Node

Node is a participant in the TON network: a process that maintains ADNL connections to peers and exchanges blocks. Everyone on the network is a node of one kind or another — some produce blocks, some store history, some serve data to clients.

Node types

Type	What it does	Disk size
Validator	Produces and signs blocks as part of a catchain group.	Full state + recent blocks
Full Node	Receives all blocks and keeps full state, but doesn’t validate.	Full state + recent blocks
Archive Node	Full node plus the entire historical chain since genesis.	Tens of terabytes
Lite Server	Serves state and block data to lite-clients on request. Usually runs on top of a full node.	Full state
Lite Client	Lightweight client that doesn’t store blocks; queries lite-servers with Merkle-proof verification.	Minimal

Most dApps and wallets talk to the network through lite-servers. Exchanges, indexers, and analytics services run their own nodes.

Typical setup

• mytonctrl. The main CLI tool for running a node on Linux. Manages build, keys, monitoring.
• Hardware. A full validator node needs server-grade kit: 16+ CPU cores, 64+ GB RAM, NVMe storage, a gigabit link. An archive node needs much more.
• Latency. For a validator, throughput isn’t the only thing — peer latency in the catchain session matters too.

Why run one

• Validation — income. Validators earn block rewards.
• Indexer. Your own full node gives independence from third-party APIs, important for high-load services.
• Mission-critical app. An exchange wallet or a serious DeFi frontend is better off with its own data source.

For developers and ordinary users, running a node isn’t needed — TON Center, OrbsTON, and public lite-servers cover almost every use case.