diff --git a/allways/chain_providers/bitcoin.py b/allways/chain_providers/bitcoin.py
index da9315bb..5a85db34 100644
--- a/allways/chain_providers/bitcoin.py
+++ b/allways/chain_providers/bitcoin.py
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ def check_connection(self, require_send: bool = True) -> None:
             raise ConnectionError(f'Cannot reach Bitcoin RPC at {self.rpc_url}')
         bt.logging.success(f'BTC RPC connected: chain={result.get("chain")}, blocks={result.get("blocks")}')
 
-    def rpc_call(self, method: str, params: Optional[list] = None) -> Optional[dict]:
+    def rpc_call(self, method: str, params: Optional[list] = None) -> Optional[Any]:
         """Generic JSON-RPC helper for BTC Core."""
         if self.mode == 'lightweight':
             return None
@@ -303,9 +303,9 @@ def api_verify_transaction(
 
     def get_balance(self, address: str) -> int:
         """Get balance for a Bitcoin address in satoshis via RPC with Esplora fallback."""
-        result = self.rpc_call('getreceivedbyaddress', [address, 0])
-        if result is not None:
-            return int(round(result * BTC_TO_SAT))
+        utxos = self.rpc_call('listunspent', [0, 9999999, [address]])
+        if isinstance(utxos, list):
+            return sum(int(round(float(utxo.get('amount', 0)) * BTC_TO_SAT)) for utxo in utxos)
         return self.api_get_balance(address)
 
     def btc_api_bases(self) -> Tuple[str, ...]:
diff --git a/tests/test_bitcoin_signing.py b/tests/test_bitcoin_signing.py
index e174f42e..4c4c3bc7 100644
--- a/tests/test_bitcoin_signing.py
+++ b/tests/test_bitcoin_signing.py
@@ -112,6 +112,60 @@ def make_lightweight_provider() -> BitcoinProvider:
         return BitcoinProvider()
 
 
+def make_node_provider() -> BitcoinProvider:
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, {'BTC_MODE': 'node', 'BTC_NETWORK': 'mainnet'}, clear=False):
+        return BitcoinProvider()
+
+
+class TestBitcoinProviderGetBalance:
+    def test_node_mode_sums_current_utxos(self):
+        provider = make_node_provider()
+        address = 'bc1q6tvmnmetj8vfz98vuetpvtuplqtj4uvvwjgxxc'
+        rpc = MagicMock(
+            return_value=[
+                {'amount': 0.25},
+                {'amount': 0.00000001},
+            ]
+        )
+
+        with patch.object(provider, 'rpc_call', rpc):
+            assert provider.get_balance(address) == 25_000_001
+
+        rpc.assert_called_once_with('listunspent', [0, 9999999, [address]])
+
+    def test_node_mode_spent_address_reports_zero(self):
+        provider = make_node_provider()
+        address = 'bc1q6tvmnmetj8vfz98vuetpvtuplqtj4uvvwjgxxc'
+
+        def rpc_call(method, _params):
+            if method == 'listunspent':
+                return []
+            if method == 'getreceivedbyaddress':
+                return 1.0
+            return None
+
+        with (
+            patch.object(provider, 'rpc_call', side_effect=rpc_call) as rpc,
+            patch.object(provider, 'api_get_balance') as api_get_balance,
+        ):
+            assert provider.get_balance(address) == 0
+
+        rpc.assert_called_once_with('listunspent', [0, 9999999, [address]])
+        api_get_balance.assert_not_called()
+
+    def test_node_mode_falls_back_to_esplora_when_rpc_unavailable(self):
+        provider = make_node_provider()
+        address = 'bc1q6tvmnmetj8vfz98vuetpvtuplqtj4uvvwjgxxc'
+
+        with (
+            patch.object(provider, 'rpc_call', return_value=None),
+            patch.object(provider, 'api_get_balance', return_value=12345) as api_get_balance,
+        ):
+            assert provider.get_balance(address) == 12345
+
+        api_get_balance.assert_called_once_with(address)
+
+
 class TestBitcoinProviderSignFromProof:
     """Direct coverage of BitcoinProvider.sign_from_proof — the wrapper our
     validator/CLI actually invoke, not the underlying library."""