I've read a lot about the Bitcoin nodes and about running one myself but it's nearly impossible to download almost 500 GB of the entire Blockchain with the speed of the Internet I'm currently using. I know nodes are just simple computers running on the Bitcoin network operated by individuals and I've also learned that there are approximately 75k active nodes ( both listening and non-listening nodes) my curiosity is what would happen to Bitcoin if these 75k node operators decided to shut down. I know I'm thinking too much but nothing is impossible, right? I mean these are operated by humans.
Firstly op let me start by saying that the likelihood of that happening is near zero. Because technically if every single node should stop working then the bitcoin network would not be regarded as a network. To start with nodes are just computers that share and store data on the Blockchain. Nodes work together forming the Bitcoin network, Infact the idea that all these nodes have a series of protocol that they all follow makes it impossible for errors like fake Bitcoins to be generated on the network.
Also let's not forget that miners infact run nodes because without them having connection to other nodes and the block chain in general they won't be able to add coins to the network by hashing and also confirm transactions by Linking and verifying the origin and POW of the coins being sent.