What is a remote node in Monero?
A remote node in Monero is a computer running Monero’s network software that your wallet connects to instead of running that software locally. It lets you use your wallet without downloading and maintaining the full blockchain—the shared record of Monero transactions. You keep control of your funds, but you rely on that node for network information and some privacy.
What a remote node does for you
A Monero node stores and checks blockchain data and passes transactions between other nodes. When you connect your wallet to a remote node, your wallet uses it to:
- Get blockchain data so it can find incoming payments.
- Check the network’s progress and your transactions’ confirmations.
- Send your signed transactions to the network.
Your wallet still does the sensitive work locally. It uses your private keys—the secret information that controls and identifies your funds—to find payments and authorize spending.
A normal remote-node connection does not require your recovery seed, private spend key, or private view key. Your recovery seed is the set of words used to restore your wallet. If a supposed node service asks you to enter those words on a website, stop: that is not part of connecting to a remote node.
“Remote” describes the connection, not who owns it
A remote node could be a public service run by someone you do not know. It could also be your own node running on another computer at home or on a rented server.
That distinction matters. Connecting to your own node gives you more control over the software and the information it provides. Connecting to a stranger’s public node means depending on their availability and honesty.
You usually add a remote node in your wallet’s settings using its address and port—a numbered connection point. Some private nodes also require a username and password.
You avoid downloading the blockchain onto your wallet’s device, but your wallet still needs to scan relevant blockchain data. A remote node does not make wallet synchronization instant.
What it can—and cannot—see
Monero hides transaction details on its public blockchain, but connecting to a node can expose information outside that blockchain.
Depending on your connection and wallet behavior, the operator may see:
- Your internet address, unless you use a suitable privacy connection such as Tor.
- When you connect and how you request data.
- A transaction submitted through their node, which they may associate with your connection.
The node does not automatically learn your wallet balance, recipients, or payment amounts. It also cannot spend your funds merely because your wallet connects to it.
However, an unreliable or malicious node can withhold information, give you an incomplete view of network activity, or fail to pass on your transaction. Your own node reduces this dependence.
What this means for mining and P2Pool
Connecting your wallet to a remote node does not mine Monero. It provides blockchain access, not computing power or mining rewards.
Mining software can also connect to a node for mining information. For solo mining, that node must provide the required services; a public wallet node may not allow them.
P2Pool, a decentralized mining pool, also needs a suitable Monero node connection. Running your own node is generally the recommended setup. Your wallet’s remote-node setting alone does not configure P2Pool.
The bottom line
A remote node is a convenient bridge between your wallet and Monero’s network. You keep your keys, but trade some independence and connection privacy for less storage and maintenance on your device.
