Blockchain//Besu//Node Roles//Full Node

- Stores and verifies the entire chain — downloads every block, validates every transaction.

Stores and verifies the entire chain — downloads every block, validates every transaction.

No special privileges — it's the baseline that every other role builds on.

A validator is a full node + signing authority; an RPC node is a full node + exposed API.

"Full" distinguishes from light clients (which only fetch headers) — Besu nodes are always full.

Every node in a private IBFT/QBFT network is a full node by default — the distinction matters more in public chains.