[tor-relays] bitcoin adopt a node idea

[Scott Bennett]

grarpamp <grarpamp at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Thu, Jun 26, 2014 at 10:44 AM, David Hill <dhill at mindcry.org> wrote:
> > On Thu, Jun 26, 2014 at 12:35:00AM -0500, Scott Bennett wrote:
> >> jason at icetor.is wrote:
> >>
> >> > http://www.coindesk.com/adopt-node-project-aims-bolster-bitcoin-network-security/
> >> >
> >>      Assuming that the relevant bitcoin programs could be taught to talk
> >> SOCKS, then it seems that tor hidden services would, in principle if not
> >> in performance, be an ideal solution.  Running those bitcoin "full" nodes
> >> as hidden services might well make them less vulnerable to being shut
>
> bitcoind works fine with tor and has some onion full nodes.

     Ah, very good, then.  Thanks for the info.
>
> >>  Performance of hidden
> >> services, however, are severely constrained by the hidden services protocol,
> >> which can slow connection times enough to make one consider USnail as a
> >> possible alternative, and the need for circuits of 2n-1 relays, which makes
> >> access even slower than normal tor circuits of n relays.
>
> Performance of hidden services is actually rather good. ymmv.

     In my experience, it can take a minute or more to get a circuit
connected because of the delays involved in the whole rendezvous
procedure.  Then, due to the length of the circuit, the data transfer
rate is often fairly poor.  Occasionally, the 5- or 7-hop circuit
comprises only fast nodes, so the transfer rate is high, but usually
the greater number of hops drastically reduces the probability of
getting a fast circuit.
>
> > I am using btcd, an alternative full-node implementation written in
> > golang.  Find it at https://github.com/conformal/btcd.  It has built in
> > proxy support.  The wallet, btcwallet, is separate.  It also has proxy

     Excellent.

> > support, so that you may connect to btcd over tor or as a tor hidden
> > service.  That can be found at https://github.com/conformal/btcwallet.
> >
> > bitcoind nodes are a nice target to look for wallets.  But with btcd, I
> > run that at home while btcwallet runs on my encrypted laptop which
> > connects to btcd over tor.  There is no wallet on my btcd node machine.


                                  Scott Bennett, Comm. ASMELG, CFIAG
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