Author: John Hardy 2017-03-04 16:04:50
Published on: 2017-03-04T16:04:50+00:00
The author is considering whether User Activated Soft Forks (UASF) could lead to Sybil attacks, and proposes an anonymous, opt-in unique node identification mechanism as a countermeasure. Under this proposal, nodes generate a private key on installation, with the corresponding public key becoming the node’s unique identifier. If the node switches to a new software version or IP, the same identifier can be maintained if the operator chooses. The node can then respond to a challenge with its unique identifier and sign the information, including details of its software, so that it can be verified as legitimate by third parties.The proposal would add useful data when compiling lists of active nodes, such as when a node identifier was first seen, how many IPs have broadcast from the same identifier, and what software the node has been seen running historically. This information would make it easy to identify patterns and dismiss suspicious activity, such as a huge group of nodes appearing on the network with no history for their identifier. The proposal is trivial to implement, non-controversial and allows nodes to link themselves to a pseudo-anonymous identity while retaining freedom to opt-out at any time.
Updated on: 2023-06-11T22:03:54.659694+00:00