For individuals and families
Self-Hosting with StartOS
Run your own Bitcoin node and your own private cloud (files, passwords, messaging) on a server in your home, set up right.
When your wallet checks your balance, it asks a server somewhere. When you back up your phone, your files go to someone else’s cloud. Self-hosting brings those services home, onto a small server you own.
StartOS makes that practical for non-programmers, and I’ve been running it since the days of the Start9 Embassy. I’ve talked about it on The Survival Podcast and I help people get their own server running properly: installed, secured, backed up, and reachable when they’re away from home.
What you can run
- Your own Bitcoin node, so your wallets don’t report to anyone else
- Lightning, for instant, low-fee payments
- A password manager, file sync, notes and private messaging that you own
- And the part people skip: backups, tested, so a dead drive is an inconvenience, not a disaster
What we cover
- Choosing hardware, or buying a Start9 server
- Installing and securing StartOS
- Running your own Bitcoin node
- Connecting your wallets to your node
- Lightning, if it suits you
- Private alternatives to cloud services
- Reaching your server safely from anywhere
- Backups you've actually tested
Questions people ask
What is StartOS?
StartOS is an operating system made by Start9 for personal servers. It lets you install and run services like a Bitcoin node, a password manager or a file-sync service from a simple web interface, with no command line needed.
Why run my own node?
Your wallet has to ask someone about the Bitcoin network. With your own node, it asks you, so no company learns your balances or your transactions.
Ready when you are
Setup and guidance for running your own server with StartOS. Your own Bitcoin node, Lightning, passwords, files and messaging, all under your control.
Not sure where to start?
Book a free intro call. Tell me where you are with Bitcoin and I'll tell you honestly whether and how I can help.