WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO RUN YOUR OWN NODE?

Security

Running your own Bitcoin node allows you to take full sovereignty over your Bitcoin so that you do not have to trust a third party.

When you run your own node you can ensure your transactions are broadcasted to the network, then validated by miners. A Bitcoin node stores the entire blockchain and validates every block before adding it to the blockchain.

Transaprency

One important factor is that Bitcoin nodes allow users to use the network in a more private and secure way. (Not your keys, not your coins) Not having to rely on a third party gives you freedom and autonomy to interact with the Bitcoin Network.

Privacy

If you run your own node through Voltage, all peer-to-peer traffic is routed through Tor. This makes your node indistinguishable from other nodes on the network, and other nodes can not see that you are using Voltage.