Definition
Bitcoin Core is an open-source software project that provides a widely used implementation of a Bitcoin full node, together with wallet and developer interfaces. A node running the software can validate blocks and transactions, maintain its view of the blockchain, and communicate with peers without accepting another company's ledger as authoritative. Its wallet capabilities can generate addresses, track funds, and help construct and sign transactions when configured for that purpose. Bitcoin Core is not the Bitcoin network itself, an exchange, or a company that can reverse payments. Publishing a software release also does not automatically force every participant to adopt new rules. Operators decide what software to run, and consensus compatibility determines whether their nodes follow the same valid history. Understanding this distinction helps explain why a development proposal, a released feature, and an activated network rule are different stages rather than interchangeable events.
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