Share this article
The Code for This Bitcoin Node Scanner is Now Open Source
CoinScope, a tool that provides aggregated data about bitcoin nodes, has been made open source.
Updated Sep 11, 2021, 1:07 p.m. Published Feb 23, 2017, 8:19 p.m.
Make us preferred on Google
In this article
CoinScope, a tool that provides aggregated data about bitcoin nodes, has been made open source.
The code was made publicly available on GitHub on 22nd February. The project, which has been around since 2015, is somewhat akin to Bitnodes, the node data tool operated by startup 21 Inc that seeks to map the bitcoin network by measuring the amount of nodes connected at any given time.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
Don't miss another story.Subscribe to the Crypto Daybook Americas Newsletter today. See all newsletters
As detailed in a 2015 presentation by developer Andrew Miller at the Scaling Bitcoin workshop in Montreal, the tool's aim isn't to reduce the anonymity of nodes on the network. Rather, according to Miller, CoinScope's purpose is to provide a vehicle to assess the health of the network itself.
drafted in connection with CoinScope describes how one using the tool can see the bitcoin network in a new way by uncovering relationships between nodes and mining pools – a process that yields intriguing data points about the network's composition.
The paper notes:
"We introduce a "decloaking" method to find influential nodes in the topology that are well connected to a mining pool. Our results find that in contrast to bitcoin's idealized vision of spreading mining responsibility to each node, mining pools are prevalent and hidden: roughly 2% of the (influential) nodes represent three-quarters of the mining power."
The main technological aspect that makes the decloaking possible through the CoinScope tool is an element dubbed AddressNode. It works by discovering peer-to-peer links in bitcoin, then applying those links to the live topology of the whole network.
Image via Shutterstock
More For You
KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.
What to know:
- KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
- This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
- Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
- Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
- Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.
More For You
Bitcoin stuck near $88,000 as gold's and silver's record-breaking rallies show exhaustion signs
"Gold and silver casually adding an entire bitcoin market cap in a single day," wrote one crypto analyst.
What to know:
- Bitcoin is off its worst levels of the weekend, but still near the year's low at $87,700.
- Facing the same news cycle as crypto, precious metals continued to surge higher, but a quick retreat from their highs on Monday suggested a bit of exhaustion was setting in.
- Analysts remain dour on the outlook for crypto prices given the looming government shutdown as well as delays in passage of the Clarity Act.
Top Stories
