Choosing your backend: Liana Connect vs. your own node
Liana needs a Bitcoin backend to watch your wallet and broadcast transactions. Here's how to pick the right one.
What a backend does
Liana builds and coordinates transactions according to your spending policy. But it does not read the blockchain directly. For that it needs a Bitcoin backend: a service or node that watches the blockchain for your wallet addresses, calculates your balance, and broadcasts your signed transactions to the network. Without a backend, the wallet is blind.
Option 1: Liana Connect
Liana Connect is Wizardsardine's hosted backend service. No configuration is required: sign in with your email and your wallet is synced instantly, on any internet connection.
It also enables extra features not available with a self-hosted node: label and PSBT synchronisation across devices and co-signers, and the ability to restore your wallet by logging in rather than needing your descriptor on hand.
Trade-off: Wizardsardine can see your wallet addresses and activity. Your transaction history is not private from the backend provider. For most users this is acceptable; for those prioritising strong privacy it is not ideal.
Best for: new users, quick setup, and environments where running a full node is not practical.
Option 2: Bitcoin Core
Running your own Bitcoin Core node gives you maximum sovereignty. Bitcoin Core downloads and validates every block independently, trusting no one's data. All address lookups stay on your own machine.
Liana supports two ways to use Bitcoin Core:
- Install a pruned node with Liana: Liana can set up and manage a pruned Bitcoin Core node for you with one click. This only requires around 30 GB of storage. Even a pruned node downloads the entire blockchain to verify it, so the initial sync takes time and may take several days. Watch the setup walkthrough.
- Connect to an existing node: If you are already running Bitcoin Core on your machine, Liana can connect directly to it via RPC with no extra installation needed.
Best for: users who want complete independence and privacy.
Option 3: Electrum Server (Electrs / Fulcrum)
An Electrum server sits on top of Bitcoin Core and adds an address index, making wallet queries significantly faster. This is particularly useful if you run Bitcoin Core on a separate machine or server: Electrum is designed for exactly that architecture, giving you all the privacy of your own node with faster wallet synchronisation.
Only connect to an Electrum server you run yourself. Public or unknown third-party Electrum servers carry a fundamentally different trust model and we strongly discourage using them.
Best for: users running Bitcoin Core on a separate server who want fast wallet synchronisation.
How to switch backends
Switching backends requires restoring your wallet under the new backend. In Liana, open a new wallet tab, click Add wallet, then choose Add an existing Liana wallet. From there you can select a different backend and import your wallet descriptor. Your wallet configuration, keys, and spending policy remain unchanged. There is no lock-in.
At a glance
| Option | Sovereignty | Ease of use | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Own Electrum Server | ✅✅✅ | ⚠️ Requires setup | Lightweight and private; best with Core on a separate machine |
| Bitcoin Core (existing node) | ✅✅✅ | ⚠️ Advanced setup | Full node, full control |
| Bitcoin Core via Liana (pruned) | ✅✅ | ✅✅ Automated setup | ⚠️ Needs ~30 GB and initial sync time |
| Liana Connect | ⚠️ Lower privacy | ✅✅✅ | Fast, feature-rich, no node required |
Which one to pick
The right choice depends on your priorities. If ease of setup matters most, Liana Connect gets you running without any configuration. If privacy and self-sovereignty matter most, Bitcoin Core or your own Electrum server are the right options. Your wallet setup (keys, spending policy, descriptor) does not change when you switch backends, so you are never locked in to your initial choice.