# XChain Nodes: What They Are and How to Use Them Being an independent chain operating on the L2PS protocol, XChain relies on nodes to grant security, integrity and reproducibility. A typical XChain node is both of the following: * A DEMOS Network compliant and participating node * An XChain L2PS compliant and participating node The design principle behind this ubiquity is that, while remaining standalone, XChain benefits from the protection of the whole DEMOS Network in terms of consensus and reliability. Consequently, anyone can own and run an XChain node, provided they comply with the hardware and security requirements. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://xcomerc20.gitbook.io/xmessenger-version-2-testnet/overview/xchain-nodes-what-they-are-and-how-to-use-them.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.