# btcsuite/btcd

An alternative full node bitcoin implementation written in Go (golang)

Repository: https://github.com/btcsuite/btcd
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/btcd
Homepage: https://github.com/btcsuite/btcd/blob/master/README.md
Language: Go
License: ISC
License Family: permissive
Topics: hacktoberfest, btcd, bitcoin
Last push: 2026-08-26T06:24:33+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 89/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 70, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4775, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": 40, "gap_med": 131.0, "n_releases_24m": 3}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 6703, forks 2519 (observed 2026-08-28T04:09:47.913854+00:00)

## What it is
btcd is an alternative full-node Bitcoin implementation written in Go that downloads, validates, and serves the blockchain using the same consensus rules as Bitcoin Core. It is a daemon-only node (no wallet functionality) that relays blocks and transactions and exposes an RPC API for programmatic access.

## Use cases
- run a bitcoin full node without running bitcoin core
- build bitcoin applications in go against a node rpc
- validate and relay bitcoin blocks and transactions
- develop and test bitcoin consensus logic
- query blockchain data programmatically via rpc
- operate a node backend for a bitcoin wallet service

## When to choose
- you want a full node implementation in Go for embedding or building Go-based bitcoin services
- you need a wallet-less node that pairs with btcwallet
- you want to participate in network validation and relay with consensus-compatible software

## When to avoid
- you need built-in wallet functionality for sending and receiving payments
- you prefer the reference implementation with the largest ecosystem and tooling
- you need lightweight SPV verification rather than a full node

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: stable
- function: http-server, rpc, developer-tools, testing
- domain: blockchain, fintech, networking, developer-tools
- platform: windows, bsd, go, cli, cross-platform
- tags: bitcoin, full-node, blockchain, cryptocurrency, golang, peer-to-peer, consensus, transaction-pool, no-wallet, linux, macos

## Member repositories
- btcsuite/btcd (main) score 89

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:47.913854+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:42:57.875372+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/btcsuite/btcd (fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:47.913854+00:00, sha 0c009dd8591c)
  - homepage: https://github.com/btcsuite/btcd/blob/master/README.md (fetched 2026-08-29T08:39:00.798668+00:00, sha 93edf9acfd5e)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.