CoinDJs - Bootstrap

This is the bootstrap component of CoinDJs, a bitcoin (namecoin and ilk) full node and library.

Bootstrapping allows the peer-to-peer network to discover its initial set of peers to connect to, and has a couple methods:

• DNS - Connects to a set of trusted seed domain names to get a list of peers
• IRC - Connects to a given IRC (Internet Relay Chat) channel to announce and seek peers

Install

npm install coindjs-bootstrap

Connecting to DNS Seeds

This is the method bitcoind uses today, which operates against a list of trusted DNS seeds included in the bitcoind source code.

var bootstrap = require('./index.js');
 
var seeds = [
    "seed.bitcoin.sipa.be",
    "dnsseed.bluematt.me",
    "dnsseed.bitcoin.dashjr.org",
    "seed.bitcoinstats.com",
    "seed.bitnodes.io",
    "bitseed.xf2.org"
];
 
// Connect to several DNS seeds
var dnsBootstrap = new bootstrap.DNS(seeds, 8333);
dnsBootstrap.on('found', function(addresses) {
    console.log("Found: ", addresses);
});
dnsBootstrap.on('updated', function(addresses) {
    console.log("Updated:", addresses);
});
 
// Query a single DNS seed for some addresses
bootstrap.DNS.query(seeds[0], 8333, function (error, addresses) {
    console.log("Found:", addresses);
});

Connecting to IRC

This method is no longer used by the Bitcoin network, but is still popular with alt-coins that were forked from bitcoind quite early on, such as Namecoin.

// Bitcoin once upon a time used #bitcoin00 through #bitcoin99
// Namecoin still uses #nmaecoin00 through #namecoin1
function randomNamecoinChannel() {
    return '#namecoin0' + parseInt(Math.random() * 2);
}
 
// Connect to IRC and set our address
var ircBootstrap = new bootstrap.IRC(randomNamecoinChannel(), '127.0.0.1', 8334);
 
// We have found some addresses
ircBootstrap.on('found', function(addresses) {
    console.log("Found:", addresses);
});
 
// Updated is always triggered, even for the initial addresses
ircBootstrap.on('updated', function(users) {
    console.log("Updated:", users);
});
 
// Convert a nickname to an address
var nickname = 'u88qSoM5z6w9QqB';
console.log(bootstrap.IRC.nicknameToAddress(nickname));
 
// Convert an address to a nickname
var host = '127.0.0.1', port = 8334;
console.log(bootstrap.IRC.addressToNickname(host, port));
 
// Give the server a moment to run (it does not stop the node instance from terminating)
setTimeout(function() { }, 3000);

Found vs Updated events

The found event is emitted the first time any addresses are found; services which only care about any initial set of peers can listen for this event.

The updated event is emitted whenever any new addresses are found, including the above found event.

Testing

For now, there is a test.js that does basic/manual sanity checks... More testing coming soon.

Donations?

Obviously, it's all licensed under the MIT license, so use it as you wish; but if you'd like to buy me a coffee, I won't complain. =)

• Bitcoin - 1Fio5rkqduaH5p47Kb9nKSHyHn1swqQiJK
• Dogecoin - DMuMsChNgLb3kMqSJFqqYTfZNnbPZkcs3z
• Testnet3 - n2JD7JZ6y32C1DMvA5h7FzeBRNA15FQPdH