# Service Nodes (SN)

### What is an XEQ Service Node?

An XEQ Service Node is a core infrastructure node on the Equilibria network that does far more than just hold a copy of the blockchain.

Think of it as a network worker + coordinator + privacy enforcer, all rolled into one.

On Equilibria, service nodes are the backbone of the chain.

### What a Service Node is *not*

A service node is not:

* Just a passive “full node”
* Just a wallet
* Just a block listener

Regular nodes observe the network.\
Service nodes operate the network.

### What an XEQ Service Node actually does

#### 1. Processes and validates transactions

Service nodes help:

* Receive transactions from the network
* Validate them
* Relay them efficiently across peers

This improves speed, reliability, and resilience, especially under load.

#### 2. Enforces privacy

Because Equilibria is a Monero-fork, private-by-default chain, service nodes play a role in:

* Routing transactions without exposing sender/receiver
* Handling encrypted transaction data
* Supporting privacy-preserving mechanisms at the network layer

They help ensure:

* Balances stay hidden
* Amounts stay hidden
* Transaction graphs stay unreadable

Privacy isn’t optional, service nodes enforce it.

#### 3. Participates in consensus (Pulse)

Service nodes actively participate in Pulse, Equilibria’s consensus mechanism.

This means they:

* Help agree on the current state of the chain
* Contribute to block finality
* Improve block times and network stability

They’re part of *deciding* what’s valid - not just watching it happen.

#### 4. Enable fast transactions (Blink)

Service nodes are involved in Blink transactions, which provide:

* Near-instant transaction confirmation
* Quorum-based validation
* Faster UX without sacrificing privacy

This is how Equilibria avoids the usual “privacy vs speed” tradeoff.

#### 5. Provide network services

Service nodes also handle:

* Data routing
* Peer discovery
* Network synchronization
* Redundancy and fault tolerance

If regular nodes are “listeners,” service nodes are the operators keeping everything running smoothly.

### Why service nodes matter so much

Without service nodes:

* The network is slower
* Privacy guarantees weaken
* Consensus becomes fragile
* Advanced features like Blink don’t work

With service nodes:

* The chain stays fast
* The chain stays private
* The chain stays decentralized
* The community runs the infrastructure — not a centralized company

### Service Nodes in the future...

Equilibria isn’t just a privacy coin.

It’s a private developer network.

Service nodes make it possible to:

* Build private apps
* Route private data
* Support future oracle and real-world services
* Scale without turning into a surveillance chain

They’re foundational, not optional.
