run your own node, you're not just mining - you're helping secure Bitcoin itself.
- The more individual nodes around the world that validate blocks, the more resilient Bitcoin becomes to censorship, manipulation, and infrastructure attacks.
- Solo nodes like yours decentralize both the blockchain and the miners, reducing the control held by a handful of massive pool operators.
Your node doesn't just serve you - it quietly strengthens the entire Bitcoin ecosystem.
🧩 Avoid Centralization Through "Solo Pools"
Many so-called "solo pool" websites are causiong centralization of mining endpoints. They may advertise independence, but in practice, they're just smaller pools with one node handling thousands of miners. If that node goes down, gets censored, or acts maliciously, every connected miner is affected. By running your own node, you eliminate that dependency - no shared risk, no trust required.
⚡ Reduce Rejected Blocks and Stale Shares
When your miners talk directly to a local node, you benefit from ultra-low latency:
- Work updates reach your ASICs faster when a new block is found.
- Shares are submitted more quickly, reducing "stales."
- If you find a block, it propagates across the network faster - lowering the chance of it being orphaned.
In solo mining, milliseconds matter. A nearby node (and it doesn't get much nearer than on the same LAN) means you're always working on the latest block template and broadcasting your success before others.
🚀 Faster Syncs and Direct Verification
Your node downloads and verifies the blockchain directly - no third-party APIs or untrusted intermediaries. Even with pruning enabled, you can maintain a fully validated chain without huge storage requirements. Once synced, your appliance acts as a self-contained, fully independent mining environment - fast, efficient, and under your control.
🔒 Transparency and Trust
By running your own node, you can inspect everything: block templates, fees, policies, and results. No hidden logic, no mystery fees, and no trusting that a remote server "did the right thing." You're not outsourcing trust - you're taking it back.
💡 A Maker's Project for Tinkerers and Builders
Beyond the technical advantages, this project is just plain fun. It's a maker project - something for the curious, the independent, and the technically minded. You'll learn how Bitcoin actually works:
- How blocks are built, validated, and broadcast
- How the peer-to-peer network stays in consensus
- How mining fits into the bigger picture
Running your own mining node gives you a direct, hands-on connection to the most revolutionary financial system ever built - and the satisfaction of knowing you're a working part of it.
🧭 The Greater Good
Each new node, each independent miner, contributes to a stronger, fairer Bitcoin. Your single device helps ensure that no one entity controls how blocks are created or verified. You're not just mining - you're helping preserve Bitcoin's founding principle: a decentralized system owned and maintained by its users.
🎯 In Summary
If you've ever wanted to truly mine on your own terms, this appliance makes it possible - safely, securely, and simply. Run your own node. Own your rewards. Strengthen the network. Be part of Bitcoin's foundation.
This project exists to make that possible - and to make it fun.
Installation
Download and run the installer script as root on a clean Debian 13 (Trixie) system:
chmod +x installer
sudo ./installer
When installation completes:
- Open your browser to
https://<your-server-ip>/activate/ - Create your admin credentials (used for web access and RPC)
- Optionally regenerate your HTTPS certificate
- You'll be redirected to the dashboard once activation is complete
Configuration
Access the settings panel anytime using the link on the dashboard.
From here you can:
- Adjust pruning size (550 MB – Full)
- Change donation (pool fee) percentage
- Regenerate your certificate
- Restart core services as needed
Connecting Miners
Point your ASIC miners to:
stratum+tcp://<your-server-ip>:3333
Username: your Bitcoin wallet address to receive payout (this can be different for each miner if desired) Password: anything
Your miners can begin hashing once the Bitcoin node finishes syncing.
Security Notes
- The web interface is HTTPS-only and disabled until activation is complete.
- RPC/admin credentials are generated at first activation
- Self-signed certificates are created automatically on first boot and can be regenerated later.
System Requirements
| Component | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Debian 13 (Trixie) | Debian 13 (Trixie) |
| CPU | 2 cores | 4+ cores |
| RAM | 2 GB | 4 GB+ |
| Storage | 16 GB (pruned) | 500 GB+ (full node) |
| Network | Broadband | High-speed fiber |
License
This project is released under the Apache 2.0 License. Copyright © 2025 Robbie Ferguson
Credits
- Bitcoin Core
- ckpool
- Linux appliance integration by Robbie Ferguson