What is an Arqma node? (explained)
Arqma Wallet always talks to a node. The only question is whose. Here’s what a node actually is and how to decide between local and remote.
What a node is
A node is software that participates in the Arqma network. It holds a copy of the blockchain, validates new blocks, and gossips transactions with other nodes. When Arqma Wallet wants to know the chain’s current state — or send a transaction — it asks a node.
Two pieces are bundled in the official Arqma release:
arqmad— the daemon (the node).- Arqma Wallet — the UI that talks to the daemon.
The desktop wallet can launch its own daemon (“local node”) or connect to someone else’s (“remote node”).
Why nodes matter
- Truth source: the node tells your wallet what the chain looks like. If you trust the wrong node, you trust a potentially wrong view.
- Privacy: a remote node sees your IP and the transactions you broadcast. A local node sees only what you tell it.
- Availability: if the node is down, your wallet can’t sync or send.
Local node
Pros: maximum privacy, full validation, no third-party trust. Cons: tens of GB of disk, first sync takes hours, daemon must be running when you use the wallet.
Best for: serious holders, anyone who wants full sovereignty, anyone running a small server already.
Remote node
Pros: instant setup, small footprint, works fine on a laptop you only use occasionally. Cons: the node operator sees your IP and broadcast traffic. They cannot see your keys, balance, or amounts.
Best for: new users, mobile users, anyone who wants to start in minutes.
Switching is cheap
You can start with a remote node, then run a local node later. The wallet, keys, seed — none of that changes. It’s a settings flip. See remote node setup.
The cost of not owning the node you talk to
When your wallet talks to someone else's node, that node sees your IP, your subaddresses and your transaction timing. Running Arqma Wallet with a bundled local node — or pointing it at a Tor remote — closes that leak without any extra setup.
- $2.2Bstolen from crypto services and custodial wallets in 2024 alone (Chainalysis). Almost none of it was held in self-custodial wallets like Arqma.
- #1cause of consumer crypto losses, year after year, is a fake wallet or cloned download page — not a protocol exploit. The official build is the fix.
- 25words is all you need to restore an Arqma Wallet on any device, in under five minutes. No support ticket, no waiting on a custodian to respond.
- $5.6Breported lost to crypto investment fraud in the US in 2023 (FBI IC3). Nearly all of it sat in third-party accounts the victim didn’t actually control.
Download Arqma Wallet
Free, open source, non-custodial. Your keys, your coins, your privacy — on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS. Install in two minutes.
Always download from the official page. Verified builds, signed releases, open-source code.