Hardware and Tools We Use Ourselves.

LunarCrush Analytics

Tracks social activity around crypto and equities — mentions, sentiment, engagement, and which accounts drive conversation — scored alongside price and volume. Web, iOS, Android, and an API.

Use code BLOCK9 for 15% off a subscription.

moso.xyz

A shop-to-earn browser extension. Shop at participating merchants — Walmart, eBay, and thousands of others — and receive cashback paid in Bitcoin or other crypto to your own wallet. Rewards typically settle after 60 to 90 days.

nansen.ai

On-chain analytics across a dozen-plus chains, built on a large database of labeled wallet addresses. See who is moving what — flows between exchanges, protocols, and known entities — rather than just aggregate volume. No-code dashboards, alerts, an API, and research reports.

RPC Node by QuickNode

Hosted RPC endpoints and APIs for Stacks — node infrastructure as a service so an application can read and write without you running a node. Free tier to start, paid by usage. SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001.

Bitaxe 601 Gamma 1.2 TH/s

A solo Bitcoin miner about the size of a paperback. 1.2 TH/s at roughly 15 watts on default settings, with built-in WiFi and browser-based setup — no cables, no mining rig. Runs AxeOS, which is open source. Sold by Solo Satoshi. Caution: the heatsink and fan are rated for default settings only. Overclocking requires physical modification, or the device drops into overheat protection.

NerdQAxe+ 2.5 TH/s

Larger sibling to the Bitaxe 601. 2.5 TH/s at roughly 55 watts on default settings — about double the hash rate for a bit over triple the power. Built-in WiFi, browser-based setup, open-source AxeOS. Power supply and a 3D-printed stand included.

Solo Satoshi

The shop behind the Bitaxe and NerdQAxe miners we list.

Ledger

Hardware wallets that keep private keys on a dedicated offline device with a secure element. Transactions are signed on the device and confirmed on its screen. Works with Leather, Xverse, and Asigna.

Jade

A Bitcoin-only hardware wallet. No support for other assets by design — less code, fewer integrations, smaller attack surface. Built by Blockstream, open source, with an air-gapped QR mode so it never connects to your computer.

Titanium Bitcoin Seed Plates

Stamped or engraved steel plates for a seed phrase. Paper burns, floods, and fades; steel survives all three. A physical backup of the words that recover the wallet — no electronics, nothing to fail.

Fireproof Waterproof Document Bag

A fire- and water-resistant pouch for hardware wallets, steel backup plates, and recovery documents. Fireproof ratings are time-and-temperature limited, not absolute.

Yubico YubiKey 5C

A physical key for two-factor authentication. Plug it in or tap it to sign in — the account can't be accessed without the key in hand. Works with Google, Microsoft, most password managers, and many exchanges.

The Bitcoin Standard

Saifedean Ammous. The most widely read book on Bitcoin's economic argument — seashells, stones, gold, fiat — then the case for Bitcoin as the hardest money yet.

Softwar

Jason Lowery, US Space Force. An MIT thesis: proof-of-work as a way to project power in cyberspace, and the mining network as strategic infrastructure rather than only a financial system.

Full Node Hardware

The parts to build a machine capable of running a full Stacks node — the hardware, not the software. Setup documentation is on our Resources page. Always check the latest specifications.

Raspberry Pi 4

The computer that runs the node. Get the 8GB model — 4GB works but leaves no headroom. Buy the kit with a case, power supply, and heatsinks rather than the bare board. Specs change; check current requirements.

2TB Solid State Drive

Where the blockchain lives. The Bitcoin chain is several hundred gigabytes and grows steadily; 2TB gives years of headroom. An SSD is not optional — initial sync on a spinning drive can take weeks.

SSD Enclosure

Connects the drive to the Pi over USB. The most common point of failure in a Pi node build: some enclosure chipsets stall, disconnect, or corrupt. Buy one known to be Pi-compatible.

Network Cable

Ethernet to the router. Use wired, not WiFi — a node syncing hundreds of gigabytes handles dropouts poorly. Cat6 is sufficient.

Network Switch

Adds Ethernet ports if the router is full. Only needed if you're short on ports. A Bitcoin node and a Stacks node together need two.

Umbrel OS

The operating system that turns the hardware into a node. Flash it to the Pi and it handles Bitcoin Core, Lightning, and a browser dashboard — no command line required. This is the software we install in our Umbrel Core node engagement.