I have been running blockchain infrastructure for a while on dedicated servers. I have been running Bitcoin nodes on various devices since 2010.

I also hosted my own social media (identi.ca copy) back in 2011 and now I am running my own Mastodon instance, Mastodon relay and SearXNG metasearch engine.

Decentralized services such as blockchain servers and social networks usually don't have the strictest network rules and often allow nodes with known flaws and outdated software to communicate with your peers. There will always be some garbage data relayed to your Bitcoin Nodes and Mastodon instances because of that. Be prepared some unwanted traffic when running decentralized services.

Running a single service is usually not difficult at all, but if you want to run several decentralized services on your server you should make scripts or generate them via AI to make managing your instances easier. You can use Docker containers and Let's Encrypt scripts to make updates easier.

You should also setup monitoring for your decentralized services - bugs can cause extreme CPU or Memory usage (especially in blockchain software). I found that the Grafana Ubuntu package is a good solution, but you can also use Grafana.com to check your servers.

Security: every server exposed to the internet will be attacked - you can lower the number of attacks if you decide to run your service IPv6-only. I have installed a honeypot and other security software on my servers to protect my infrastructure. fail2ban is a must for every exposed SSH port on the web and you should switch to key authentication and change the default port if possible.

Here is an example of my honeypot (it looks like an old version of an IIS server)

When you decide to setup a service don't use the first setup guide on the web - search for the best guide to configure it - sometimes there are instructions included to make automatic updates and renew certificates automatically - this means that you will have to spend less time on maintenance.

What is the best operating system to run decentralized services?

There is no single answer to this as most decentralized services can run on virtually any operating system.

What if I want my own Mastodon instance or Bitcoin Node, but I don't want to learn how to configure it?

If you do not have the knowledge and skills - and you do not want to learn how to self-host a Bitcoin Node or Mastodon server you can also use a managed decentralized service (example: masto.host)

What can I do with my own Blockchain Node?

You can run your own block explorer, connect to your own node with your own crypto wallet for better privacy, use it for business (store with crypto payments) and much more.

Do you have any other questions about running decentralized services? Connect with me on Mastodon.