Getting Started

This guide takes you from nothing to a Fully Noded wallet talking to your own Bitcoin node. We’ll use FN-Server on a Mac to run the node and Fully Noded on iPhone, iPad or Mac as the wallet. If you already run a node package (Umbrel, Start9, Parmanode, MyNode, RaspiBlitz, BTCPayServer, Nodl…) skip to step 3.

You’ll need: a Mac with enough disk for the blockchain (or a pruned node), an iPhone/iPad/Mac with Fully Noded from the App Store, and some patience while your node syncs.

1. Install and verify FN-Server

Download the latest release zip from the home page or GitHub releases. Before opening anything, verify it. Import the signing key:

curl -O https://fullynoded.app/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/fullynoded-signing-key.asc
gpg --import fullynoded-signing-key.asc

Or fetch it from a keyserver: gpg --keyserver hkps://keys.openpgp.org --recv-keys 9E3F8A38C1008D95FEB91D080BF99EAD77F9FFAA. Then unzip the release, check the signature on the checksum file and check the app’s hash against it:

unzip fullynoded-server-v0.4.0.zip
gpg --verify SHA256SUMS.asc SHA256SUMS
shasum -a 256 -c SHA256SUMS

You want to see Good signature from "Fully Noded" with the primary key fingerprint 9E3F 8A38 C100 8D95 FEB9 1D08 0BF9 9EAD 77F9 FFAA, and OK from shasum. gpg’s “not certified with a trusted signature” warning is normal. If anything doesn’t match, stop and don’t install. Once verified, drag FN-Server from the unzipped folder into Applications.

2. Start your node

On first launch the Setup Assistant walks you through it: it checks your Mac, lets you choose Bitcoin Core or Bitcoin Knots and a network, downloads it from the official source, verifies the hashes (with one-click GPG verification of the release) and installs it into ~/.fullynoded, leaving any existing Bitcoin data directory untouched. It can add Core Lightning for Plasma too. Reopen it any time from the app menu or the wand button in the toolbar.

FN-Server showing Bitcoin Core v30.3 running on mainnet and fully verified — Bitcoin Core running on mainnet. Use the Blockchain picker to switch networks, Stop/Start to control the daemon, and the utilities (wrench) button for logs, config and more.

Press Start. Your node will begin its initial block download, which can take anywhere from hours to days depending on your machine and connection. The status line shows sync progress; when it reads Fully verified you’re done.

Tor is built in. Open the Tor tab to confirm it’s running. FN-Server automatically creates hidden services for your node so you can reach it from anywhere without opening ports or exposing your IP.

3. Add your node to Fully Noded

Open Fully Noded. With no node configured yet, it’ll tell you so and point you to the Node Manager.

Fully Noded first launch: No active node alert

Go to Settings → Node Manager and tap +.

The fast way: Nostr Connect

In FN-Server open Nostr Connect in the sidebar, turn on the relay, pick the network and click Pair Fully Noded. In Fully Noded choose Scan QR and scan it. Your node then answers in about a second, at home, over a VPN or anywhere through a relay, end-to-end encrypted. See How it works. The pairing QR is shown once: treat it like a password.

Over Tor: Quick Connect

Choose Scan QR. In FN-Server, click Quick Connect on the Bitcoin Core tab and scan the code it shows. It contains your node’s onion address and RPC credentials, so Fully Noded is configured in one step. If Fully Noded is installed on the same Mac, Quick Connect can add it with a single click.

Treat that QR code like a password. Anyone who scans it can control your node’s wallets. Never screenshot or share it.

The manual way

Choose Manually. Fully Noded generates a strong RPC password for you and shows the matching rpcauth= line.

Add Node form with connection, RPC credentials and rpcauth sections

Give the node a Label.
Enter the Address as host:port: your node’s .onion address (e.g. xxxx.onion:8332), or localhost / a LAN IP when you’re on the same network.
Tap Copy or Export under RPC auth, add that line to your node’s bitcoin.conf, and restart Bitcoin Core.
Save. For LAN connections without Tor you can optionally paste your node’s SSL certificate.

4. Check the dashboard

Back on the home tab, Fully Noded bootstraps Tor and connects. Once connected the tiles fill in with live data from your node: block height, sync progress, peers, mempool, fee rate, uptime, hashrate, difficulty, storage and Core version. Tap any tile to see the raw RPC response; pull down to refresh.

5. Next steps

Lock the app: Settings → Security Center to set an app lock.
Create or import a wallet from the ₿ tab: single-sig, multisig, or any output descriptor.
Add a signer to keep your seed on this device, separate from your node, for offline signing.
Read How it works to understand what’s happening under the hood.